Landscape & Irrigation

April 2016

Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.

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24 April 2016 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com LANDSCAPE AND TURF MAINTENANCE ■ BY JAMIE BREUNINGER Spring can't come soon enough for the parts of the country that endure long winters. But for the lawn care operator (LCO), it's a race against the clock — or, more accurately, a race against Mother Nature. There is a lot of pressure on LCOs this time of year. Their window of opportunity is narrow, and they want to get to all of their customers before the weather warms and the phone starts ringing with weed complaints. Spring is the most popular time to make herbicide applications, but proper planning can give LCOs more flexibility and additional time throughout the year. Turf managers can use their annual lawn service program as a guide to predict what weeds will appear when, and the different products that are needed to control or prevent those weeds. When is the right time to use a three-way herbicide? When would products with amines or esters work better? Is a broadcast application needed in the fall, or would a spot treatment do the trick? Planning ensures that these and other questions are answered ahead of time. That way, LCOs have the necessary products available during the appropriate times, allowing them to address their customers' concerns year round. POST CONTROL AT PREEMERGENCE TIMING The timing of the first application of the season is critical. For effective preemergence control, an LCO needs to make that first application before weeds begin to germinate. For example, in the northern U.S., the first applications can begin in March after winter weather subsides. Ideal timing for first applications of fertilizer with a crabgrass preventer is when soil temperatures hit 50 degrees Fahrenheit. So while an LCO is racing to get the first applications made to provide his or her customers' lawns with a quick green-up and crabgrass prevention, the dandelions, chickweed and clover, which have overwintered, are waiting to bloom. Coast to coast, dandelions reign as one of the most hated weeds by homeowners. Dandelions are a perennial weed present in lawns in the early spring, but are not yet actively growing. As soon as the temperatures start to increase and the rain comes, dandelions explode across lawns — and once the yellow blooms appear, the phone starts ringing. Most are customers calling to complain. Homeowners expect their lawns to be weed free if they are paying a professional to do the service. The sight of dandelions brings about strong emotions — and not good ones. There are many effective products on the market to control dandelions, but they typically should be applied later in the spring or summer when the temperatures rise and the weeds are actively growing. A product such as Defendor specialty herbicide provides postemergence control of dandelions and other high-anxiety weeds during preemergence timing, and can be applied in late fall or early spring. Designed to perform under cold-weather conditions, Defendor controls weeds early to help free up resources at critical times of the year when labor is limited. Defendor has a different mode of action than the auxins; and when applied pre-bloom, it stops the emergence of the dandelion seed head while the herbicide slowly controls the plant. The end result keeps the declining weed below mower height and nearly invisible to the homeowner. This gives the LCO a much earlier start on controlling dandelions, ultimately providing more flexibility when scheduling and making applications. This also is the ideal time to make crabgrass applications. A product such as Dimension specialty herbicide, with both preemergence and early postemergence control, will attack crabgrass prior to germination and prevent future outbreaks. Knowing when crabgrass is likely to be present is helpful in proper identification and control. Crabgrass germinates when soil temperatures reach a consistent 55 degrees Fahrenheit at a depth of 2 inches. Depending on the region, crabgrass may begin germinating as early as February and into May, and will continue to grow through August. If an LCO can get the crabgrass control down at the same time they're making the winter broadleaf weed applications (late fall or early spring), they could save a lot of time and money. TIMING CUSTOMER RENEWALS Customer renewals also can play a large part in planning herbicide applications. The earlier an LCO renews the customer for the Timing is Everything Herbicide application planning can help LCOs get ahead

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