Congratulations! Your lawn has just received the first application of the year. This important application is the first step to having a healthy growing season for your turf. Below, we have more detailed information about the application that was just completed on your lawn.

Fertilizer
As your lawn begins to come out of winter dormancy, it will be hungry for nutrients. Our specially selected fertilizer is optimal for our growing climate and temperatures. We have selected our fertilizer based on the needs of the turf. As the temperatures begin to rise, the turf will start to feed on nutrients in the soil. The fertilizer applied today is a slow release fertilizer and will hold nutrients for up to 8 weeks! This allows your turf to intake nutrients it needs to recover from the winter months.

Crabgrass Pre-Emergent
You might notice the fertilizer on this application is yellow. That yellow coating is the crabgrass pre-emergent. It is crucial that we apply this pre-emergent now while the ground temperatures are still cooler. If a crabgrass pre-emergent is applied later than Mid April, we risk the chance of seeing crabgrass in the summer. This pre-emergent will create a barrier in the soil to prevent the crabgrass seeds from germinating.

Please be aware that this pre-emergent will also prevent desirable grass seeds from germinating. Planting grass seed in the spring is never the ideal time as it directly interferes with the proper application of the crabgrass pre-emergent.

What about weed control?
Unfortunately because of the timing to properly apply the crabgrass pre-emergent, it may still be too cold to safely and effectively apply a weed control herbicide. We are aware that the winter annual weeds are actively growing, however, the chemistry of herbicides do not allow us to spray until the ground temperatures rise above 55 degrees. We could spray for weeds at this time, but it would do more harm than good, with no results.

As the temperatures rise, we will make adjustments in our products and begin spraying for these actively growing weeds as soon as we can do so in a safe and efficient manner.

Rain
The Early Spring Application is safe to be applied with the risk of rain. Rain will not wash away any fertilizer or herbicide that is applied. The rain will help work the fertilizer down to the soil surface and activate the crabgrass pre-emergent. If herbicide was applied, we use a special additive called ChemStick that ensures the herbicide sticks to the plant, even in heavy rains.

Safety
For your peace of mind, here are some important safety guidelines to consider with your Early Spring Lawn Application:

• Please remove the yellow lawn posting 24 hours after the application.
• If a liquid herbicide was applied, please stay off the lawn until the product is dry.
• Because of the yellow dust on the crabgrass pre-emergent, your pets paw may track some of that dust into the house. If you notice this, simply wash their paws and fur with a soapy cloth. You and your pets are not in any danger and will not become sick from these products. We take pet and human health safety into deep consideration when selecting our products.
• All of our products are approved and regulated by the EPA and Office of the Indiana State Chemist. We follow all guidelines listed on the label of the products as it is the law. Proper personal protections such as long sleeve shirts, long pants, gloves, and safety glasses must be worn when making an application. If you ever see any technician from any company making an application without any of these pieces of safety equipment, they are breaking the law!

Service Calls
Please keep in mind that we are here to help! If you ever have any questions or concerns about your lawn, please let us know immediately. The sooner we know about a question, the sooner we can help. If there is an issue with your lawn, timing is critical so please do not hesitate to let us know how we can help or improve our service.

Mowing Recommendations
As the growing season begins to pick up, make sure you follow these recommendations when mowing.

• Keep your mowing height at least 3.5 inches or higher.
• Keep your mower blades sharp and free from bends. An unbalanced blade can seriously harm your mower and you!
• Mow in different patterns and directions throughout the season.
• Do not bag your lawn clippings. Lawn clippings provide for 30% of the nutrients in the soil and help to build organic material in the soil.
• Do not mow for at least 24 hours after the lawn application.