The Sign of Success
Does your lawn in Midlothian or Prosper look like a nice, clean brown carpet? Is there any green in it at all?
If brown is all you have, then you have done something right!
Why Completely Brown Is Perfect
Lawns that had the fall pre-emergent applied at the right time and at the right rate should look COMPLETELY dead right now.
What a successful fall pre-emergent looks like:
- Uniform brown dormant turf
- No green breakthrough anywhere
- Clean, carpet-like appearance
- Consistent color throughout
- No weedy patches or spots
Why your lawn is brown:
- St. Augustine and Bermuda are dormant (natural)
- Cold temperatures triggered dormancy
- Grass is conserving energy underground
- Roots remain healthy and alive
- Will green up beautifully in spring
Green Is NOT Good Right Now
Any green breakthrough is NOT a good thing. Anything green right now is either a grassy or broadleaf weed. This is what happens when you do not apply a pre-emergent in the fall.
Common winter weeds appearing as green:
- Henbit (purple flowers)
- Chickweed (small white flowers)
- Annual bluegrass (poa annua)
- Rescuegrass
- Clover
- Dandelions
- Various other winter annuals
Why green means problems:
- Pre-emergent was skipped last fall
- Application rate was too low
- Timing was off (too late)
- Product broke down before winter
- Weeds germinated before application
The Cost of Green Breakthrough
What those weeds mean for you:
- Post-emergent treatments needed now
- More weeds coming in spring
- Seeds dropping for next year's problems
- Thin turf when grass greens up
- Higher maintenance costs
- Lawn that never looks clean
The weed cycle:Winter weeds → produce seeds → spring weeds → thin turf → more weeds next winter
Spring Pre-Emergent Starts NOW
The same concept applies for the spring pre-emergent, which needs to be applied starting NOW!
Critical spring pre-emergent timing:
- Application window: Late January through March
- Must be down before soil temps reach 55°F
- Prevents spring and summer weeds
- Foundation for weed-free growing season
- Your opportunity to get ahead
What spring pre-emergent prevents:
- Crabgrass (the big one!)
- Dallisgrass seedlings
- Goosegrass
- Spurge
- Summer annual weeds
- The "jungle" appearance by May
Plan Ahead for This Year
What kind of lawn do you want this year? Start planning ahead!
Two paths you can take:
Path 1: Brown now, green weeds later
- Skip spring pre-emergent
- Save money short-term
- Fight weeds all spring and summer
- Spend more on post-emergent treatments
- Never achieve clean, weed-free lawn
- Frustrated all season
Path 2: Brown now, clean green later
- Apply spring pre-emergent NOW
- Invest in prevention
- Enjoy weed-free spring and summer
- Spend less overall on lawn care
- Beautiful, clean lawn all season
- Pride in your property
The Pre-Emergent Calendar
Year-round weed prevention requires both:
- Fall pre-emergent (September-October): Clean brown lawn in winter
- Spring pre-emergent (January-March): Clean green lawn in summer
Skip one = weed problemsApply both = weed-free year
What to Do If You See Green Now
Already have winter weeds?
- Apply spring pre-emergent immediately (still prevents spring weeds)
- Treat existing weeds with post-emergent herbicide
- Don't let weeds go to seed
- Plan better for next fall
- Consider professional program for consistency
Professional Year-Round Weed Control
At Vista Lawn and Pest, our comprehensive fertilization and weed control programs in Midlothian and Prosper include both fall and spring pre-emergent applications at the right time and right rate. Our clients enjoy completely brown, weed-free lawns in winter and lush, clean green lawns in summer. We take the guesswork out of lawn care and deliver consistent, beautiful results year after year.
Start planning for the lawn you want—apply spring pre-emergent now!
Watch the video below to see what successful pre-emergent looks like in winter and understand why brown is beautiful right now.
For professional year-round weed control and fertilization in Midlothian and Prosper, contact Vista Lawn and Pest.
