Pre-emergent is a weed control that prevents weed germination.  It is applied to areas before weeds start to grow.  The effect of pre-emergent is a prevention, not a controller of existing weeds.  A pre-emergent program allows a layer to chemicals to stop weed growth.  Although pre-emergent is very effective, it does not prevent 100% of weed germination.  It is still applied to an external environment, which can not be controlled from all angles.

Pre-emergent is a weed control that prevents weed germination.  It is applied to areas before weeds start to grow.  The effect of pre-emergent is a prevention, not a controller of existing weeds.  A pre-emergent program allows a layer to chemicals to stop weed growth.  Although pre-emergent is very effective, it does not prevent 100% of weed germination.  It is still applied to an external environment, which can not be controlled from all angles.

Pre-emergent provides many benefits to the landscape.  The fewer weeds that germinate the less time and money spend on weed extraction.  It is more cost effective to apply pre-emergent than to try and control weeds throughout the season.  It is almost impossible to do so unless the landscape is addressed every two to three days.  The reduction cost from labor and post-emergent weed killer is well worth the initial investment of pre-emergent.

The overall health of the lawn plays the largest role in the effectiveness of the pre-emergent.  A healthy thick lawn has a greater chance of seeing optimal results from the pre-emergent application than a struggling thin lawn.  A well established turf can assist the pre-emergent herbicide better than a unhealthily lawn.  The reason is because the pre-emergent asks a lot less from the healthy lawn because the lawn is already helping control weed germination on its own.  A thick lawn has less area for the weeds to germinate in the first place.  There are some other environmental factors that aid or hinder in the success rate of the pre-emergent:  rainfall, soil texture, soil moisture and the competitiveness of the turf.

Pre-emergents are best applied before weed germination.  This differs for each region and weather conditions for each year.  Generally, the optimal time to control spring and summer weeds is an application between February and April.  The optimal time to control fall and winter weeds is between September and October.

Pre-emergent can only do so much for the lawn if the lawn is not doing what it can for itself.  A lawn needs to be kept up for its optimal results.  Just like a car needs more care than just a washing, a lawn needs more than a mowing.  Lawns need an aeration each year to reduce soil compaction to increase oxygen and nutrient intake.  Lawns are also susceptible to disease and fungus.  If left untreated, permanent damage can occur.  Weeds pop up in areas where the turf isn’t healthy.

The best weed prevention program is pre-emergent.  Bennett Landscape, Inc. offers a lawn program that includes all weed control and fertilization the lawn needs during the entire year.  A 7 round program strategically scheduled based on temperatures and weather will offer you the best lawn!  Remember without regular scheduled maintenance on your lawn, you won’t get the most favorable results, the same as a vehicle.  Without regular scheduled service on your car, you will see the vehicle doesn’t run with optimal results.