bruceman / Getty Images
Not all herbicides, orweed killers, are the same.
Meet the Expert
What Is Pre-Emergent Herbicide?
Bawan Ari Purnawan / Getty Images
Pre-emergent herbicides act as growth inhibitors of weed seedlings.
bruceman / Getty Images
Want more gardening tips?
Use a broom or a rake to reset the area of any leaves and other plant debris.
Liquid Pre-Emergent Herbicides
To minimize drift, keep the sprayer nozzle close to the soil surface.
Bawan Ari Purnawan / Getty Images
Test the spreader on a small area and make adjustments if necessary.
Cover the entire area you want to treat, overlapping each pass slightly to avoid gaps.
But applying pre-emergence herbicides too early, say in January or February, is not a problem.
Leonid Eremeychuk / Getty Images
Once the soil warms, most pre-emergence herbicides will last between eight and 12 weeks.
Dr. Grady points out, therefore a second software may be necessary.
CrabgrassimageBROKER/Perry Mastrovito / Getty Images
