Take a look around. The dormant landscape is beginning to spring to life. The peach and Japanese Magnolia trees are blooming. Many of the early to leaf out trees have buds that are very swollen. The brussels sprouts and cabbage are starting to bolt. Even the dormant turfgrass is starting to have a tint of green.

I know that many of you in the Miss-Lou are lawn lovers judging by the amount of questions I get. Now is one of the two critical times of the year to control unwanted weeds in your lawn if you really want to have a weed-free swath of green in your yard.

The end of February until the middle of March is the time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to control those unwanted annual weeds like crabgrass and crow’s foot. These weed seeds will start to germinate when the soil temperature at a two inch depth rises above 55 degrees F for four consecutive days in a row.

Pesticides and herbicides in general are very confusing. A pre-emerge herbicide will only kill annual weeds at the point of germination. It will not be effective if you apply it after the weeds have germinated and emerged. It will also not be effective against any perennial weeds like nutsedge and dallisgrass.

It is important to know what kind of weeds you have m your yard in order to apply the correct herbicide to control them Most of the weeds that are prevalent in your lawns now are cool-season plants. These weeds germinated starting last October and will really show out in your yard in the coming month. Control ofthese weeds is best achieved with a pre-emerge application late September or early October.

Annual bluegrass is one of the most widespread weeds in the world and is very evident right now. It is the little yellow-green tufts of grass with the white seed heads. Other cool season weeds include chickweed and henbit. Most all of these will become a nuisance as the weather warms up and they start to flower and produce seedbeds.

The two most common ways to apply herbicide to lawns is by spreading a fertilizer with the chemical impregnated on it or by spraying the chemical with some type of mechanical sprayer. The fertilizer way to me is much easier.

Most pre-emerge herbicides are safe to use on any type of lawn. This is not true of post emerge herbicides, so be careful. Read the labels carefully. They can be very confusing. If you have any questions ask before you buy and apply.

If you are leery of applying pesticides yourself, you may consider having a lawn care professional do it for you. Most lawn care services offer a yearly plan that includes a comprehensive weed control program along with the proper fertilization schedule. They will do all of the chemical application and you keep the lawn cut.

Most of the time signing on to a yearly plan it is not that expensive, provides great results, and relieves you of the headache. Make sure that the applicator has a license. Don’t hesitate to ask what products they are applying either. It is after al1 your lawn, and you love it.

REMINDER: Today is the last day to sign up for the free March 4 horticulture workshop presented by Mississippi State University Extension Horticulture Specialist and author, Norman Winter.

Hosted by the Adams County Extension Master Gardeners, the workshop will be at 10 a.m. at the Adams County Extension Service office at 301 Liberty Road. Call today (445-X201) to reserve your spot to hear all about &uot;Hot New Plants for Spring and Summer.&uot;