During the cooler months of the year, we get asked: “Why should I start lawn care now? Isn’t it too early?” Surprisingly, the answer is that you should never stop! While there are many different reasons to continue lawn care year-round, the biggest one is weeds.
Here in Dallas, weeds grow year-round. We’ve all seen the unfortunate bright green clumps of poa annua and rescuegrass splotching otherwise brown dormant lawns. The weeds don’t take a break, so it’s best we don’t either.
Luckily, weeds are our specialty, and with a little help you can send them packing without too much of a struggle! This begs the question “Well, Mr. Gecko, what do you plan to do about it?”
This is where our program comes in – we start with four applications of pre-emergents during the colder months. This is by far the most effective action you can take towards preventing these vagrants.
Pre-emergents act as a barrier, preventing weeds from sprouting. We spread these visits over late-fall, winter, and early-spring primarily for three reasons:
1) Existing Weeds
The first is that there is an urgent need to stop any existing winter weeds from spreading as soon as possible.
2) New Weeds
Second, it’s very important that we work to prevent new weeds (and the subsequent spring weeds) from germinating at all. This ensures that while your turf grass is dormant and at its weakest, there is a constant and effective barrier stopping the vast majority of weeds from becoming established in the first place.
3) Preventing Seeds
Thirdly, these pre-emergent products are designed to work in a specific temperature range to prevent seeds from germinating. The products must be applied during the correct season, otherwise you will be trying to prevent a process that has already occurred!
The bottom line is that if you want to have a weed-free yard in spring, you need to start now. Don’t wait – the sooner you start working on it, the faster your lawn will become the envy of your neighborhood!
