Post Emergent Weed Control
Suffering with pesky uninvited lawn weeds? Learn about post-emergent weed control from the professionals at Jonathan Green.
Jonathan Green supplies genetically superior cool season grass seed, soil enhancers, fertilizer, and organic lawn and garden products to professional customers, such as sod growers and independent retailers, throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, and now the Western United States.
We are leaders in organics and have developed an environmentally sound approach to lawn care called the New American Lawn Plan. The Plan combines our Black Beauty® grass seed mixtures with organic and traditional soil amendments, lawn fertilizers and control products that feed your lawn AND your soil so air, water and nutrients get absorbed by the grass.
About Post-Emergent Herbicides
While pre-emergent herbicides work to prevent weeds from growing, post-emergent herbicides work on weeds that have already sprouted. The mixture of chemicals will slow down the growth, eventually killing the weed, and ensure that it does not grow back.
Weeds start to germinate after soil temperatures reach about 55 degrees. That means a post-emergent product is your choice from spring through fall. We hope these descriptions will simplify your weed control efforts.
Systemic & Topical Post-Emergent Herbicides
The main difference between systemic and topical (or contact) post-emergent herbicides is how they destroy weeds. Systemic herbicides are designed to be absorbed into the plant and destroy the entire weed, from the roots on up. They are ideal for perennial weeds.
Topical herbicides are a smart choice when you need to get rid of small, annual weeds. They kill only that part of the weed that the herbicide touches — the part above the ground (leaves and stem).
Selective & Non-Selective Post-Emergent Herbicides
Another thing to consider when choosing a post-emergent herbicide is whether it is selective or non-selective. Selective herbicides are specifically designed to target specific types of weeds while leaving others alone. Some will kill grassy weeds, while others will kill broadleaf weeds.
Non-selective herbicides are more powerful, but they will usually kill everything they touch, including your grass and other desirable plants. They are best for spot applications in places where you don’t want any vegetation, such as the cracks in your sidewalk or driveway, or along a fence.
Weed Control Products
If it’s mid-summer and crabgrass has already shown up in your lawn, post-emergent herbicides will kill it as it begins to grow and then keep it under control. Treat it with an herbicide specifically labeled for crabgrass control.
Jonathan Green Veri-Green Crabgrass Preventer plus Lawn Fertilizer contains the newest technology with Dimension® Crabgrass Control Herbicide. This product controls crabgrass before it germinates as well as after germination and emergence (up to the 3-leaf stage of growth; crabgrass is a 7-leaf plant when mature). It can be applied up to four weeks later than other crabgrass preventers. It will feed your lawn gently for up to 12 weeks; however, do not seed with this product.
To rid your lawn of broadleaf weeds and dandelions, apply Jonathan Green Veri-Green Weed & Feed Lawn Fertilizer in late spring (or fall) when the broadleaf weeds are actively growing. It feeds desirable grasses with 35% slow-release nitrogen fertilizer for up to 3 months, and features a 3-way weed-controlling action that kills weeds down to the root.
Another option is Jonathan Green Lawn Weed Control. It contains an improved three-way formula with Trimec™ which provides broadleaf weed control of more than 200 lawn weeds, including dandelion, clover, chickweed, common purslane, etc. Use it anytime of the year when weeds are actively growing.
Mentioned Products
One common way to control weeds is to use a post-emergent herbicide. For more information, visit Jonathan Green online, or locate your nearest independent garden center or hardware store where you can get reliable lawn and garden advice.