Corn Gluten Meal is a by-product of the corn milling process.  It is an Organic alternative to chemical pre-emergent, and doubles as a slow-release Nitrogen source with about 10% N by weight. It is the best choice if you live near the lake or other water source. Again, timing is critical in order to realize the best results possible. With corn gluten meal, the wet/dry period must be managed carefully, AND, the product must also be applied BEFORE the weed emerges from the seed! Corn gluten meal works by inhibiting root formation [...]

  Henbit   (Lamium amplexicaule) is a cool season, ANNUAL broadleaf weed with square stems and pink to purple flowers. It is mostly noticed in the early spring after it has had a chance to grow all winter in the lawn and then begins to bloom. These blooms produce seed which will lay dormant over the hot summer, then begin to germinate in the fall as the temperatures cool. The plant itself dies completely in hot temperatures and does not come back from the roots.  Products labeled for pre-emergent control of [...]

Yes, it is that time of year again. The King Ranch Bluestem, aka “KR Bluestem”, is sending up the tall telltale seed heads to let us know it is there. You see, it has been there all along. It is a perennial grass that was introduced from Europe and Asia in the 1920s and 1930s as a “desirable” species for erosion control and forage for cattle. (Another good idea gone awry.) As you can guess, it is no longer “desirable”. KR Bluestem is now on the Texas Invasive Species list, [...]

                We get many questions throughout the year regarding control of stickers in the home lawn. First, determine what type of  stickers you are dealing with- Bur Clover, Field Sandbur, Lawn Burweed, Khaki Weed or the very painful Goat Head. Control for each type of sticker bur relates to the time of the year that the seed germinates and whether it is an annual or a perennial weed. Annual weeds are generally easy to control using pre-emergent at the correct time of year, as the plants themselves do not survive [...]

Khaki Weed (Alternanthera caracasana) is a perennial weed from tropical America that has invaded the southern U.S. at an alarming rate. Because it has a tremendous tap root, it is difficult to control in its mature stage. Repeated sprays and use of surfactant is necessary. Surfactants (spreader-stickers) break down the surface tension on the leaf and allows the herbicide to penetrate better and be more effective. The best control is to not let the plant go to seed. If it does go to seed, pre-emergent control can be effective. The [...]