Here in Andrews, Midland, and Odessa we have huge soil temperature fluctuations in the late winter and early spring. Most weeds begin to germinate or sprout when soil temperatures reach about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Crabgrass on the other hand has been proven to germinate at 52 degrees Fahrenheit, which means it can potentially germinate a month sooner than other species. How do you prevent this?? Pre-emergent! It is crucial to apply pre-emergent prior to soil temperatures reaching 52 degrees Fahrenheit. The problem with timing here in West Texas is that soil temperatures can rise long enough for spring weeds to germinate as early as late January or early February. That being said you can't go wrong with putting the pre-emergent down 2-4 weeks early. The majority of pre-emergents last 3-6 months in the soil. I have found it beneficial to rotate pre-emergents to cut back on resistance build-up and also because each pre-emergent has yearly maximum rate. By putting down a pre-emergent early in the year and reapplying two weeks early every time you'll prevent the majority if not all weeds from ever germinating. This will help you limit the amount of post-emergent herbicides you have applied on your lawn throughout the year. Post-emergent applications in the summer can bring stress to your lawn and even kill it if you Fescue or St. Augustine. To check the soil temperature forecast go to the Greencast website. It's an awesome tool to use when planning the proper time to apply pre-emergent.
If you are interested in having lawn treatments done for your lawn give us a call. We can set your lawn on a schedule for weed control and nutrition all year long.