Fall Pre-Emergents: Now is the time to start thinking about fall pre-emergents herbicide. Though pre-emergents can be applied any time, most people apply it in the spring and fall because that is when it works best. These herbicides do one thing and one thing only, they kill seeds. The trick is all about timing. Apply pre emergent herbicides before the seed starts to germinate.
The rule of thumb is from the first of September to the first of November. The seeds aren’t necessarily sprouting in any specific month of the year since they depend on presence of soil, air and soil temperature, moisture and a specific amount of sunlight. When the conditions are met, the seed will sprout.
Pre emergent herbicides are available in both all-natural and synthetic forms. The all-natural alternative is corn gluten meal. It is available in both powder and granulated. The powder activates faster but is a mess to apply. The granulated is slower to activate but is considerably less of a mess. And as always read and follow the label directions.