The now annual: Prevention is better than cure!

As autumn sets in, it's the perfect time to get ahead with preventative treatments for the coming winter and spring. After all, we want our lawns looking their best when they bounce back from dormancy!

 

Winter brings extra challenges such as more weed pressure, Cockchafer larvae and grub damage, and diseases like Spring Dead Spot which thrive during the cooler nights with increased moisture levels in your lawn’s canopy and thatch. Without the right treatments now, these issues can really set back your spring green-up.

 

To stay ahead of Spring Dead Spot, start your fungicide treatments now (end of summer), followed by a second application in about a month. We’re targeting two different pathogens that become active at different temperatures, so timing is key. While you won’t see signs of the disease until late winter or early spring, once those dreaded dinner plate-sized dead patches appear, its too late. It’s much easier to prevent than to fix, and left untreated, these patches can take most of the summer to recover.

 

Keep an eye out for dew times and mycelium (webbing) forming, as well as leaf spots/leasions in and around patchy areas. If you suspect disease, hold off on fertilising, it can actually make the problem worse. Stay vigilant, and your lawn will thank you when spring rolls around!

When it comes to weed prevention in warm-season grass, in the sourthern states this is the most important pre-emergent application of the year. It needs to be applied to the soil now! With cooler nights bringing down soil temperatures, winter weeds will start germinating in the next month or so, and we want your pre-emergent in place and ready to go. Its better to be three weeks early than five minutes late.

 

Pre-emergent herbicides create a residual barrier in the soil that lasts for an extended period—how long depends on the product. Since autumn temperatures can be unpredictable, it’s always better to apply early rather than too late.

 

If you’re already noticing some weeds popping up, don’t worry; Barricade and Spartan are compatible with many foliar post-emergent herbicides, such as Bow and Arrow and Double Time. When applying them together, we recommend using a pressure sprayer in the afternoon, letting the herbicide sit as a foliar application overnight, and then watering it in the next morning.

If you haven't applied your systemic insecticide, now is the time to catch the back end of the summer growing season and the start of the autumn-winter armyworm and cockchafer season. African Black beetle are not the only insects that have larvae; there are a few cockchafers as well. These are what we are predominantly concerned about during the cooler months.

For the Addicts keeping up with our warm season-free lawn plans, we are approaching Special Fex applications, and for those who use it, Primo Maxx. Be sure to check the GDD calculator to ensure you are applying Primo Maxx at an appropriate time.

 

For the Addicts keeping up with our Cool season free lawn plans, we are approaching Special Fex and Phosfighter applications.