If you care how your lawn looks, the next days are essential in dealing with its care

The next 10 days are pivotal days in your lawn care program for 2021.

There are some absolutely critical tasks to consider. I’m going to prioritize them and outline them in detail. If you have a lawn, and if you care about how it looks, you need to read what follows.

Pre-emergent weedkiller application

If winter weeds have been the hallmark of your lawn in February, March and April in years past, the time to avoid that problem is at hand now. Almost all of those weeds are annual plants, meaning that they germinate as temperatures start to fall in September. They grow over the winter and early spring, only to go out in a blaze of glory in late March and April.

The stars of that ugly show are annual bluegrass (Poa annua), rescuegrass and ryegrass. Annual bluegrass is the tiny grassy weed with scores of seedheads atop each plant. It looks like an old-fashioned shaving brush. Rescuegrass is very much coarser, growing to be the size of a dinnerplate. It forms a dense clump without any runners, and its seedheads look like your hands folded in prayer. Ryegrass is glossy dark green, and it, too, forms clumps without runners.

The slogan I’ve adopted in describing your control for these and other cool-season grassy weeds is that “you only get one chance.” You can only prevent them. There is no cure for them once the seeds have germinated and the plants are actually growing.

The “one chance” that you get is to apply pre-emergent weedkiller granules before the seeds germinate. The timing is a little bit arbitrary, but I’ve had the best results with applications made between August 25 and September 5, or in the case of this year, Labor Day.

One application of Dimension, Halts or Balan granules made during that time period and followed up by a moderate watering will prevent the seeds from sprouting and developing into unsightly plants. If you do the job properly, you shouldn’t see weeds at all.

These materials will probably be labeled as “crabgrass preventers.” That because that’s the biggest use in the market. That’s a spring treatment, but the very same products applied in that two-week window now will also control the winter weeds. They can be used around trees and shrubs, but they should not be used on new turf until it has been through its first winter. Do not use them if you intend to sow wildflower seeds or overseed your lawn with ryegrass this fall.

So far we’ve only addressed grassy winter weeds. What about the cool-season, broadleafed weeds such as clover, dandelions, henbit and chickweed? There is a pre-emergent for them as well. It’s called Gallery, and it will do the same for them that the other pre-emergents do for the winter grasses. It’s somewhat expensive, however, and with broadleafed weeds you do get a second chance – there is a spray you can use to eliminate existing weeds in your lawn that won’t be harmful to the turf. That kind of product can be applied in late fall once the non-grassy weeds are growing actively.

Choose one labeled as “broadleafed weedkiller” and be sure it contains the herbicide 2,4-D. There are products that contain only 2,4-D, and there are other products that have two additional active ingredients. Be careful if you opt to use the latter group. They can enter desirable plants through their root systems. As always, read and follow label directions.

Time to start new turf is expiring

If you’ve been planning on planting new grass from sod, seed or plugs, you need to get on that task very soon. That’s especially critical for St. Augustine since it’s vulnerable to freeze damage in extreme winters. Last year our first killing freeze came in late October, so we have less than two months for the new grass to get established and grow just a bit.

St. Augustine should be planted by sodding it solidly (piece against piece) this late in the season. It’s probably too late for plugs. Bermuda turf can still be seeded, but don’t wait any longer. It can be sodded well into September, and that goes for zoysias as well.

Prepare the planting soil carefully and rake to a smooth grade that will drain properly. Plant sod as quickly as possible so the grass won’t dry out, and water it daily while it’s still hot.

Fall feeding is very important

Turf experts will tell you that the fall fertilization is probably the most critical feeding that you’ll give your lawn all year long. It will give it a burst of growth before frost, and it will prepare it to come into good growth come springtime.

Apply a high-quality, all-nitrogen lawn food that has as much as half of that nitrogen in slow-release (encapsulated or coated) form. If you have St. Augustine turf you might wait a couple of weeks for temperatures to moderate just a bit. That will decrease the chance of gray leaf spot attacking the grass. It is exacerbated by applications of nitrogen in hot weather.

You can hear Neil Sperry on KLIF 570AM on Saturday afternoons 1-3 pm and on WBAP 820AM Sunday mornings 8-10 am. Join him at www.neilsperry.com and follow him on Facebook.