So when do we drop the PreM?

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So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by PSU4ME » March 18th, 2020, 4:50 pm

Following the forsythia guideline, I’d say this week. Given that this is a super early (recent memory) Spring, does/should we consider any other factors?

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by northeastlawn » March 18th, 2020, 5:24 pm

My forsythia is no where near full bloom, but considering they predict about 0.5" to 0.75" of rain tomorrow I dropped mine today. Next rain is much less next week and not until the end of next week.

I have a lot of bare patches and already seeing common weeds popping up; I figure Im better off being a little early. I sprayed Prodiamine in my yard, and going to drop granular Dithiopyr on my sisters lawn, she has a thing of spraying as if putting down a granular puts less chemicals down :-)

In either case two rain storms in the next weeks or so should work out well.

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by PSU4ME » March 18th, 2020, 7:03 pm

Yeah I’m thinking of doing it Sunday and catching next weeks water in. Weird it’s so early this year!

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by agn015 » March 18th, 2020, 7:20 pm

I dropped my prodiamine today too. Forysthia near the highways are full bloom and my neighbors thin one is about as full bloom as it ever gets. I agree that being early is better. My area is 2 full weeks early compared to last year. I was considering waiting until the weekend too but had some extra time today and it wasn’t windy so it made sense to just go for it.

Last year I sprayed liquid dimension. This year I switched to prodiamine and I can’t believe how yellow it is. I thought people complained about dimension staining and not the other way around...

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by edslawn » March 18th, 2020, 9:21 pm

Mine is in bloom, so I dropped it on Sunday. 2 weeks earlier than last year.


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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by edslawn » March 18th, 2020, 9:25 pm

Good question though about other factors

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by agn015 » March 18th, 2020, 10:27 pm

I also follow the gdd tracker just to see if I’m in the ballpark. My hope is to use the forsythia and growing degree days as two reference points to fine tune my preM timing over the next few years. So far it seems like forsythia bloom right around 300 GDD for my area and that's about the same time I try to target my preM.

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by LeftField11 » March 19th, 2020, 11:47 am

Dropped mine yesterday. Forsythia are blooming here in PA and we had .5" of rain last night. Timing worked out pretty well.

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by gordon » March 19th, 2020, 3:26 pm

I dropped Dimension 0-0-7 this morning.

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by Green » March 20th, 2020, 12:25 am

I haven't done mine yet, but Forsythia also haven't bloomed yet. But I did apply an early app on another lawn to target specific broadleaf weeds. I doubt that even this year, crabgrass would start germinating (at the earliest) until the grass is fully green and has been mowed a couple of times after that. That's usually the pattern.

Getting supplies could be difficult if/when most business close for periods of time due to the virus.

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by Orangehills » March 20th, 2020, 11:00 am

I am in Milford CT and will drop my PreM today, I noticed my KBG lawn is is more gray this year that last, probably from not doing a good job late fall fertilizing and having a warm wet winter. Anyone considering fertilizing a little earlier this year? I know normally early fertilization is not the course we follow here but just wondering with the current conditions up to 60 degrees today if anyone was thinking of advancing the first fertilization schedule?

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by andy10917 » March 20th, 2020, 12:31 pm

Is your lawn greened-up and beginning growth? If not, providing Nitrogen can have the effect of forcing it to break dormancy, and that can lead to stress in the short-term. Stress often rears its head as fungal disease later. If you don't wait for green-up and natural growth, and the grass DOESN'T break dormancy, you are essentially feeding the weeds that naturally break dormancy earlier.

I'm inland of you, which means higher highs and lower lows than you this time of year. They are predicting 72 degrees here today - but they are also predicting 3"-5" of snow on Monday. Go figure.

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by Runnin Tony » March 20th, 2020, 9:56 pm

Missed my target. Have young crabgrass exploding 🤬

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by andy10917 » March 21st, 2020, 12:05 am

Research "Quinclorac" to get young crabgrass seedling in control quickly - it is a great screwup/cheaters approach.

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by edslawn » March 21st, 2020, 11:19 am

andy10917 wrote:
March 20th, 2020, 12:31 pm
Is your lawn greened-up and beginning growth? If not, providing Nitrogen can have the effect of forcing it to break dormancy, and that can lead to stress in the short-term. Stress often rears its head as fungal disease later. If you don't wait for green-up and natural growth, and the grass DOESN'T break dormancy, you are essentially feeding the weeds that naturally break dormancy earlier.

I'm inland of you, which means higher highs and lower lows than you this time of year. They are predicting 72 degrees here today - but they are also predicting 3"-5" of snow on Monday. Go figure.
Andy, Is there any good guidance on when to *start* nitrogen feeding, if we are doing the fall nitrogen routine. I did one Urea application of 1.2lbs/k in Nov. and my lawn is green and waking up nicely. I have seen your comment about not needing to start nitrogen in the spring until later, but I never connected the dots about reasons you held off, like stress and fungal growth.

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by Orangehills » March 21st, 2020, 8:43 pm

Thanks Andy, my lawn is not starting to green up yet so yes it is dormant. I will wait for the green up. I notice all my neighbors with their northern mix lawns are greened up, but that grass should green up sooner. I had noticed in previous years when I had done a better job fertilizing in the fall my lawn looked greener throughout the winter and spring than all the neighbor's northern mix lawns. I will do a better job fertilizing in the fall this year!

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by andy10917 » March 21st, 2020, 8:52 pm

Andy, Is there any good guidance on when to *start* nitrogen feeding,
Good guidance? Nothing specific. There just comes a time around late May in my yard where the lawn seems to start to "lose its steam" and that's when I pick up with the Nitrogen efforts for the year. The people with "itchy trigger fingers" want to get outside and do something and often pull the trigger far too early, but remember that if you did Fall fertilization, It's got the fertilizer stored from the previous season, and the weeds are getting nothing. Who's got the upper hand?

It takes a little practice to figure out the right time, but it doesn't take a calendar.

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by edslawn » March 24th, 2020, 9:16 am

andy10917 wrote:
March 21st, 2020, 8:52 pm

Good guidance? Nothing specific. There just comes a time around late May in my yard where the lawn seems to start to "lose its steam" and that's when I pick up with the Nitrogen efforts for the year. The people with "itchy trigger fingers" want to get outside and do something and often pull the trigger far too early, but remember that if you did Fall fertilization, It's got the fertilizer stored from the previous season, and the weeds are getting nothing. Who's got the upper hand?

It takes a little practice to figure out the right time, but it doesn't take a calendar.
Perfect. Thanks Andy!

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by Runnin Tony » March 25th, 2020, 10:22 am

andy10917 wrote:
March 21st, 2020, 12:05 am
Research "Quinclorac" to get young crabgrass seedling in control quickly - it is a great screwup/cheaters approach.
Appreciate Out. down a 2-4 d and quinclorac combo. Upon further inspection, the crabgrass was actually dallis grass and I have chickweed coming back up from last year. Trying to get ahead of those annoying creatures this year 😂

Here in Georgia we've had our years worth of rain in the first 3 months. The rain along with warmer temps are wreking havoc

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Re: So when do we drop the PreM?

Post by Dargin » March 26th, 2020, 4:47 pm

Haven't seen any forsyntia bloom in my area, but today I got some soil readings of mid to high 50's at a half inch. Think I'm pulling the trigger Saturday night before the rain.

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