NEIGHBORHOOD
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MY LAWN
BY
Usually in
March I run my column on “Lawn Care by Holidays”. I have been properly
informed that doing lawn care on certain dates may be easy to follow,
but may not be the most efficient and economical. I agree with them but
I have found that with certain stipulations it is an easy way to
remember
approximately when
to do what.
Below are
MY guidelines and
recommendations and not necessarily supported by any particular garden
center, nursery or the Master Gardener program. However, they are based
on what I have learned from university research, and my own experience.
The lawn care
companies have been on the phone and calling all their old customers as
well as new ones. Their advertisements are starting to come in the mail
and be in all the newspapers. Also the garden centers, hardware stores,
and box stores are all stocked up and ready to sell you a 4-step
program, a 5-step program or even a 6 step program. Remember that these
heavily advertised, 4-step, 5-step, and 6-step programs have been great
marketing tools for the garden centers, hardware stores, box stores,
lawn care companies and especially the fertilizer manufacturers but are
not necessarily good for your lawn and the environment. Whether you do
it yourself or have a lawn care service, do not contract for more
chemicals and services than you really need.
More is not better, and do not put the first step on too
early. Also remember you are the one paying the bill and should be the
one to decide what and how to take care of your lawn.
MY
RECOMMENDED 5 STEP PROGRAM
1.
Arbor
(a) Team or
Pendimethalin is the active ingredient in
(b)
(c) Bonide now
has a product called “Weedbeater Complete” that prevents the germination
of Crabgrass seed in the spring
and helps suppress the germination of Yellow Nutsedge (nutgrass)
nutlets. The active ingredients in “Weedbeater Complete” are Prodiamine
(found in Barricade), and Sulfentrazone (found in Dismiss that is an
agricultural/farm product). Sulfentrazone is a pre-emergent that also
has some post-emergent qualities. This has been used in agriculture for
a number of years and now is being used on turfgrass. As mentioned
above, it
will HELP suppress the
germination of the Yellow Nutsedge nutlets.
Prodiamine is a very good
pre-emergent product and has the longest residual (about 90 days) of any
turfgrass pre-emergent. This product with Sulfentrazone costs almost the
same as the regular Barricade pre-emergent.
When you apply
“Weedbeater Complete” and other pre-emergent crabgrass products, is
important!!! Both Crabgrass and Yellow Nut Sedge starts to germinate
when the
soil temperature is 55
degrees F. for 4 or 5 consecutive days. This product, when applied at
the right time and according to label instructions, will also control or
suppress the germination of Chickweed, Foxtail, Knotweed, numerous
Sedges, Pigweed, Purslane, Speedwell, Prostrate Spurge, and Goosegrass.
If you apply it too early the chemicals will be weak in
2.
Memorial
When we have a
Spring that is wet and cool, Crabgrass and Yellow Nutsedge germinate
later than usual and this second application of pre-emergent is
extremely important. The years I have not put on a Memorial Day
application I had a bumper crop of weeds and yellow nutsedge (nutgrass)
that germinated in late June, July, and for the rest of the summer.
3.
July 4th:
Apply a preventative grub control
containing Merit or Mach II but without fertilizer, between July 4th and
July 15th. Most of the grubs we have are the Masked Chafer larvae from
eggs laid by
4.
LABOR
5.
This same lawn schedule will work with a Turf Type Tall Fescue
lawn. Copyright 2016
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