Feb 7, 2018, 15:18 PM by Fred Speer

Your lawn may not look its best right now. Still, there’s no need to panic. The Clark Man is ready to help you prepare and protect your lawn and landscape plants. Together, we can get them looking tip-top in time for spring.

Winter is the time to have a pre-emergent herbicide applied to your lawn, along with shrub and flower beds. Doing this will prevent weeds – such as annual grasses, clover, and dandelions – from spoiling the appearance and threatening the overall health of your lawn later on.

The number-one weed that threatens lawns is crabgrass. As ground temperatures warm over the next month, crabgrass will germinate, and you’ll want to prevent it from taking root in your lawn.

“Crabgrass is an annual grass that goes dormant in the fall and winter, but comes back every year if left untreated,” says Mike Andrew, corporate quality assurance manager for Clark Pest Control. “Preventive treatments for crabgrass are a lot easier and less expensive than trying to get rid of it once it becomes established.”

A pre-emergent herbicide treatment, combined with an application of winter fertilizer, will allow your lawn’s root system to establish itself before the heat and dryness of summer move in.

Andrew says watering once a week and mowing your grass shorter in the winter helps it receive the fresh water it needs, but doesn’t allow excess moisture buildup that can lead to disease.

“Hot summer months are tougher on overall turf health,” he says. “Therefore, taking preventive steps to promote good lawn health now will pay off later.”

With spring on the horizon, you also should take proactive steps to prevent aphids from becoming a problem. Aphids are small, rapidly reproducing insects that feed by sucking valuable nutrients from plants, reducing their bloom and overall health.

Aphids secrete honeydew – a sticky, sweet substance – which attracts ants and wasps. Honeydew often turns up on patio surfaces, outdoor furniture, and car windshields. With a preventive soil injection treatment, aphids can be controlled before trees and shrubs bear the extensive foliage of late spring and summer, and before honeydew becomes a problem.

Clark Pest Control’s turf and ornamental specialists will design a customized weed control and lawn care program to reduce the hiding spots of pests and protect your lawn and plants. You can also add weed control and lawn fertilization services to your Year-Round Pest-Away® program to give you whole-house protection.

Get your yard ready for spring and summer by calling or texting (800) WE-NEED-YOU (936-3339) or drop me an email at clarkcares@clarkpest.com.

Until next time I’m the Clark Man, and thanks for helping me keep unwanted pests out of your home and yard.