This Sunday is May 1, and if you want to stay true to my lawn fertilization schedule, you need to get the next pre-emergent herbicide application down.
Photo: Getty Images
If you already did and got more than 2-3 inches in the recent rain, do you need to reapply? Well, if you received less than two inches over 48 hours, you do not. If you’re unsure how much you got, reapply at half the dose. If you wait until May 1, you’re just fine.
A while ago, I wrote the article “Pre-emergents – The Whole Story,” which explains the importance of applying those herbicides per my schedule. And while May 1 is the normal “jumping in” point for the summer application, I would encourage getting it down immediately, even before Sunday.
You may be wondering, “But, it looks like we are in for more rain, and it might get washed away. Do you still want us to put it down?” Yes! While we may be expecting more rain, there is no indication it will be flood-inducing, such as the rains we had in April 2016. And I’ve always contended that it takes three or more inches in a 24-hour period to make it worth reapplying anything in my schedule.
If you’ve been following my advice for a time, you know I often remind folks that “it’s never too late to do the right thing.” Well, in this circumstance, we can flip it to “it’s never too early to do the right thing.”
As you may have seen, weed seeds are germinating at a rapid clip. The pre-emergent herbicide is intended to keep those seeds from sprouting, so getting down a new application as soon as possible will help block any that have settled in thanks rainwater.