Pre-Emergent for Dummies

General Fruit Growing
#1

Hey everyone.

I’ve read the threads that come up in search, but I’m not sure if I need to go “full commercial” to solve my problem.

I also have many different types of trees (20 total over ~8000 sqft, so I’m sure I won’t find anything labeled for my purposes anyways.

My trees are all 20 feet apart and I’m fine with grass growing between. I heavily mulch about 3 feet around each tree.

My primary concern is what people here call Texas Tall Grass but I think it’s just tall crabgrass. It’ll grow 3-4 feet tall in basketball sized clumps with huge roots. They leave a crater when removed, and they love my fruit tree mounds.

I also get milkweed, sow-thistle, filaree, Texas thistle, etc.

I’d like to at least put a dent in these monsters, but I don’t know what to get. I have a backpack sprayer, nothing crazy, but granules would be easier. I’ll spray if the difference is notable. Should I just get something for turf and stay outside the mulch ring of my trees? I know the roots go beyond that, so that may be pointless. I’m comfortable with glyphosate, but if I could reduce the number of weeds I’m fighting in the first place that would be great.

I don’t want to poison everyone who eats our fruit​:rofl::joy:, is there a good option? Thanks!

#2

I’m thinking treflan/preen is my best bet. I can get the 1.5% at the hardware store, but it’ll take three 16-lbs buckets to cover everything according to the label. I can also get a 40-lbs bag of 5% and I assume just spread it out more.

#3

I started a bi-yearly spray schedule for my yard 2 years ago. It has made a tremendous difference. I plan to spray my newly planted orchard as wel, just need to review the labels. I use Preen granules in flower beds and plan to start in the orchard mulched areas and raised beds.

Pre-emergents: Prodiamine & Simazine
Insecticides: Cyzmic CS & Dominion 2L

:point_up_2:t3:Those are mixed together and sprayed with a heavy/large droplet tip because they are systemic/soil products.

Broadleaf Weeds: MSM Turf (bahaia grass/weeds) & Certainty or Sedgehammer (sedges/weeds) & Celcius (weeds).

:point_up_2:t3: These are mixed together and sprayed with a small droplet/mist tip because they are contact products.

This takes care of 99.9% weeds. A little glyphosate painted/brushed (not sprayed) will kill anything remaining.

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