Crabgrass – Pre-emergent

Q: We own a home on St. Simons Island. A lawn service there takes care of our St. Augustinegrass lawn. Last summer we noticed that our lawn was full of crabgrass. When I questioned them about using a pre-emergent I was told that it does not get cold enough long enough on St. Simons for a pre-emergent to work. Is that true?

A: Either your service doesn’t have the knowledge or perhaps the required pesticide license to use a pre-emergent. There are several pre-emergent herbicides that would work fine at your coastal home if applied during the last week in February. Homeowners can buy and apply weed killers without a license but maintenance companies have to have a Commercial Pesticide License and a Pesticide Contractor’s License. Perhaps you should ask your island neighbors whom they use for successful weed control.