Cary’s Corner – 5 Things Lawn Companies Wish You Knew About Our Early Spring Application

Cary’s Corner – 5 Things Lawn Companies Wish You Knew About Our Early Spring Application

Usually we ease in to spring!  Winter sticks around and slaps us around a few times in March and even in to April.  Not this year!  We really didn’t even have a winter and that groundhog varmint was actually right this year!  Spring has hit us early and with a vengeance so far in 2016.  While I will take the warmer temperatures, it causes a few issues for us lawn guys.  Most of them are customer perceptions.  So, without further ado here is our list:

 5 Things Lawn Companies Wish You Knew About Our Early Spring Application

1. There is NO chemical way to prevent broadleaf weeds. Broadleaf weeds like dandelions, henbit, chickweed, and clover will pop up in your lawn on occasion.  The best broadleaf control is a thick, healthy lawn! In other words, fertilize and seed as needed!   We easily control broadleaf weeds when they do come up!
2. The time to apply the first application is anytime between February 20^th and April 15^th! If we are on your lawn before March 5^th, we are accused of being too early. Then, if we are not on your lawn by March 15^th, we are accused of being too late!   At Classic Lawns, we try to fit everybody’s first lawn application in between March 1^st and April 5^th.  However, spring weather can make this tricky.  There are many days that it is too cold, too windy, too rainy or even too snowy to work.  So, getting work done consistently is often a chore!  Horticulturally, if your first application is done on 2/20 or 4/15, it is the right time.  No matter when your neighbor’s lawn was treated by our rival!
3. All lawn companies have a route. We try to work smarter not harder.   It makes no sense to crisscross all over the city.  It wastes gas and time.  So, we do our best to work in some kind of route order.  This is why your friend on the north side of town might get his lawn application done 3-4 weeks before you do on the south side of town!
4. With limited exceptions, you are wasting your time trying to seed in the spring! Fall is always the best time to seed.  Spring seeding fails 8 out of 10 times!  When you seed in the spring, the grass will germinate and it will grow quite nicely.  However, it rarely survives the heat, drought and disease pressure of summer.  Usually, unless you have a spot bigger than your kitchen table that needs seeding, we recommend waiting until fall to seed.  If Classic Lawns has recommended spring seeding, then you most undoubtedly fit into one of those limited exceptions!
5. Pre-emergents ONLY help to prevent GRASSY weeds! Every spring we get phone calls from folks wanting to get their pre-emergent applied because they want to prevent dandelions.  I am now basically going to repeat what I said in #1, but here we go; PRE-EMERGENTS DO NOT PREVENT BROADLEAF WEEDS!  Pre-emergents do a good job of helping to prevent crabgrass, foxtail, goose grass, and barnyard grass.  They will not prevent broadleaf weeds like dandelions, chickweed, henbit or clover.  Broadleaf weeds are easily controlled if they do pop in your lawn, but again we cannot prevent them from coming up! The BEST weed control is a thick, healthy lawn provided by Classic Lawns’ lawn care program!

I will now step off my soap box.  I hope this peek behind the scenes helps you understand what it is our Early Spring Lawn Application can and cannot do.  Don’t forget, if you are on our full program, weed control treatments in between applications are always FREE if you need them!  Please call Classic Lawns anytime if you have questions or if we can help you with anything!