What we’re going to talk about today is pre-emergent.
Pre-Emergent = Before the weeds emerge.
Pre-emergents are selective herbicides designed to target specific weeds prior to their germination (right when they start growing from a seed). They do not affect the grass, but greatly reduce the presence of weeds. When we apply pre-emergent to your lawn in the early spring months, you’ll have season-long control of summer annual weeds, such as Georgia’s infamous crabgrass. When applied in the late fall and winter months, a pre-emergent will control most winter annual weeds such as poa annua (bluegrass) and wild violet.
But don’t get ahead of yourself, pre-emergents are recommended ONLY for grasses that have been established for a full growing season (Bermuda grass) or in the case of some grasses (like Zoysia grass) a full year. Severe damage to your lawn can result if a preemergent herbicide is applied to newly laid sod. Cultivating a healthy beautiful lawn is a patience game, likewise, if you didn’t get any pre-emergent applied in the late-fall to early-spring period, don’t panic! You can still take action this growing season by making sure your grass is properly fertilized, watered, and cut regularly so it outgrows the weeds competing for space and sunshine.
Read about proper grass fertilization here:
