It is early March and, already in Georgia, signs of spring are apparent. Daffodils have popped up everywhere, and ornamental shrubs and fruit trees are starting to bloom.
Applying Pre-emergent
March is a good time to apply pre-emergent to your lawn. Pre-emergent products prevent germination of seeds in your lawn preventing weeds before they start. It is easy to apply a granular herbicide across your entire lawn with an inexpensive spreader. Fill the spreader, then calibrate it to spread at the application rate listed on the bag. Some products need to be watered in. Follow the instructions on the package for best results.
How do you remember when to apply pre-emergent? Forsythia blooms are the perfect starting gun for spring activity.
Don’t apply pre-emergent on fescue lawn seeded within the last six weeks. The herbicide will prevent the grass from germination, too.
Applying Fertilizer
March is a good time to apply a high-nitrogen fertilizer to your fescue lawns. This promotes strong growth which will prepare your fescue to survive the summer. Every fertilizer container displays a three number analysis. The first number reveals the percentage nitrogen in the fertilizer. It should be larger than the next two numbers (phosphorus and potassium respectively.) Grab your lawn spreader and follow the package instructions.
Note: This is a bad time to apply nitrogen to warm season grasses (Bermuda, zoysia or centipede.) When their leaves go dormant (turn brown), much of their root system is atrophied. There is nothing to absorb the fertilizer.
Planting Trees
It’s a good time to plant ball and burlap trees or shrubs, and containerized plants of all types. There is little chance of the ground freezing and they will have plenty of time to establish their root systems before the stress of summer heat.
