Spot re-seed grass - Wait how long to apply pre-emerge?

 

I'm trying that new grass seed that Scott has, guaranteed to grow. It
seemed to work for the neighbor.
How long should I wait before I have pre-emerge applied to prevent
crabgrass?

 

On 4/29/2010 4:52 PM, Pete E. Kruzer wrote:

May be too late.  I put my premerge down around April 1 - Northern DE.
Rule of thumb, put it down before forsythias bloom.

The Scotts stuff normally contains rye which comes up fast but better
seed in it lags behind.

 

Frank wrote:

Correct.


Also true.  Bluegrass is very slow to germinate (usually 21-25 days).
Almost any bluegrass seed mix has some perennial rye in it as a "nurse"
grass.  You see green, you're happy.  If the bluegrass takes well, it
eventually crowds out the rye.  And there's nothing wrong with that,
it's as Jimmy Durante used to say, "the conditions that prevail".

Tony

 

Pete E. Kruzer wrote:

I'd probably wait until all the grass has started growing.

 

wrote:


I'd wait until next spring.  There is only a short window for applying
pre-emergent crabgrass killer... once the crabgrass seeds sprout it's
too late... read the directions for when to apply in each zone.
Crabgrass pre-emergent has nothing to do with turf grass, it only
prevents crabgrass seed from germinating.  For this season all one can
do is dig up grabgrass by hand... defoliants work but then there will
be lots of large bare spots.