When Should Pre-Emergent Be Applied in Mississippi?
It Comes Down to Soil Temperature, Not the Calendar
Pre-emergent does not kill anything you can see. It puts a barrier in the top of the soil so weed seeds die on their way up. Which means it has to already be down before they start.
What triggers it is soil temperature two inches down. Not the air, and not a date. Warm Februaries and cold Marches move that window around every year, and that is why the guy down the street who sprays on March 15 every spring has crabgrass some years and not others.
Here is how the year runs in DeSoto County.
The Windows That Matter Here
Two rounds carry most of the year. A third holds the barrier together through the summer.
Late February into March
The spring round. You are looking for soil sitting at 55 degrees a couple inches down for three to five days straight, which around here usually lands late February or the first half of March. This is the one that stops crabgrass.
Late April into May
A second round. The first one starts breaking down after eight or ten weeks and summer weeds keep germinating into July, so this closes the gap instead of leaving one wide open in the hottest part of the year.
Late September into October
The one everybody skips. Soil cooling back down through 70 degrees is what wakes up poa annua, henbit and chickweed. Miss it and you get those bright green clumps in a brown lawn in January.
Timing Beats Brand
Every professional pre-emergent on the market works if it goes down on time. None of them work late. What you buy matters way less than when you put it out.
What It Will Not Touch
If the weed is already up, pre-emergent does nothing to it. And it does nothing at all to dallisgrass or nutsedge, because those come back from roots and tubers instead of seed.
Do Not Punch Holes In It
Aerating or dethatching after the spring round breaks up the layer you just paid for. Get the soil work done first, then put the barrier down.
What Fixes It
Fertilization & Weed Control
Our program renews the barrier three times a year, including the fall round that keeps poa annua out of your winter lawn.
Core Aeration
We schedule it before the spring round so opening the soil helps you instead of undoing the weed control.
Poa Annua
The winter weed the fall round exists to stop. If it is already up, this is what you are looking at.
Why Choose Lawn Jox?
Free Service Calls
Our job is to make sure your lawn is beautiful all season long. If you think there is something wrong with your lawn, call us. The inspection is free.
Right Size Equipment
Lawn Jox started with push mowers and we still have them. We use the right sized equipment for the right job, optimizing our time and lowering your cost.
Professional, Uniformed Crews
Just like your lawn, we have standards with our appearance as well. All of our lawn care technicians are uniformed and professional.
Fully Licensed & Insured
As a fully licensed & insured lawn care company in the state of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas, we make sure your assets are protected while on your property.
Electronic Quotes & Invoicing
We save on paper and make it easy to pay. With our electronic system, you’ll receive quotes and invoices on your devices so you can accept bids and pay invoices all online.
No Contracts
Nothing to sign and no minimum term. Your program carries over each year so the spring pre-emergent is never missed, and you can stop any time by calling or texting the office.