I know a lot don't like Lemmon but his calendar (which my understanding is more tailored for Houston) has the pre-emergent block for mid-Oct to mid-November.

It's been hot as hell here and doesn't seem to be cooling down anytime soon. I think Houston area people are still in good shape. I will probably do mine this weekend or next to be safe.

Lemmon says "There is also Barricade, Dimension or Pendimethlin as a 2-in-1 control." Does this mean i can use these products for both types of weeds?

Charlie Murphy said:

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Lemmon says "There is also Barricade, Dimension or Pendimethlin as a 2-in-1 control." Does this mean i can use these products for both types of weeds?

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Yes. I have been using a product by Hi-Yield that contains Dimension. I just use the one for both types of weeds.

Is there a pre-emergent someone can recommend from Lowes or Home Depot for St. Augustine grass?

I have never seen anthing at Home Depot or Lowes, pre-emergent or otherwise, I would recommend for St. Augustine grass.

Maybe I am reading that question the wrong way. Are you asking about a pre-emergent that is safe to use on St Augustine?

Most of what HD and Lowes sells seems to be the weed and feed types. They list pre-emergent on their websites, but they don't seem to carry much in store. Your best bet is usually nursery's and that's typically where I buy what I need. That said, last summer I switched to the Lesco fertilizer that HD carries. It seems to work well and is cheaper than what I've used in the past from Fertilome and Hi-Yield.

I'm saw at Lowe's recently Halt, by Scott's [url=https://www.lowes.com/pd/Scotts-10-lb-Crabgrass-Control/50083006][/url]https://www.lowes.com/pd/Scotts-10-lb-Crabgrass-Control/50083006.

Lowes in college station has generic dimension. White bag, yellow writing. I've used that and there's also dimension (I think) at producers.

I've used this from HD for pre-emerg: https://www.homedepot.com/p/LESCO-50-lb-Crabgrass-Control-0-0-7-052388/100121942

Thank you everyone! Yes, I was asking if there was a pre-emergent that is readily available at either Lowes or HD that is safe to use on St. Augustin grass.

Why are sperry and lemmon so far off on their pre-emergent dates for the fall? I feel like Sperry is saying to get it down now and lemmon's schedule calls for another month.

Houston is about to get a significant rain event. Hopefully no one put down granules this weekend.

Also note, some of the pre-emergents also work post-emergence, which may help if you are caught off guard by the first front.

If you are looking for stuff not carried in the big box stores, check out Houston Garden Center. Also, Do My Own Pest Control and Amazon carry a lot of products.

When are you houston guys targeting for putting down pre-emergent?

Charlie Murphy said:

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When are you houston guys targeting for putting down pre-emergent?

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Houston is already too late for a complete pre-emergent application of over the counter stuff to counter grassy weeds. You already have the cooler temps and rain which is causing grassy weeds such as clover and chickweed to germinate. You don't get a second chance with a late application.

This thread is very confusing for someone who's really just getting into this type of stuff.

Some people are like IT'S ALREADY TOO LATE, YOU LIVE IN WEEDWORLD NOW, while others say that for the Houston area not to even do it until October.

Yep. I agree. I'm just going to do next weekend and be done with it. I'll see how successful it is this year and see if I need to adjust for next year.

I try to follow Neil Sperry's advice (I'm in DFW) so I already have mine out. I think I've heard Neil say that if you miss your chance to get it out in late summer, you can still apply Dimension or Halts to get some of the weeds, and you can spot treat grassy weeds and use 2,4d for dandelines and clover in the fall.

Bob - location matters I.e temperatures. My confusion is the vast difference between speery and Lemmon. Understand it's Dallas vs Houston but i didn't think it was THAT different.

Ducks4brkfast said:

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So the real question is at what temps do these seeds begin to germinate?

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Google tells me that things like bluegrass and crabgrass doesn't germinate until temps around 60. What weeds are you targeting?

So many questions to ask/answer? Right now is time to apply preemergent for winter weeds. Most preemergent applications will give you about 90-120 days of control depending on rainfall amounts. Early spring is the time to apply preemergent for crabgrass. I prefer a year around program that makes 4 preemergent applications (alternating chemistry) to try and prevent any breakthrough. Dallas is usually about 2-3 weeks head of us concerning the winter annuals and 2-3 behind on the summer annuals.

I am always happy to help with any other questions.

http://www.makemygrassgreen.com

Regardless of temp? I mean we still aren't getting a cold front in bcs in the 10 day forecast and everyday is 95/75. No 60 degree nights in sight

Once all this rain in Houston passes I am planning to put mine down.

Wife is an Aggie said:

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Once all this rain in Houston passes I am planning to put mine down.

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It wont hurt, but I still think it's too early since no cooler weather is in sight for Houston. I've always put mine down at the beginning of October or whenever we have the good fortune of early cool fronts.

saltydog13 said:

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Regardless of temp? I mean we still aren't getting a cold front in bcs in the 10 day forecast and everyday is 95/75. No 60 degree nights in sight

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If you have the ability to apply on short notice, it would be fine to wait. Temperature doesn't really affect the preemergent as far as efficacy goes. It's mostly dependant on rainfall. Your goal is to time it properly where you have the preemergent down in optimal germination conditions for weeds. Some preemergent herbicides have reach back where they will kill newly germinated weeds. There are so many variables when only making 1 or 2 applications a year that it is difficult to get solid results. That's why I like 4 apps and then I have 365 days of coverage (assuming a flood doesn't wash away your product).

Whats the down side of putting down to early?

Front and backyard in Spring Branch are covered in chickweed now. Guess I'm too late

Charlie Murphy said:

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Whats the down side of putting down to early?

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The sooner you put it down, the sooner it will stop providing control. You could see winter annuals germinating late in then winter.

BearJew13 said:

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Front and backyard in Spring Branch are covered in chickweed now. Guess I'm too late

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If I had to wager, I would bet you are probably seeing Virginia buttonweed not mouse eared chickweed.

Was thinking the same thing on the Virginia buttonweed. Have a ton as well in SB. Best you can do is pick it for now.

Charlie Murphy said:

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Was thinking the same thing on the Virginia buttonweed. Have a ton as well in SB. Best you can do is pick it for now.

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Thanks for posting that, as I've always wondered what that was growing in my flower beds. Never knew the name. It certainly is a perennial.

You're exactly right. I've done some reading and, unfortunately, it looks like anything that is effective in killing it is also bad for St. Augustine, especially going into slow growth seasons.

BearJew13 said:

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You're exactly right. I've done some reading and, unfortunately, it looks like anything that is effective in killing it is also bad for St. Augustine, especially going into slow growth seasons.

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Monument is very effective and safe on St. Augustine (make sure to use a good surfactant). It is however very expensive. Good news is, it should die off come winter (it doesn't truly die as it is perennial but it sort of performs like an annual as most people end up mowing off all of the above ground tissue before spring and it takes a while to get going again).