Late-Winter Lawn Prep, Crabgrass Timing, and What Fall Care Is Doing for Your Yard

A mid-February lawn and garden outlook focusing on patience with early spring warmth and how strong fall fertilizing and watering is already showing up as greener turf. Jeff Kendall of Horseman Brothers and Glenn Cramer of GR Robinson Seed & Service break down what homeowners should be doing right now, including cleanup from last fall, cutting back perennials and ornamental grasses, and preparing for pre-emergent herbicide timing as soil temperatures rise. They also discuss mower tune-ups, year-to-year record-keeping, and how unusual weather patterns like heavy April rain or a warm September can shift lawn plans. The show covers crabgrass control with pre-emergents, product differences, and timing strategies, along with why fall seeding is still preferred over spring seeding. Listeners get guidance on new sod lawns, soil testing, watering requirements, knotweed control, and when to use 2,4-D. There is also advice on shady lawns, groundcovers, peony transplants, dormant seeding, grapevine pruning, deer protection, and early-season pruning for roses and ornamentals.