With Labor Day behind us, the final days of summer are right around the corner. For many, this also means it’s time to think about this year’s Poa annua strategy. Poa begins germinating when soil temperatures hit 70°F or daytime temperatures stay below 75°F for several days. Of course, when this actually occurs varies by year and by region. If not overseeding, a good preemergent herbicide such as Quali-Pro's Prodiamine is a great preventive strategy prior to the arrival of ideal conditions. Fortunately, your timing need not be perfect in bermudagrass and zoysiagrass with Negate.
Negate from Quali-Pro provides excellent selective post-emergent control of poa annua and perennial ryegrass, as well as over 40 broadleaf weeds that may also be hanging on into the fall or just emerging. Negate can be applied alone to catch poa that germinated before your preemergent application, or in combination with a postponed preemergent application later into the fall to start with a clean slate.
Labeled for golf, sports, commercial, and residential turf, Negate combines metsulfuron-methyl and rimsulfuron in one convenient bottle to cover one acre. These sulfonylurea active ingredients provide control by blocking the activity of an enzyme involved in the production of certain amino acids. This disruption prevents the plant from making all the necessary proteins to keep its metabolism going, resulting in death of susceptible species. This convenient package eliminates tank mixing and takes the guesswork out of measuring smaller quantities of the low-rate use ingredients.
Uses of Negate don’t just stop in the fall. Negate also makes a great spring transition tool in overseeded turf that is more cost effective than other options. It can also be used to selectively remove bahiagrass from bermudagrass and zoysia in areas where it may be encroaching. More on those uses in future blogs.