Applying Pre-Emergents for a Healthy Lawn (WFAA Channel 8)

September 20, 2017
WFAA | Applying Pre-Emergents for Healthy Lawns | NTMWD

As summer comes to a close and the days get shorter and cooler, it’s a good idea to apply pre-emergent herbicides to your lawn to prevent the germination of weed seeds. Combined with fertilizer, you can keep your lawn healthy throughout the winter and ready for spring planting.

However, in the quest for the perfect lawn, many homeowners end up applying too much of the wrong chemicals to their yard. So how do you get a green lawn without over-applying chemicals and polluting our water supply?

3 Steps to Finding the Right Pre-Emergent Treatment

  1. Identify weeds
  2. Identify grass
  3. Identify needed nutrients

The Water University website from Texas A&M AgriLife has a full database of plants to help you determine what types of weeds and grass are in your yard. Start here to make sure you know what kind of lawn you have.

You will also need to get your soil tested to determine what macronutrients your lawn needs to be healthy. Picking the right fertilizer is like picking a multi-vitamin. Only the nutrients that are needed are absorbed and the rest is wasted. Get your soil tested by AgriLife for as little as $10 to help you choose the right fertilizer and weed killer. It could mean the difference between a $10 bag and a $50 bag.

Protect Water Quality

Remember that overusing chemicals isn’t just a waste of money – it can also impact the quality of the water we drink. Everything we apply to our lawns that isn’t absorbed by the plants runs off into the stormwater drains. Stormwater is any water that comes off our roofs, driveways, lawns, etc. from rain, sleet or snow. It can also come from runoff from excessive watering. In fact, irrigation runoff during the late summer months can exceed rainfall runoff. Save water and protect water quality by making sure you water just the right amount. You can sign up for WaterMyYard.org for a weekly alert that tells you when and how much to water.

Don’t allow yourself to be over-marketed! Find the right product for your lawn and water only as much as needed to maintain a beautiful lawn while protecting water quality.