Reseeding can be difficult in it's own right, however reseeding after a crabgrass pre-emergent application can be down right impossible. Don't worry, we have you covered with some simple steps to take to ensure that your grass seed isn't affected by the pre-emergent and germinates properly!

Why You Need To Take a Different Approach After First Treatment

With Weed Pro's Lawn Care Program, the first treatment of the season contains crabgrass pre-emergent in the form of Dimension. This fantastic product prevents crabgrass and other broadleaf weeds from germinating in your lawn. The problem is that it's a non-selective pre-emergent, meaning that it will stop anything from germinating, including grass seed. Here are some things that you can do to make sure that seed does germinate.

Breaking the Barrier

Dimension pre-emergent crabgrass preventer creates a barrier on the surface of your soil, preventing germination from taking place. The best way to counter this barrier, is to "break it" by chopping up the soil, and overturning the soil. This will help decrease the likely-hood that your seed will come into contact with the product, allowing it to germinate. Keep in mind that if you do break that barrier, your defense against crabgrass in that area is now also gone.

Mixing in New Soil

To further decrease the chances that your seed will not germinate, mixing in fresh soil will help dilute the dimension pre-emergent even further. You'll want to sprinkle a good amount of the soil on top, then mix it in with the old soil. This should be fairly easy, given that you have chopped up the existing soil.

Seed & Fertilize

After smoothing out the new soil mixture, you'll want to make sure to seed and apply starter fertilizer to the area to promote germination. Sprinkle the seed liberally, making sure that their is plenty of seed to germinate. Apply a starter fertilizer that is a bit higher in phosphorus than your typical fertilizer. A triple 12-12-12 fertilizer will do nicely.

Apply Straw or Seed Mulch, and Water

After seeding and fertilizing the spot, make sure to cover the area with straw, or seed mulch, which is made from recycled paper. This method helps the area retain more moisture allowing for the area to remain moist. Watering the spot everyday is a must, making the area soft to the touch. 

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Shaun Kanary has been a part of the Green Industry for the past 15 years. As the Director of Marketing for Weed Pro Lawn Care, a Cleveland and Columbus Lawn Care Service Provider, Shaun is a regular contributor to the Weed Pro Blog, and other industry magazine and blogs.  Shaun on Google+     Shaun on LinkedIn     Shaun on Twitter