ROOM TO GROW: Summer weed control starts now

For many of us, our natural instinct is to solve problems when they occur rather than work to prevent them in the first place. It may be difficult to get in the right frame of mind to treat for summer weeds in February, but an ounce of prevention goes a long way.

While pre-emergence herbicides are still not widely known or understood by homeowners, they are definitely a tool to add to your arsenal.

There are a few things you should know before you buy herbicide.

First and most importantly, you need to know what type of grass you have. Because centipede and St. Augustine are the most "sensitive" warm-season grasses, they are more likely to be injured if the wrong chemical is applied.

Weed identification is another important factor to consider. Herbicides offer varying degrees of control on different kinds of weeds.

For example, while Halts (pendimethalin) is noted as having excellent control on crabgrass, it is shown to have only fair control on goosegrass and controls very few broadleaf weeds. So, it is important to know what you are up against.

Atrazine, which is more effective against broadleaf weeds than grassy weeds, is commonly used as a pre- and post-emergence herbicide on centipede and St. Augustine.

For Bermuda grass, common pre-emergence herbicides include Halts (pendimethalin), Surflan (oryzalin), Balan (benefin) and XL (benefin and oryzalin).

These products are most effective for control of grassy weeds but will control some small seeded broadleaf weeds. A split application of pre-emergence herbicide (with the first in mid-February and the follow-up 45 days later) will control many summer annual weeds.

Although heavily marketed in our area, "weed and feed" products are not recommended for warm-season grasses.

While this month is a good time to apply herbicides, it is definitely too early to fertilize.

Lawns should not be fertilized until they have completely emerged from dormancy and started to grow -- usually in early May.

Early fertilization causes your lawn to be more susceptible to damage in the event of a late spring freeze.

Therefore, for warm-season grasses, it is best to apply fertilizers and herbicides separately. "Weed and feed" products are suitable for cool-season grasses, but unfortunately, their marketing includes us all.

Herbicides should only be used on healthy, well-established lawns. They should not be applied to areas that are newly sprigged or that will be re-seeded in the near future.

Additionally, the yard must receive at least 1/2-inch of water within five days of the herbicide application.

Other factors, such as formulation type (granular vs. liquid), and cost depend on your equipment and preference.

Do not apply herbicides, fertilizers or any other chemicals as your lawn emerges from winter dormancy. This is when lawns are most sensitive.

Most importantly, always read and follow all of the information on the product label. This will prevent injury to your lawn, other desirable plants and our environment.

Contact county Extension agent Karol Kelly at karolk@uga.edu.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 9:42 PM with the headline "ROOM TO GROW: Summer weed control starts now ."