Pre-Emergent Crabgrass Control with DIMENSION – Cool April temperatures have kept crabgrass from germinating early, but it will begin to germinate in sunny areas of lawns soon. There is still time to prevent it from your lawns with DIMENSION. Crabgrass, if left unchecked, will dominate sunny areas of lawns in July and August, crowding out desirable grasses that are not actively growing in the heat of our summers. Crabgrass should be controlled in fine lawns every year. DIMENSION is a unique control product in that it not only lasts for up to 16 weeks on germinating seeds, it also will kill seedling crabgrass for several weeks after germination. So, it’s not too late, but act immediately to ensure that you’ll be able to enjoy a crabgrass-free lawn this summer.
Control Broadleaf Perennial Weeds with Liquid TRIMEC Herbicide – In May ALL perennial weeds are actively growing. Cool season weeds (ground ivy, wild violets, veronica) are still growing, and mild season weeds (dandelions, clover, plantain) are now growing actively. Perennial weeds ARE BEST CONTROLLED WHILE THEY’RE GROWING ACTIVELY. The herbicide is absorbed through actively growing leaves and shallow roots. May and September are the best months of the year for this. Apply liquid TRIMEC to actively growing weeds and watch them fade away within a few days without damaging the grass at all. Always apply broadleaf weed controls when there’s no rain in the forecast for at least 8-12 hours (24 hours is optimal), and the lawn has not been mowed for 24 hours (before or after). Since the herbicide is absorbed through the leaves, we want to give plenty of time for complete absorption. Some tougher weeds (ground ivy, wild violets, wild strawberry) are harder to control. For these we suggest using a spreader sticker (non-ionic surfactant), which when mixed with Trimec will aid in absorption by adhering the herbicide to the leaf surface, thus increasing the effectiveness of the herbicide.
Preventative Grub Control with MALLET – Grubs are the larval stage of many beetles (primarily Japanese beetles for our purposes) that live in the shallow soil, beneath turf. They feed on the roots of grass plants in the spring and fall, and can cause irreparable damage to healthy lawns if left unchecked. The adult beetles cause damage to the foliage of desirable trees and shrubs, but seldom kill the plants. Large populations of grubs, on the other hand can kill whole lawns or sections thereof if allowed to feed unchecked. And the problem is that since they’re feeding underground, you won’t see the damage until it’s too late and the turf dies. We recommend GRUB PROOFING your lawn every year. The easiest and most effective way to achieve season-long grub control is to apply MALLET granular insecticide every growing season, between mid-May and mid July, before the grubs start feeding actively. MALLET is entirely safe for all pets and children; it works systemically by being absorbed into the grass plants and killing insects that feed on those plants. One spring application will last for the entire growing season!
Fertilizing Lawns in May – If you haven’t already fed your lawn this spring (either by itself or in combination with DIMENSION) do it this month. Fertilizer does NOT make grass grow faster if you’re worried about being able to keep up with lush spring growth. Water and ideal temperatures make cool season grass grow faster, and we certainly have plenty of rain every spring to accomplish this. Fertilizer makes turf grow thicker, and roots grow denser and deeper. High quality lawns should be fed 4 times a year: twice in the spring and twice in the fall.
Conditioning Lawns in May – Conditioning lawns (liming and/or core aerating) is very beneficial when done every year. We’ve been blessed in Southeastern PA with dense, acidic soils to grow our lawns in. Dense soil resists deep moisture penetration and deep root growth. Acidic soil reacts chemically with nutrients, binding them to the soil and making them unavailable to the plant. Regular liming and aerating greatly improves lawn health and performance. For those of you who would like to either lime or core aerate your lawns but prefer not to do the jobs yourselves, Lawn Depot Turf Management offers these applications for either spring or fall jobs (or both). Contact us for a quote; no obligation. We promise that, particularly with the core aeration, we do the best job available anywhere. We’ve got the best equipment to pull the most and deepest plugs.