Spring Weed Control

Weed control is a very important topic this time of year. You have likely seen a lot of weeds pop up in your landscape areas quickly over the past few weeks – especially if you did not apply a pre-emergent such as Hi-Yield Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper. (You can still apply the Weed & Grass Stopper through the end of May as weeds are pretty consistently reseeding this time of year.)

For lawn weeds, in addition to applying Step 2 of our 4 Step Lawncare program, you can also spray Fertilome Weed Free Zone in your lawns and landscape beds. Fertilome Weed Free Zone works great in cooler temps and will not harm your lawn grass. Formulated to work in the cooler temps of Spring, Fertilome Weed Free Zone controls over 80 of the toughest-to-control broadleaf weeds including Clover, Ground Ivy, Spurge, Chickweed, Dandelion, Henbit, Oxalis, Poison Ivy, Purslane, Shepherds Purse, Thistle, Virginia Buttonweed, Wild Onion and many others as listed on the label.

Application Rates: Mix 3 tablespoons per gallon and apply a fine mist to troublesome weeds

Remember – keep your sprayers separate. There are 4 primary sprayers that are needed and should be kept separate in their use. Mixing sprayers can cause leftover residue to mix with other chemicals or cause unintended plant death.
  1. Non-Selective weed killer only – such as Killz-All, RoundUp, etc. These are your herbicides that will kill anything that is green.
  2. Selective weed killer only – such as Weed Out, Weed Free Zone or other lawn herbicides focusing on broadleaf weeds only that will not harm traditional fescue lawn grass.
  3. Fungicides for fungal prevention and control
  4. Insecticide sprayers for insect control

We recommend keeping a pre-mixed non-selecdtive weed killer sprayer and a selective weed killer sprayer so you can easily tackle weeds as they pop up. Just store in an area out of direct sunlight such as a garage.

In mid to late May, Bermuda grass will beging to sprout. Bermuda Grass is a difficult to control weed and requires consistent work. The goal is to supress the Bermuda grass so you can re-seed in the Fall and allow new healthy Fescue to take it’s place. Bermuda Grass is controlled by spraying Triclopyr Ester.

 

There are several custom weed control products. Fertilome Over the Top II helps control weeds when you need to spray over existing plants in the landscape bed. (Note that some plants such as Monkey Grass can not be sprayed with Over the Top. Check the label to see if your plant is safe for use) There are other difficult to control weeds such as Nutsedge and Wild Violet.  Contact the Green Poeple for specific advice in your particular weed situation. Curious about what weeds you have? Check out our pictures of common East TN lawn/landscape weeds.

Leave your comment