Herbicides and the lawn calendar: should you pause your lawn care schedule after spraying?
What is the best approach after spraying herbicides and weed killers in regards to continuing to follow the annual calendar or give it a rest for the products to work?
Winter’s not the time to be spraying post-emergent herbicides. The grass is barely growing, uptake is limited, and you’re not going to get the result you’d get in the growing season. You want grass actively growing which is why you’d carry on with foliar and granular applications, when the time is right. In winter grass is already stressed, adding a herbicide to that isn’t the best idea. Pre-emergents are a slightly different story as they’re applied to the soil.
@Lance McClure thanks for the feedback, I understand but don’t want the Poa to take over. I will continue as per the schedule and take it from there
@Jason Weel You can use Etho this time of year. Just be aware of how it works. It controls Poa by creating growth abnormalities in the plant, so during winter and periods of slow growth, that process takes much longer to occur. It’s not ideal, which is why pre-emergent applications are so important early in the season.
If you’re applying it as a post-emergent herbicide, don’t expect to see results particularly quickly, simply because the weeds aren’t actively growing. However, if you’re using it as a pre-emergent and watering it in, it will help prevent new seeds from germinating and stop the problem from getting worse.
It’s really just about setting expectations around how quickly you’ll see results at this time of year. Etho application isn’t going to stress your existing turf, so you’re pretty safe to apply it now.
@Jonny Hicks so what is the best way to add a spray amoung the calendar advised fert etc applications?
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Thanks Jason, I was coming to ask the same, since starting applications as per calendar my 'weed' grasses are blooming!!