Thanks to the technology of today, we have become a society built on the convenience of receiving our information in an "instant" fashion. Products such as Vine, Instagram, Twitter, and others were built upon the premise that "smaller is better." So in the spirit of our technology friends who subscribe to this line of thinking, Weed Pro brings to you 5 fast facts about crabgrass prevention for your lawn.

1. Crabgrass Prevention Should be Applied When Conditions Are Right, Not by a Specific Date on a Calendar - Often we hear from customers that they want their crabgrass preventer applied as early as possible, getting a jump on the season. However crabgrass preventer should only be applied when the conditions are right, adhering to an "agronomic" calendar based on weather and soil conditions. If crabgrass preventer goes on too early, you will not get control later in the season.
    
2. Crabgrass Doesn't Germinate Until Early to Mid-May in Ohio - While it may seem like everything is in bloom in April, the fact is that crabgrass does not begin to germinate in Cleveland and Columbus until early to mid-May, depending on the soil temperatures. A cold spring can delay this even further. It's always important that your lawn care company follows an "agronomic" calendar, and not schedule your applications based on how quickly they want to get it done.
    
3. You CAN Spot Seed & Apply Crabgrass Pre-Emergent - Seeding your lawn followed by applying pre-emergent crabgrass preventer will indeed prevent the grass seed from germinating. However, this should not stop you from applying crabgrass pre-emergent. As we'll discuss in Fact #5, cultivating those few bare spots after treatment will break the crabgrass prevention, and allow seed to grow in those areas.
    
4. Crabgrass Prevention Should be Guaranteed For The Entire Season - Run, don't walk away from lawn care companies who do not guarantee crabgrass prevention for the entire season. Those companies who do guarantee a crabgrass free lawn are more than likely the companies that are applying the product during the correct time, providing your lawn season long protection.
    
5. Cultivating The Soil DISRUPTS Crabgrass Pre-Emergent and Breaks Down the Protection - After applying crabgrass pre-emergent, DO NOT cultivate large areas of your lawns soil. This breaks the crabgrass prevention, and allows crabgrass seed to germinate. However, if you need to spot seed in the spring, apply the pre-emergent over your entire yard and cultivate the soil in those few areas to allow grass to grow.
    

Looking for More Spring Tips?

Spring is the time of year when we can get a fresh start on things, making our entire lawn and landscape beautiful all season. To be sure that you get a start on the right foot this spring, Weed Pro has put together the ultimate spring lawn and landscape guide for you to follow step by step. This guide is chalk-full of great information that will have your lawn and landscape looking great in a short amount of time. The best part of this guide is that it's yours absolutely free by clicking the button below. So get going and make this the year you transform your lawn and landscape into a summer oasis!

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