When To Apply Pre Emergent in Alabama- A Complete Guide!
When to apply pre-emergent in Alabama? It depends on the place you live in Alabama. For example, in Birmingham, Alabama, you need to apply the pre-emergent herbicide in mid-March. For other places in Alabama, it varies.
Pre-emergent herbicide is a weed killer that stops weeds from growing quite early in the germination procedure. In this in-depth article, we will discuss the timing of applying a pre-emergent herbicide in Alabama based on different weather conditions and areas of Alabama.
Stay tuned with us to know more about it.
Table of Contents
When To Apply Pre Emergent In Alabama
If you have a Bermuda grass lawn and live in Alabama, you need to apply a pre-emergent herbicide for early weed control in January. Make sure that you apply the pre-emergent herbicide before the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In March, you also need to apply both pre-emergent herbicide and fertilizer to the Bermuda grass lawn.
In lawn care and some parts of your life, you may notice several times that it’s simpler to prevent an issue from the beginning than to solve an issue that has already worsened. We found this statement extremely true for weed prevention on the lawn.
For instance, it’s much simpler to prevent summer weeds like crabgrass before they germinate than to eradicate established crabgrass. It is why a pre-emergent herbicide is very crucial for your lawn. In warmer weather conditions, summer weeds will normally grow earlier.
Possibilities are if you notice a lawn early in the year with multiple weeds, then a pre-emergent herbicide wasn’t applied to that lawn in the fall.
Then, if you notice a lawn with multiple weeds in the summertime, then a pre-emergent herbicide wasn’t applied to the lawn early in the year.
When To Apply Spring Pre emergent In Alabama?
Suppose you want to know when to put down pre-emergent in Alabama in spring. In that case, you need to know that in North and Central Alabama, you should apply spring pre-emergent herbicide anytime between mid to late February for the finest outcomes. You have to use a pre-emergent herbicide that would control crabgrass in the spring for these areas.
In southern Alabama, you have to apply a pre-emergent herbicide early in February. This is because Centipede, Zoysia, and St Augustine grass will come out of dormancy in March, and any herbicides will kill off good lawn grass as well.
Grassy weeds don’t just make the lawn look disordered, but they absorb resources, like nutrients and moistness, that aid your southern Alabama lawn to emerge and be greener in early spring. In addition, the ever-persistent annual bluegrass and crabgrass can take over the lawn and make your lawn a disorganized badland.
As Alabama has a fairly warm and pleasant climate, spring arrives early. Therefore, pre-emergent herbicides are very important to stop pesky weeds from germinating.
When To Apply Fall Pre Emergent In Alabama?
Fall is an extremely good time for looking at weed control on your lawn, particularly using pre-emergent herbicides. A pre-emergent herbicide is applied before weeds grow from seeds. This herbicide is applied 2 weeks before germination.
If you want to know when to apply fall pre-emergent in north Alabama, you need to know that the perfect time for applying a pre-emergent herbicide in fall is early October. Make sure that you remove the spare grass clippings and leaf litter from your lawn before applying the pre-emergent herbicide.
In central Alabama, mid to late September will be the best time to apply the fall pre-emergent herbicide. You need to make sure that you follow the rates and recommendations on the label to avoid any damage to your lawn. Well, use a pre-emergent herbicide to control weeds like annual bluegrass and hairy bitter-cress in the fall. In southern Alabama, you need to apply the pre-emergent herbicide in October.
Grassy weeds, like Poa Annua, sprout in fall in southern Alabama. When grassy weeds begin to sprout, their shoots come out of the soil before their root systems grow.
So, if you did not apply your fall pre-emergent herbicide, then your lawn is at a greater danger of grassy weeds germinating soon. This is because there was no obstacle in the soil to prevent their roots from developing.
A Helpful Tutorial You May Need!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you apply pre-emergent too early?
If you apply a pre-emergent herbicide too early like more than a month before, then the herbicide might lose effectiveness. It happens because the later-season weed seeds start germinating at that time. In case it occurs, you will notice many more weeds when spring moves to summer. In addition, applying a pre-emergent herbicide very early can stop the beneficial seeds from germinating.
What temperature do you apply pre-emergent in fall?
70 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature when the window is most likely to open for fall sprouting of annual weeds and grassy weeds. You need to apply the pre-emergent herbicide before they sprout, which is when the temperatures fall to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It applies to both cool-season and warm categories of grass and wherever you live. You have to apply the pre-emergent herbicide for 2-3 days.
What month should I apply a pre-emergent herbicide?
A pre-emergent herbicide generally lasts 3-5 months and it can be applied throughout the year. However, the ideal time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to control winter and fall weeds such as annual bluegrass and prickly lettuce is between August to November. Also, to avoid early spring and summer weeds, you need to apply a pre-emergent herbicide around mid-March.
Conclusion
The goal of a pre-emergent herbicide is to stop the sprouting procedure of weeds. So, a pre-emergent needs to be applied before the time when the dangerous weeds for the lawn sprout. If you live in Alabama, you may be wondering when the dangerous weeds for your lawn sprout or when to apply pre-emergent in Alabama.
To know this, you need to check this whole article where we have elaborately discussed this topic. After reading this article, we are hopeful that you can now effectively apply a pre-emergent herbicide to your Alabama lawn.
