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Meteorological Spring has arrived and will be delivering above-average temperatures for the next seven days for most of the US. Warmer temps and moist conditions are bound to get everything sprouting a little early, including weeds – are you prepared? Here’s what you need to know…
As meteorological Spring begins (March 1, “official” spring is March 20), most of the nation will experience above-average temperatures for the next week, with the exception of the westernmost US.
The most unseasonably warm spots are going to be found in the nation’s midsection, as well as the upper midwest and the Ohio Valley.
Forecasters are calling for a 100% chance of above-normal temperatures for portions of southern and eastern Nebraska, southwestern Iowa, northwestern Missouri, most of Kansas, and northern Oklahoma along the Panhandle.
Portions of the South and Southwest will also experience warmer than average temperatures.
However, portions of the western US and northwest will see just the opposite, as they are forecast to see below-average temperatures through March 11.
Cooler-than-normal temperatures are forecast for California, western Nevada, central and northern Idaho, western and northwestern Montana. Forecasters give Washington and Oregon a 90% chance of below-average temperatures, particularly for the coastal areas.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,”
– Benjamin Franklin
Spring officially begins on Friday, March 20 this year. But the weeds won’t be checking the date on the calendar. The warm temperatures are likely to start things sprouting early this year.
We all can agree that pulling weeds isn’t fun. But prevention goes a long, long way.
The best weed remedy is to apply a pre-emergent before weeds start sprouting.
Pre-emergents form a barrier at or just below the surface of the soil to interrupt the germination progress and prevent weeds, as well as crabgrass, bluegrass, and others, from growing in the first place.
Essentially, pre-emergents inhibit the enzymes that tell these plants to start growing.
The enzymes in pre-emergents stop the seeds from growing before they sprout. But there’s a catch. Timing is everything. You have to apply pre-emergents before the soil reaches 55-degrees.
If you don’t – it’s too late, the seeds are going to sprout.
The best time to apply pre-emergents is either in the late fall or early spring. The time will vary according to your location. Again, it’s all about the soil temperature.
The typical time a pre-emergent remains effective is about 100 days. This means that sometime in late May, you may need to apply a second application to knock down the second batch of quick-growing weeds that may make an appearance near the end of summer.
The whole Roundup cancer connections and lawsuits has a lot of people afraid to use weed control products. Even though Roundup is a popular brand, the active ingredient that kills weeds is called glyphosate and is found in many other weed-killing products. Glyphosate can eliminate any type of weed or grass.
However, there has been some debate that the mixture of glyphosate found in Roundup may be different, containing other ingredients that may be more toxic than glyphosate alone, according to some studies, and that glyphosate is not unsafe.
In fact, many authorities around the world, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Health Canada, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) still consider glyphosate to be a safe herbicide.
A judged blocked California from requiring what would amount to a false warning label on Roundup products, ruling that the inclusion of the glyphosate as an ingredient does not require a warning label.
