re: Can I get advice/tips for my lawn after the winter? ::Updated with pics:::

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That being said I dont use it often as it can be very harsh on centipede and St Augustine, especially when it's hot.

IMO avoid MSM when it's very hot and during green up on those 2 grass types. It can really stunt growth

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I thought MSM was used when it got hot, and wouldn't work when it's cooler? Also thought it didn't harm St. Aug grass.


Also thought that the weed cocktail I was using WOULD damage the St. Aug grass, if used when it was too hot.

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I thought MSM was used when it got hot, and wouldn't work when it's cooler? Also thought it didn't harm St. Aug grass.


Also thought that the weed cocktail I was using WOULD damage the St. Aug grass, if used when it was too hot.

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Just to expound a bit more the good answers you've already received on this, its not likely you be hitting max temps in in the mid- to high 80s in Lafayette until late April/May so using the Atrazine+Weed Free Zone cocktail will be fine until then, at which point you can move to MSM Turf if required.

It's not that you can't use MSM Turf at cooler temperature, you can, but "winter weed cocktail" is pretty effective, cheap per application and you are using some different herbicide chemistry to kill weeds which is a good thing, to mitigate herbicide weed resistance, which is a real thing can potentially occur using the same herbicide 12 months per year.

As gamescocks22 mentioned, that hasn't been previously addressed, during the period your lawn grass, St. Augustine in your case, begins greening up, this is a particularly sensitive time for the lawn grass and really no post-emergent herbicide should be applied at that time. That is only about a 2 week window for us in southern LA. That should be in mid-March or so for you. I think after you have cut your lawn grass twice, you should be through the "greening up" phase.

It’s important to note lawn grasses are not "immune" to the effects these herbicides, they are "tolerant", but if a herbicide is applied when the lawn grass is in stress, developing a new root system, drought, etc. some of these herbicides recommended can cause some lawn/turf damage to the desirable grasses - this will be stated on the herbicide label. Very common to see some slight yellowing of desirable lawn grass following post-emergent herbicide treatment, particularly in the hotter weather of summer, but the lawn will quickly recover if in good health (that is where mowing/lawn fertilization, etc. are important).

Yes to all, but feel to jump jump back in this thread you started at any point if you have additional questions or see some weeds not being controlled by these herbicides. I may have mentioned earlier you may some weeds that show up in the lawn in the heat of summer, nutsedge comes to mind, that might require a different herbicide all together to kill.

Read many threads and not sure about when to mow during Cleggs treatment.
Weeds are getting tall rafter application or before what are suggestions for mowing this time of year.

Judging from the picture you posted and unless your yard rebounds nicely you are likely to have some bald spots come fall. If you don't mind cutting grass 12 months out of the year you may want to consider over seeding come fall with an annual ryegrass. It sure makes for a pretty yard.

I've been where you are and I just about have mine under control, it takes years. Because of the kids and the dogs I started over seeding in the fall with rye grass to keep them from tracking mud in during the winter. I make it a yearly practice now but my turf grass has gotten thick enough that the rye doesn't come up so thick.

You have to time you rye planting to the application of your pre emergent or it will not come up at all.

This was supposed to be my weekend to put the Cleggs cocktail down again, but I was locked up with a crappy virus. What is the strategy when dealing with rain with the spray? I know it's supposed to rain some this week, so I didn't want to put it down at a bad time.

Is the weather too cool now to spray the Cleggs post emerg spray? I was supposed to do it last weekend, but rain screwed that up. I was planning on knocking it out tomorrow, but I think I remember reading somewhere that it needs slightly warmer temperatures.

If I can't do it tomorrow, it seems unlikely I'll ever get a time to do it between rain and temperatures.

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Sure - try to do it after lunch if you can when the temp hits 60°F +.

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Should I wait to do it tomorrow till the grass dries some after yesterday's rain? I could do it this afternoon, if it won't hurt anything, but wasn't sure if I should let it dry up some or not.

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Should I wait to do it tomorrow till the grass dries some after yesterday's rain? I could do it this afternoon, if it won't hurt anything, but wasn't sure if I should let it dry up some or not.

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If the blades of the grass have dried it will be fine to spray. Don’t worry about moist ground.

Your updated photo seems to be a big improvement from your earlier photos. Much of those remaining weeds are annual bluegrass (Poa annua) and as been mentioned in some other threads that is a bit of difficult cool season weed to kill with post-emergent herbicide, but atrazine is the most effective, and you’ll be spraying that with your second application.

The good thing is the Poa will die on it’s own when the temps hit the 90s, and application of pre-emergent herbicide this fall will do great job of controlling the Poa going forward so you won’t have as much to deal with next spring.

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if I already made the mistake of putting down weed and feed can I still redo the lawn with the recommended winter weed mix?

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Did the Weed & Feed contain Atrazine as the weed component? That the most common herbicide used in weed & feeds but there are other herbicides used in other weed & feed formulations. So check the bag you used and if you threw it away check on-line.

If the weed and feed you used contained atrazine, then don’t use the weed cocktail mix, but rather you can use the weed free zone alone, with surfactant, so in essence you’ll kind of be using that winter weed cocktail.

Again, just to point out, weed & feeds aren’t inherently bad, it’s just still a little early to be fertilizing lawns now, but certainly not too early to be controlling weeds. So it really it’s a “best timing” issue.