I mentioned using fertilizer last week and some of the options you have. Your lawns have different needs this time of the year. There are many possible scenarios and needs: planting grass, killing weeds, new homeowner just starting out….. Planting grass is a tough one this time of year. A dormant seeding is possible, but at what cost? It is possible the seed doesn’t germinate and in the spring the crabgrass pre-emergent you put down kills the seed you paid for and planted. I am not a big fan of this; I think it is a waste of time and money.
Weeds this time of year are taking in the same nutrients as your desirable turf grass; air, water and space. I say deal with the weeds now so you may not have the same issues or bigger ones in the spring. Did you know that one crabgrass plant drops over 100,000 seeds? Think about that for a minute. How many crabgrass plant skeletons do you have just in your front yard? Multiply that by 100,000. Ouch!! It is always best to treat a pest (a pest in the turf grass is a weed, insect or disease) in more than one way so there is a better chance of success. Let’s face it; weeds grow in the cracks of cement. My suggestion is this: Use any extra herbicide that you have laying around the shed or garage and hit as much of your lawn area as possible, if you can get the whole thing done, excellent. Then in about 10-14 days fertilize the lawn with a mix of winter fertilizer (similar to the one we discussed in the last week’s post) and broadleaf weed killer. Why would I say this?
The liquid herbicide generally has a 14-21 day residual but will give you more a quick contact kill as the broad leaf weed will translocate the herbicide down to the root and hopefully put it to rest. The granular weed control will get into the soil slower and hopefully create a barrier that will last for a little while longer, generally 21-28 days. This will not be a cure all but will give you a leg up for 2011. I am not a big fan of weeds; they are a pain in the- you- know- what.
Wednesday I plan to touch on the need to fertilize your trees and shrubs this fall. Why you should and shouldn’t do it and what is really going on with the plant this time of year. There are many misnomers out there and some basics to follow that will save you a ton of money and time.
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