The grass is greener

By Paul Schnare

Well, it's spring. Jonquils are beginning to bloom. I have seen some magnolias that have flower buds beginning to expand and will be blooming soon. What a promising time of the year.

Unfortunately if you are a lover of a nice green lawn without weeds' then you need to be on the watch. This is also a time of the year when broad-leaved lawn weeds such as chickweed, henbit and dandelions begin to bloom.

In an afternoon when the sun is shining, take a stroll through your lawn. If you see any of these weeds in your lawn, think about controlling them now with a herbicide. The most commonly used herbicide comes in many brand names. You want one that contains 2,4-D, dicamba, and MCPP. This herbicide is often referred to as trimec.

Wait for a low wind and sunny day. Follow the label directions and spray the herbicide in the morning or early afternoon. If you apply as directed on the label, you will eliminate drift problems and will get really good herbicide results -- the absence of most common lawn weeds. This can be used on any common lawn grass grown in the heartland without any damage to the lawn.

Trimec can also be used at the same time you make a pre-emergent application for crabgrass. The application of fertilizer is also recommended for cool season lawns (bluegrass, fescue, and rye). If you have a Bermuda or zoysia lawn, the herbicide will also work very well. Just don't apply a fertilizer to these lawns at this time.

I mentioned spraying trimec on your lawn weeds. Many people are concerned about spraying herbicides on their lawn. They are concerned about hurting desirable landscape plants. They don't want to use a liquid herbicide. In that case trimec is available in a granular form.

If you use a granular application of trimec (with or without fertilizer) make sure that the weed leaves are covered with moisture. This can be in the form a dew in the early morning, or it can be in after a rain.

The moisture will encourage the granule to stick on the leaf. The herbicide works best when it is introduced into the plant through the leaf.

Again there are many brands that market this form of herbicide. So go to your local garden dealer and look at the fine print on lawn herbicide bags, or on bags of a combination of fertilizer and weed killers. By making an application of this product at this time of the you can enjoy a beautiful green lawn without the "blemish" of weeds. Happy gardening!