

                                  WEED CONTROL


                 DANDELIONS are the weeds most home owners fight the
          most often and the hardest. They are perennial weeds that
          live for several years after they become established.

                 The bright yellow flowers start blooming in the
          spring.

                 While the plants are active they can be controlled
          with a post-emergent herbicides such as dicamba, 2,4-D, MCPP
          and MCPA. These are most effective in the fall. But can be
          used any time the weeds are actively growing.


                 CRABGRASS unlike dandelions, crabgrass is an annual
          weed that grows from seeds produced in the previous year.

                 The seeds start to sprout early in the spring and
          continue through early summer.

                 You must use pre-emergent herbicides to kill the
          seeds as they sprout. This herbicide must be applied before
          the seeds sprout.

                 A good time is at the forsythia's first bloom. A
          post-emergent herbicide like MSMA can suppress crabgrass.

                 But can also cause other desirable grasses to
          discolor temporarily if used carelessly.


                 CHICKWEED like crabgrass moves into areas of the lawn
          where the grass has thinned.

                 These weeds sprout in the fall and grow through the
          winter. It presents small white flowers and seeds in the
          early spring.

                 MCPP is a post-emergent herbicide for chickweed
          plants. There is also pre-emergent herbicides like benefin
          and DCPA that can be applied in the fall to prevent new
          seeds from germinating.


                The most common annual ( one season ) weeds are
          chickweed, crabgrass and spurges can be controlled by the
          use of pre-emergent herbicides, which kill germinated seeds
          as soon as the seeds sprout.

                They do not affect older plants so they must be
          applied before the seeds sprout.

                Pre-emergent herbicides are not effective in sandy
          soils, the sand breaks the seal.

                Post-emergent herbicides are used to kill weeds that
          already exist in lawns. Read the label because many of these
          herbicides are aimed at and kill only one kind of weed.

                Sometimes it is best to hand dig out the weeds. If you
          do, put a some salt in the hole and it will not grow again.

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