It’s a rainy, windy 70 degrees outside today. Yesterday, it was a misty 50 degrees. We’ll see 40-degree temps again over the weekend. Welcome to late winter in Southeast Louisiana! It’s like watching a woman in the throes of childbirth. Eventually, our climate will pass through spring and emerge into the long, hot days of summer. In the meantime, we can only watch, wait, and prepare.
Why prepare?
Summer is not the only thing to emerge from this period of seasonal rebirth. Summer weeds, their seeds lying dormant through the winter, emerge as well, and the time to stop them is before they flourish.
How can we prepare?
The best way to prevent weeds is to maintain a healthy lawn. Weeds require light to grow, so they are usually crowded out by thick, luxuriant turfgrass. But summer weeds can gain a foothold in those areas of our lawns where the turf is thin, along borders, in shady areas, and between the cracks of stepping stones and sidewalks. To get ahead of summer weeds, we should apply pre-emergent herbicides now.
How do pre-emergent herbicides work?
Pre-emergent treatments kill young sprouts just after they germinate. They prevent weeds from growing to maturity. To be effective, they must be applied prior to germination. According to scientists at the LSU Ag Center, common turf weeds, particularly crabgrass, germinate in our area in late February when soil temperatures reach 55 to 60 degrees.
What herbicides should we use?
There are a number of herbicides on the market, but not all are safe on southern turfgrasses. To determine which ones are best for your lawn, you can:
- Consult the LSU Ag Center website.
- Contact your local Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service representative. (Search online for the office in your parish.)
- Consult experts at your local garden center.
If you are not a do-it-yourself kind of person, or if this all seems a bit overwhelming, you could hire a professional. Our lawncare experts at Green Grass are always ready to help, and our treatment services are more affordable than you think. Give us a call today. You’ll be glad you did.
