Fertilizer and rain?

[311Hemi]

Any issues with putting down Lesco/dimension before rains? I see the label says it may protect better if watered or rain within a day or two of application. Might be a little early yet but I was thinking about doing it tonight.

Good chance of .1-.25" rain tonight and tomorrow. Wasn't sure if that would hurt or help, but it would be nice to not have to water it in.

[eric29]

I was gunna do mine but then saw the weather and decided to wait. Heavy rains could wash it away. If you do it after the rain it works too as long as the grass is still wet. There is also more rain in the forcast for this weekend. Im going to do mine thursday or friday.

[Powerstroke]

Pre-emergent crabgrass treatments need to be watered in to work.

Rain will not wash it away unless you're talking one heavy downpour, the kind that causes flash floods. Otherwise water soaks in rather than runs off and that's exactly what you want for your fert and pre-m.

If it rains within 2-3days you are more than fine. With the current forecast you will be fine.

[311Hemi]

Is better to put it down when the grass is wet or dry, or doesn't it matter? I thought I remember a post on this in the past but could not find it.

[Tom7227]

The crabgrass stuff in essence forms a shield that prevents germination of seeds and so it has to be on/in the soil. If you want to use a contact herbicide product then it is transmitted to the plant via the leaf and other structures above ground. If you use a dry product for a herbicide it will need to liquify to be effective. So then you need a damp leaf surface.

IMO you're better off using a straight fertilizer and applying your herbicide for dandelions and such with a hand sprayer. You limit the amount of chemical you put out and you put it where it's needed. It also makes more sense to me to have a wet product than a dry herbicide.

But then I don't mind doing a bit extra work to avoid excessive chemical dispersal.

[Powerstroke]

Applying to wet grass is only beneficial is you're applying one of the weed and feed dry mixtures that uses small "flakes" of herbicide. In order for this to be effective it has to land on the leaves of the target plant and then be absorbed so thats when having a wet grass is beneficial.

For the early spring treatments for crabgrass or even just plain fert, wet or dry doesn't matter.