The month of February is a great time to apply your pre-emergent herbicide. The product that has performed best in my lawn is a balan/treflan mix. These two ingredients treat both the grassy weeds, as well as, the broadleaf weeds. The trick to this system is to apply to a dry lawn then water in the granules. There is no nitrogen present so burning your grass is not a factor. However, this product works by dissolving and creating a film, if you will over the soil surface. This acts as a barrier to the germination of weed seeds.
If you are one of the many folks who prefer to treat your lawn with a weed and feed fertilizer you need to wait until the spring when your lawn is actively growing again. My thought on this approach is to apply sometime during the middle to the end of April.
Did you do any winter pruning last month? No. Well you still have time. If you grow Crape Myrtles this would be an ideal time to prune them. Since they bloom on new or currently grown wood they will respond very well to a haircut.
Finally, I know it's been cold but don't forget to water your shrubs appropriately. Believe it or not plants do dry out in the winter. By having the root zone hydrated this will go a long way in protecting the foliage from severe damage.
In our March article, we will discuss the important task, proper spring pruning techniques.
Weedend Gardener/Mike Wilson