When to throw down the Crabgrass preventer

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SlugSlinger

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Thanks, really had a hard time identifing this, and was not sure what it was. I thought it was crabgrass but MSMA really was not doing much to it last year. My yard is too big to spot spray. Will 24D take care of the goosegrass later in the year?

There is also Dallasgrass that looks like crabgrass. MSMA contains arsenic. Be careful with that stuff. I thought it was going to be banned, but I don't know if that has happened. Btw, 24D doesn't work on grassy weeds, only broadleaf weeds.

"24D affects broadleaf weeds and not grasses because the two classes of plants transport chemicals differently through their leaves. Broadleaf weeds have their growing point at the tips of the leaves. Grasses grow from their base."

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe70s/pests_04.html
 

SlugSlinger

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Crab-grass has really taken over at my place the last few years. I seem to be so busy this time of year that before I realize it it's too late for a pre-emergent. Is there a good granule that will work? I have a pull broadcaster but only a hand pump sprayer and need to do nearly two acres.
A spayer is much better for that size of a yard. I have about 1.5 acres and this is the sprayer I modified with a 5.3gpm, 60 psi 12 volt pump, this is the biggest 12v pump I could find. I also installed a spare warn wireless remote control I had and quick connect battery cables.
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SlugSlinger

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So I just finished putting down the round up.
When was I supposed to seed?
Bermuda

Bermuda seed germinates with soil temperatures above 65 degrees. There is a short window of early May to mid-June to seed Bermuda. It must get good root establishment before the first freeze or it will die.
 

deerwhacker444

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So I just finished putting down the round up.
When was I supposed to seed?
Bermuda
I raked in some bermuda seed over my folk's recently deceased dog's grave at the end of last May/first of June. An unscrupulous gardener, my mother, topped it a couple times with the mower when it should have been left alone. Yet, given plenty of water and Fertilizer, most of it was 6" tall again before Fall. Bermuda is pretty easy with enough water, food and heat..
 

TwoForFlinching

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Thanks, really had a hard time identifing this, and was not sure what it was. I thought it was crabgrass but MSMA really was not doing much to it last year. My yard is too big to spot spray. Will 24D take care of the goosegrass later in the year?

Unfortunately, goosegrass can only be killed with non-selective chems like roundup. You can pull it, but it's a rhizome type of wild bermuda (why msma doesnt kill it)... it grows new plants and spreads through the smallest piece of root.

The good news is bermuda will grow back and spread if watered heavy (half inch per watering) twice a week, putting down a little fert to feed agressive growth.

I had to do the whole back yard last year, it was a week of hard work for a summer of maintenance free grass.
 

doctorjj

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Unfortunately, goosegrass can only be killed with non-selective chems like roundup. You can pull it, but it's a rhizome type of wild bermuda (why msma doesnt kill it)... it grows new plants and spreads through the smallest piece of root.

The good news is bermuda will grow back and spread if watered heavy (half inch per watering) twice a week, putting down a little fert to feed agressive growth.

I had to do the whole back yard last year, it was a week of hard work for a summer of maintenance free grass.
Incorrect. Several post emergent herbicides exist for goosegrass. My favorite is a combo of Dismiss and Revolver.
 

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