F.A.Qs
Shown are some frequently asked questions this will be added to as time goes however, if you have any other questions feel free to call us, chat with us or email us anytime!
PRE-EMERGENT - Does the application #1 (and #2) pre-emergent also include a fertilizer? Yes this is a 17-0-0 fertilizer which means it has 17 percent Nitrogen in it. - What is the pre-emergent active ingredient? The active ingredient is Prodiamine. - What is the fertilizer composition? (ie-NPK ratio) 17-0-0. - Do we avoid the lawn for 24 hours, children and pets? For pets check their paws so the granules do not get lodged between their foot pads. Don’t let children roll around on grass until watered in. - Watering/Mowing after PRE-E? Wait 24 hours to water or mow the lawn so the granules have a chance to settle into soil and don’t get washed away or blown away by the mower if you bag or side discharge. - What alternatives are available (ie. other than PRE-EMERGENT in place of step 1? [Reasoning someone might want a different step 1 could be- planning to plant grass seed on bare spots.] Fertdawgs approach would be putting down starter fertilizer instead of pre-emergent which will help the germination rate of the grass seed instead of preventing germination like pre-emergent does. - If pre-emergent will also prevent grass seed from germinating, how long will grass seed be prevented from germinating? With optimal conditions pre-emergent can slow or prevent seed germination for up to 7 weeks. Usually seeding in August up to the end of Halloween is optimum for seed germination.
AERATION & OR OVERSEEDING - If you are going to aerate and overseed we recommend switching your pre-emergent fertilizer application to a starter (13-13-13) fertilizer which does not contain any herbicide in it. Then putting down a pre-emergent herbicide for the second application to control any late germinating crabgrass and other grassy weeds. - Does Spring overseeding mean delaying pre-emergent? [weed control] We can still spot spray for weeds when we put seed down. I do not recommend putting a blanket spray (spraying entire lawn) for weeds when you put seed down as some herbicides might damage the seed depending on the variety and species of seed being used.
BARE SPOTS - What are Fertdawgs recommendations for improving bare spots? We can amend the soil with gypsum, compost or other products to help improve the health of the soil. Use 4 pounds of premium grass seed for every 1000 square feet of bare soil. Rake seed into the soil for better contact. For large bare areas use straw mats to cover the area to help keep seed in place.
FERTDAWGS SPOT SPRAY [Is included with our fertdawgs programs] - What product(s) are being used? We use a variety of products when spot spraying and blanket spraying for weeds. They are ArmorTech 3LO, Quintessential, T-Zone, Vessel, Surge. Some of these products have multiple active ingredients for broader range of weed control where some just have one ingredient for more selective control. - Actives? Dimethylamine salt of 2,4-d, Ethylene Glycol, Triclopyr 2-butoxyethyl ester, Dicamba, Sulfentrazone, and MCPP-p Dimethylamine Salt. - Latency? [How long is the product killing weeds and/or preventing grass from growing?] The half life of 2,4-d is 14 days and is broken down by bacteria in soil. Ethylene glycol can take up to 28 days to 100% breakdown, Triclopyr can stay in the soil for up to 46 days under some conditions depending on the oxygen levels, Dicamba can last up to 6 weeks under some conditions and is broken down by microbial action, Sulfentrazone breaks down through microbes and sunlight and can stay in the soil for up to 541 days, MCPP-p has a half life in soil up to 83 days.
FERTDAWGS 7-STEP PROGRAM Summarize the 7-step fertdawgs program? Our step fertilizer program plus grub control includes: step 1 pre-emergent started in mid-March to Mid to late April, step 2 second pre-emergent fertilizer started end of April to end of May, step 3 summer fertilizer and grub control starts at the beginning of June until middle of July (these are put down at the same time in one visit so you have a double bill for that visit), step 4 Late summer fertilizer with iron starts at the end of July and goes until end of August, step 5 is the fall fertilizer and goes from beginning of September to the middle of October, Step 6 is the winterizer fertilizer and starts in the middle of October and goes to the middle of November. We will have all 6 steps and the grub control down before Thanksgiving usually.