The weather is starting to break from the cooler winter days and with the timely rain showers you will start to see some summer annual weeds start to appear in your turf areas.  We are getting very close to the time to put down pre-emergent weed control to help with many of these and to relieve some of your future headaches.  Many of the weeds we dread the most can be controlled early with a pre-emergent granular application and in the next few weeks or so I highly suggest you get one down on your lawn. 

There products that can be used safely on overseeded turf lawns as well as dormant turf lawns as long as the correct labels are followed.  Do not apply more than the label says or you will do significant damage to your bermudagrass or paspalum. 

Some things to remember about pre-emergent control are: 

1.  They don’t kill weeds and seeds that are present, they keep them from growing.
2. Pre-emergents need to be applied to your lawn right before the weed growth period.  Ideally you would apply them when the soil temperature is consistently above 50 degrees so areas in Tucson and south of Tucson usually need to wait till around March 15^th to apply.  In the warmer parts of town I suggest anytime between March 1^st and March 15^th.  You don’t want to be late with this application because again it will not kill weeds that are present and growing.
3. Corn gluten is an option for weed control that works naturally by preventing seeds from rooting into the ground.  You can use it for control of crabgrass, dandelions, pigweed, purslane, lambs quarters, foxtail and barnyard grass.  Corn gluten is a very safe and environmentally friendly option but you may not see the same control that you will with some of the other pre-emergents on the market.
4. Weed control in your turf decreases turf competition, increases establishment rates, and decreases your grow in time. 

Here is a list of some of the more popular pre-emergents on the market for bermudagrass and paspalum and they can be picked up at most specialty stores and used safely.  Some of these do require a certified applicator to apply so you may want to contact a weed company to apply them for you.  You will not be able to purchase the restricted use pesticides without a license: 

1.  Barricade 65WG
2. Dimension
3. Ronstar
4. Pendulum 

There are pre-emergent weed and feed controls that can be purchased from your local home improvement store, but make sure the weeds you have struggled with in the past are listed on the label as being controlled.  Also anytime you are shopping for products like this it is important to read the label very thoroughly because many products are marketed for cooler climates or different turf types.  If you don’t see your area listed on the bag, avoid it and look for another product.  I have seen some of the generic weed and feed products used in the wrong places several times or over applied because of lack of control and they end up causing injury to your turf.  Be careful with what you use and research the product.  Like I said you will have a couple weeks to apply the product and making the best product choice is your first priority. 

Old Pueblo 50 Mile Run 

Next Saturday is a day I have been training for over a year and it will be my first attempt at the 50 mile run through the Santa Rita Mountains in Sonoita, AZ.  I have had plenty of practice on the 50K’s and I have a 46.2 mile race under my belt but the 50 mile still feels like another animal.  I am going in with expectations of a decent finishing time but I am not sure what to expect as we travel up 7500 feet of elevation, through rocky mountainous terrain, across several streams all while trying to stay hydrated and fueled up. 

Now thousands and thousands of people have completed 50 and 100 mile races so it’s not that it would be something that has never been done before, but it is something that I never saw on my radar a year and a half ago when I started running.  I started running to lose some weight and to get my body into decent shape.  I had never run before in my life before this point in my life so I had no expectations of keeping it up daily, let alone losing 95 pounds.  Last Memorial Day is a day I remember vividly because it was the first time it came to my attention that runs like this existed. 

I had been running the same 5 mile trail everyday for about 6 months and then I was introduced to some new friends that talked about training for a 100 mile race in October of last year called the Javelina Jundred.  My reaction to them was “sure you are training to run 100 miles through the mountains.”  They said it was not a joke and that there goal was to complete the race in 24 hours.  Naturally I looked at them like they were absolutely nuts and still thought to myself, sure you are.  Well that morning I ran as far as I ever had in my life and we did a 13 mile run up Tom’s Thumb in Scottsdale and I was hooked.  When we finished the run it seemed plausible that people could actually run that far in a single day, but I still didn’t think I would ever be one of those crazy people. 

 I have now been running everyday at least 6.5 miles for a year straight, completed over 3000 total miles, won a 50K, and have placed top 5 in 4 others, finished a 75K in 9 hours 24 minutes and now I am shooting to run the 50 mile race in 9 hours 30 minutes.  This is not a time that will get me in the top 10 finishers of the race but I feel it is a safe time for my first 50, and finishing the race with a good time and my body in shape is all that matters.  Wish me luck and hopefully the body can hold up for 50 miles and then come back the week after to compete for the ultra trail championships. 

If you have any questions please hit the “Ask Jay” button at the top right of the page. 

Jay