Weed Control

PRE-EMERGENTS

Many broadleaf weeds, such as dandelion and clover, can be prevented with a pre-emergent product called Portrait (sometimes called Gallery). When applied at the appropriate time and rate, this product prevents certain listed weeds from germinating in the lawn. For perennial weeds such as clover and dandelion, Gallery should be applied in the early spring and/or early fall before these weed seeds germinate. For winter annual weeds such as henbit and chickweed, Portrait should be applied in the late summer or early fall before these weed seeds germinate.

Gallery lasts approximately 5 months. Apply this product in the early spring and control weeds all summer. You can seed in the fall with no problem. If you do plan to seed in the fall, you can prevent winter annual weeds by applying Portrait in mid August, for you could then seed in late September without any problem. If you do not plan to seed in the fall, then you could apply Portrait in early September to prevent winter annual weeds. Water following application of pre-emergents.

POST-EMERGENTS

To control broadleaf weeds that are already growing in the lawn, you can use a post-emergent weed killer. These products can be purchased in a granular form (which is applied through a spreader) or a liquid form (which is applied through a hose-end or tank-type pressure sprayer). Whenever you apply a weed killer to the lawn, remember that you must wait three weeks before seeding. Do not water for 24 hours following application. Examples of post-emergent broadleaf weed controls include:

• Ortho's Weed-B-Gon (liquid)
• Bonide's Weed Beater (liquid)
• Greenview's Expel (granular)

ROUNDUP GRASS & WEED KILLER

Roundup Grass and Weed Killer is a non-selective herbicide that is used to kill all vegetation in a given area. When sprayed on actively growing green plant tissue, Roundup kills everything that it hits - all grass, weeds, vines and other material. However, Roundup is virtually non-toxic to the soil. Therefore, Roundup is often used when someone wishes to kill off all of the grass and weeds growing in a given area and start over from scratch. Seeding or sodding can be done within a weeks of using Roundup. Only spray Roundup on grass areas that you wish to eradicate.