Pre-emergent herbicides?? What are they? GREG CARRICK | GARDEN CITY PLASTICS
What’s the one thing in any garden that, after all your best efforts, still causes major issues and major headaches? …. Weeds.
So, what’s a solution?
Then what’s a better solution?
Effective Herbicide use.
Pre-emergent herbicides.
Simply put, a weed is a plant growing in the wrong spot. On their own, not hard to remove. As a group, time consuming and costly to manage whether it be a domestic situation or broader landscape area such as parks and sporting fields because they grow, seed and spread quickly.
You can cover a wide area in a short time and control what’s there. This approach is the most commonly used with what’s defined as NonSelective Post-Emergent Herbicides. Some of the most common are:
An innovative approach that effectively deals with weeds, while also reducing the associated costs, Pre-Emergent Herbicides are a way of treating weed free soil to prevent the weed seeds growing back for a period. They’ll inhibit the growth of small, germinated weeds and stop them before they become a visual issue.
E S | Au t u m n / Wi nter 2021
In public spaces, weed-infested gardens and landscapes are unattractive and at worst create wastelands that the public avoid. On the flip side, well-managed landscapes are a haven for community activity. By doing all we can to enhance these spaces, we can play a significant role in enhancing the health of the local population.
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Round-Up (Glyphosate) - a Systemic herbicide meaning it is absorbed and runs through the veins of the weed and effectively stops the roots absorbing moisture. Basta (Glufosinate Ammonium) and Slasher (Pelargonic Acid) - contact herbicides which means they will generally kill the cells of the part of the plant that it hits.
Currently, post-emergent herbicides dominate management processes to controls all weeds and some grasses in one pass. The problem this poses is that once a weed has entered an area and established itself, greater resources are required to control its spread and reduce its impact. Often, subsequent applications are required to get on top of the infestation once the weeds germinate again. This usually involves manual labour which is a time-consuming and costly option. 28 of 4 4
Science shows this preventative approach can disrupt weed seed germination for up to 6 months. The effectiveness of a Post-Emergent Herbicide can be amplified by an application with a Pre-Emergent Herbicide as the second method will cut the number of seeds that will attempt to germinate in future months. Essentially, Pre-Emergents can be applied once per season, rather than needing to apply a post-emergent monthly or bi-monthly. This saves you significant time, labour and expense without compromising on the quality of your greenspace.
