Help With Pre-Emergent (Bermuda)

10 years ago

I am in central Arkansas and have sodded (about three years ago) Bermuda. I've been following an organic program, but the weeds are getting worse and I'm ready to try a pre-emergent this year. My biggest concern is my shady side yard that has become overrun with weeds, mainly Poa annua (the side yard also has very poor drainage).

I'd like to treat the side yard as well as the perimeter of my backyard as these tend to be the trouble spots (I have a lot of what I believe is mouse-ear chickweed along one side and what I think is henbit along the back). I've read and have noticed Barricade, Dimension and Amaze mentioned quite frequently, but can't seem to find anything locally. The closest I've found is this:

http://www.amazon.com/GREEN-LIGHT-Crabgrass-Preventer2-Dimension/dp/B000LNYIP4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390246165&sr=8-1

But I can't seem to find much more information on it on here. Would it work for my situation? I plan to put it (or something else that is more appropriate for my situation) down soon, when the soil temperature reaches fifty degrees... Is that correct?

I understand that the Poa annua usually dies out in the summer, but mine never tends to fully go away so I'd like to start getting on top of it. I also know that I'll have to do this again at the of August (?). :)

All help is appreciated as I've never used anything like this and would like to do it the right way (I've only used alfalfa and soybean meal on the yard this far). Thank you!

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Comments (3)

tnjdm
10 years ago
I also have a bermuda lawn which I feed organically, but do pre-emergents 3 to 4 times a year (at the lower recommended levels). I hate weeds. The greenlight you note has Dimension, which is the commercial name for Dithiopyr. Good stuff. I usually mix what i use for each application as they all have ceratin strengths and weaknesses. Barricade (Prodiamide), Dimension, XL2G (Benefin and Orzyalin), Team 2G (Benefin and Trifluralin), Gallery (isoxaben).

I used to get mine online through Pestrong and doyourownpestcontrol
http://www.pestrong.com/
http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/?gclid=CLLe1IbRkrwCFUXZQgod-TAA5A

Expensive, but they do include shipping cost.

I now get mine through the local farmers coop and it is approx. half the price. Have to believe there is something like this in Central Arkansas or at least Little Rock.

Your cheaper alternative is Scott's Halts (Pendimethalin) through the big box stores. Much cheaper, but I do not beleive it is as effective over the long term.

Whichever way you go, remember for the spring application (or any for that matter) is timing and making sure it gets watered in either by rain or sprinkler.
tnjdm
10 years ago
One thing I forgot. Since your bermuda is probably dormant as mine is in middle TN, now is a good time to go out and spot treat anything green with Round-up. Hit them with a couple of squirts and then prowl again in a week or two for a second shot.

This should kill the weeds without affecting the bermuda since it is basically a sleep.
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You will be fine just water in at recommended .5" of water. Next time you have someone apply a product to your yard make sure they calibrate the spreader with the product they are using. Also make sure you 13000 sq. ft. of lawn and not 15000.
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I'm guessing you live in a gated community with a community association who can tell you how to part your hair. Scalping and planting rye is not a good idea so they are making progress. Ryegrass delays the regrowth of bermuda in the spring. Your landscaper's lawn mower cannot transmit St Augustine. It is fragile enough that it must be planted reasonably firmly to get a foothold. It almost had to be there prior to your current lawn for it to be there now. Crabgrass will die in a month or so when the heat goes away. It is an annual plant and will not live more than one growing season. However it could come back from seed next spring. Dollar weed could be anything from something easy to eradicate to something nearly impossible to eradicate. There are too many weeds that go by that common name of dollar weed to guess which one you have. Can you post a picture? Using a preemergent now is to prevent the spring wild flowers from coming up in your yard. The organic solution for preemergent is called corn gluten meal. Your people probably want you to use a synthetic preem. Just another comment: You should already be mowing bermuda at your mower's lowest setting. That makes it hard to scalp when your mower can't go any lower. I've seen the green tinted stuff. It is very artificial looking. I don't know what it is.
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Follow the Bermuda Bible over the winter and for the rest of your life. Google it, download it, and memorize it. Where do you live? When did the builder put the lawn in? How high/low do you mow it and how often? What is your watering schedule (frequency and duration)? What is the preemergent you used, and how much is too much? I can't think of a reason why the preem would cause it to become brown. Do not try to level a bermuda lawn in the spring. Either do it in the dead of winter or in the hottest heat of summer.
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joneboy
10 years ago
A healthy vigorous stand of turf grass will keep most of the poa anna out. First make sure that the weed is poa anna, and not a perennial cool season grass. Poa anna will not usually make it through the summer in your area. However, you must fix the underlying problems to keep the poa anna out of your yard. Does the bermuda get enough nitrogen fertilization at least a couple of pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet during the growing season. You said that the problem side of your yard has a lot of shade are tree roots also competing for water in this area? Also, bermuda grass needs at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun a day. If that can not be achieved then maybe you need a more shade tolerant turf, such as zoysia, to be able to compete with the poa anna. If the area stays wet it might also be highly compacted so aerifiying during the summer would be a good idea. If some or all of these problems can't be corrected then you should just live with the poa anna because once you get rid of the poa anna another weed will take it's place if you don't have a healthy turf grass to fill in the area that the poa anna occupied. Eradicating the winter annuals from bermuda (poa anna, chickweed, and henbit) and keeping it out is not a difficult task.You can spray Roundup, buy the concentrate that contains just glyphosate and spray at the low rate, on your dormant bermuda grass at the end of January beginning of February.This is not as scary as it sounds just make sure you don't have any green tissue in the leaves, stems, and stolons. Maybe start small and just spray a couple of spots this year and see how it turns out. As for the henbit and chickweed, Bayer has a broadleaf product with 2,4-D, dimethylamine salt/ Mecoprop-p, dimethylamine salt/ Dicamba, dimethylamine salt. Spray this product mid/late spring when air temps are over 50 degrees. Pendimethalin is the best pre emergent option for the home owner, to keep out poa anna. Pendimethalin is sold as Halts by Scotts. Follow the labeled rate and apply around August 15th water in immediately with half an inch of water. Pendimethalin will also take care of your henbit and chickweed as well.

Help With Pre-Emergent (Bermuda)

Comments (3)

tnjdm

tnjdm

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joneboy

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