Which type of Pre-Emergent Spray for Lawns?

Which type of Pre-Emergent Spray for Lawns?

Which type of Pre-Emergent Spray for Lawns?

Weeds are the bane of homeowners everywhere, assaulting pristine lawns using their unsightly leaves, irritating burrs and blatant disregard for aesthetics. Battling weedy invaders as soon as they appear can be difficult. Pre-emergent herbicides stop various types of weeds before they begin to rise up over the heads of carefully landscaped lawn grasses. While a fully weed-free yard may be the stuff of dreams, properly implemented herbicdes can control nearly all the problem. Pre-emergent herbicides contain various substances which kill several types of weeds before or just after the seeds germinate.

Broadleaf Weeds

As its name suggests these weeds have wide, frequently flattened leaves which look nothing like the grass around them. Dandelions are possibly the simplest to identify, using their yellow blooms or fluffy white balls atop slender flower stalks. Many broadleaf weeds are perennial, returning year after year to plague your yard. English daisy, plantains, white clover and creeping wood sorrel are different types of broadleaf weeds. Pre-emergent Sensors containing benefin or a combination of benefin and oryzalin function to eliminate some broadleaf weeds. Lawns with warm season grasses and tall fescue may be treated using oryzalin-based products and stay healthy. Bensulide eliminates henbit in addition to other broadleaf weeds. You can control oxalis and spurge weeds using herbicides containing dithiopyr. Pendimethalin controls a few broadleaf weed species.

Grasses

Grassy weeds have narrow leaves arranged in sets of two. This type of weed most closely resembles grass, however, the stems are hollow and may be round or flattened. Grassy weeds produce little, insignificant flowers. Crabgrass, perennial bluegrass and dallisgrass are one of the various types of grassy weeds which can infest turf grasses. Pre-emergent Sensors containing benefin and benefin mixed with oryzalin or trifluralin can help control grassy weeds. Bensulide is devised primarily to control annual bluegrass and must be thoroughly watered into the soil before pets and children may safely return to the treated area of the yard. Dithiopyr, another pre-emergent herbicide, isn’t suitable for many species of grass, but might offer some pre- and post-emergent control of crabgrass. Many warm-season turf grass and tall fescue lawns may be treated using oryzalin-based herbicides. Although not all turf grasses can endure it, pendimethalin is extremely effective as a pre-emergent to control crabgrass.

When to Treat

Even though most pesky weeds germinate in spring, pre-emergent herbicides for annual bluegrass can be implemented in late summer or fall. Crabgrass tends to germinate early. Generally speaking, if the dogwoods or forsythia are blooming, it’s time to treat the yard for crabgrass. Most pre-emergent herbicide labels list the weeds they’re made to dominate, and provide instructions on when and how to use the herbicide. Thus, it is critical to know which kind of weed to treat and what to use. Extension service offices and university horticulture departments are able to allow you to identify certain weeds, and the University of California State Integrated Pest Management website’s extensive lawn care pages include a photo gallery of weeds.

Tips and Considerations

A third sort of weed, sedge, must be treated using post-emergent herbicides, since no commercially sold pre-emergent herbicides work on this kind of weed, according to the UC Statewide IPM Program site. Bentgrasses, Kentucky bluegrass, fescues, rye grass and zoysia grass are sensitive to herbicides containing oryzalin. Bentgrasses are also sensitive to pendamethalin.

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