A major concern of homeowners at this time of the year is the selection and timing of crabgrass control. Fortunately, there have been some major breakthroughs in home lawn care the past several years in the development of organic as well as chemical methods of controlling crabgrass and other annual weeds in the lawn. As a result, the homeowner can choose to use a form of non-chemical control that is much less labor intensive than digging the crabgrass or weeds by hand. The non-chemical method of pre-emergent weed control involves the use of corn gluten meal. Corn gluten meal must be applied both in the spring and early autumn each year. Although corn gluten meal is more costly than most chemical pre-emergent crabgrass killers, many homeowners are willing to pay extra for a product that is completely nontoxic. A bonus with this product is that it contains about 10 percent nitrogen. The effectiveness of corn gluten meal increases every year that it is used consecutively and it will even stop dandelion seeds from germinating with continued use. Pre-emergent herbicides, whether chemical or organic, must be applied and watered into the soil about two weeks before the seeds of crabgrass or the annual weeds begin to germinate. The normal germination time for crabgrass is around Memorial Day, so the time to apply these products is mid-May. Many of these products are effective for about six weeks, so if they are applied too early, they will have lost much of their effectiveness before the crabgrass seeds begin to germinate. Do not be enticed into early application by nation-wide media advertisements that advocate application in earl April. It is important to accompany chemical crabgrass and weed control with increased cultural efforts. A thick, healthy sod will nchokei out weeds by eliminating any spots for them to germinate and emerge. Fertilize two to three times annually, once in the spring about the time you mow the lawn for the first time and then again in early September. If you choose to make a third application, do so in mid-October. Have the soil tested so that you are applying the nutrients in the proper formulation. Water the lawn whenever we donIt receive an inch of rainfall per week and mow the grass frequently so that you never remove more than one-third of its height. Allow the clippings to fall back on the lawn as a source of nutrients and organic matter. A precaution with the use of any pre-emergent crabgrass or annual weed control is that it will also kill germinnating grass seeds. So, if you plan to do any reseeding, these products will not discriminate between the grass seed and the weed seeds and you must either avoid the use of these products in the area or use one that is clearly labeled for use on newly seeded lawns. The products that can be used on newly seeded lawns will have the active ingredient Tupersan, or Siduron, on the label.
