BALAN

Attention !

This article will only be of interest to very few people !

Most of you like weeds and don’t mind the wonderful textural element that they add to your turf areas.  What’s more annoying than looking out over your lawn and seeing nothing but smooth, full, uniform grass with no weeds?  And weeds don’t care if they get fertilized or not and most will flower really pretty if you don’t ever cut them!

So for the 5% of you who don’t like the weeds, here’s the best advice I can give you to keep them out.  Get on a regular pre-emergent program.

I know, now I’m sounding like your doctor asking you to do regular stuff with weird names in the hopes that there will be a payoff in the near future.  TRUST ME !!  Stay on the program and it will work !  How ?

Now that you’ve asked – here’s your science lesson of the day !!!

Balan is a granular pre-emergent that you spread out like a fertilizer.  What, you may ask, is a pre-emergent?  Pre – from the Latin meaning before.  Post – from the Latin meaning after, or a big round piece of wood you use in making fences.  Pre-emergent herbicides prevent weeds before they germinate and grow.  Post emergent herbicides are sprayed on the weeds after they’re already up.  When you put down the granular Balan and water it in, the granules dissolve to form a barrier on the top of the ground.  When the weeds germinate, they hit this barrier and are killed before you even see them !  It’s like Herbicidal Magic !!!

So here’s your next question:  So I put this out and I’ll never see a weed again ?

Short Answer:  No

Longer answer (but well worth the read):  Apply your pre-emergent in Mid-February and again in Mid-September.  Twice a year is all it takes.  The Spring application (that’s the one in Mid-February, duh!) will prevent your summer weeds.  The Fall application (Duh ! Mid-September) helps control crab grasses that germinate in late winter and early Spring.  Many times, it’s hard to tell how much control you get in the first year.  Where you really see results is in the 2nd year and beyond. 

Summary

Weeds – BAD !!

Balan – GOOD !!