Someone on this site posted a site that tells you when to drop the poison, looked to me like now is the time.
My understanding of this is that CG is an annual that needs seeds, pre-emergant is worthless if you put it down late. You can put it down early but the risk is that it washes away before it can do its death magic. Stuff works good year one and even better year two. Anything else?
It’s still a bit early…this year anyway. First, you want to do any raking/cleanup before applying pre emergent. It is not a killer, it’s a preventer. It basically lays down a barrier that prevents germination (including grass seed). That’s why you don’t want to disturb it after application. Depending on what product you are planning to use, usually you will need to water it in and then leave it alone…no seeding, raking ir renovation after. I am in the southwest metro and soil temps here are in the mid-upper 40s but cooler temps are probably going to drop those down again a bit. The old tale is soil temps at it above 50 for 3 days straight is when germination starts.
Realizing I may not have given you enough info…I’m planning to start pre emergent applications around May 1st. Everyday I check conditions and temps in my area. You could safely apply it today…what you gain by waiting is it will remain active later into the summer when crabgrass becomes a real problem. There’s all kinds of ways to attack the problem of crabgrass including split applications where you’d apply it now as well as later (6-8) weeks. If you’re looking for the easy “homeowner” one-time spring application, I’d still wait a week or so. It’s also been very wet lately so let it dry out a bit, do a light raking/cleanup then time it right before rain or water it in.
Stick a thermometer in your lawn. Ground temps of 50-55 degrees is the time
Thanks, I’ll wait.
Stick a thermometer in your lawn. Ground temps of 50-55 degrees is the time
I did that yesterday with the digital meat thermometer in 6 places. Temp ranged from 57 to 60 degrees.
FYI. Soil temps are measured at 6” depth. Not surprised you’d find higher temps at the surface but I’d be very surprised to hear you are that warm at 6” in Minnesota metro area. Again, temp spikes happen but you really need 72 hours or so of consistency for germination.
FYI. Soil temps are measured at 6” depth. Not surprised you’d find higher temps at the surface but I’d be very surprised to hear you are that warm at 6” in Minnesota metro area. Again, temp spikes happen but you really need 72 hours or so of consistency for germination.
I just threw fertilizer down. 10-10-10.
I’ve tried crabgrass preventer several years. Can’t say I’ve noticed any difference to my crop.
Won’t be long until the dandelions are out in full force. Usually occurs the first week of May. May be slightly delayed this spring.
I used CG pre-emergent last year and it made a noticable difference-dude at the hardware store swears by fertilizing on 3 holidays: memorial, 4th and Labor Day
Here’s one site to reference. It’s not exact for locations, but it gives you a decent trend.
https://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/soilprotection/soiltemp
Be careful to note the difference between places on there measured at 4″ and those at 6″ of soil depth. Here on the banks of Pool 4 were are right around 48 for current soil temp. North of here to the metro area I’d probably wait until this next weekend. The next few days/nights are going to probably pull the temps of soil down if anything.
Like what you are saying Big-I fish a lot, hire stuff a lot, and do think pretty lawns are overrated. That said I do get out there and try to make our turf pretty.
Hire it out and go fishing! Pretty lawns are overrated anyway.
Agreed on the pretty lawns are overrated part. We don’t hire anything out, and we don’t dump chemicals on lawn having little kids nor the time to deal with it. The thing I really struggle to understand are the people who mow their grass very short, bi**h about weeds while dumping bags of weed and feed on it, then complain about how much work their lawn is. We set everything at 3″ and it’s amazingly more resilient to drought and does a better job at keeping weeds away for substantially less cost. In the heat of summer an evenly mowed 3.5″ of lawn can really take a lot of abuse.
I’ve more paid attention to soil temperatures for cash cropping stuff on land we lease to farmers and keep tabs with them on when they want to access our fields.
I keep my mower high too, and have planted clover. My fertilizer is Milogamite (organic) I will target pre-emegant where I have had problems with crab grass and less than half of my lawn will get this treatment.
I’ve tried crabgrass preventer several years. Can’t say I’ve noticed any difference to my crop
Are you sure it’s crabgrass? There are perennial grasses (quack grass, etc) that many confuse with crabgrass. Preemergents won’t do a thing to them.
Agreed on the pretty lawns are overrated part. We don’t hire anything out, and we don’t dump chemicals on lawn having little kids nor the time to deal with it. The thing I really struggle to understand are the people who mow their grass very short, bi**h about weeds while dumping bags of weed and feed on it, then complain about how much work their lawn is. We set everything at 3″ and it’s amazingly more resilient to drought and does a better job at keeping weeds away for substantially less cost. In the heat of summer an evenly mowed 3.5″ of lawn can really take a lot of abuse.
The part I fail to understand is why people scalp it too. Most home owners I know really don’t do any watering, but yet they cut it as short as possible. It holds moisture much better if you cut it longer and keeps a greener look. If you cut it short, and then it doesn’t get any water, it becomes scorched earth in 2 days. And while we’re at it, stop bagging your clippings too. You’re essentially eliminating a free mulch if you bag the clippings.
Some of my neighbors lawns are not coming back after a historic drought last season. They’re still “white” and they should be showing signs of green.
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