Wait for it ... wait for it ...

Yes, it’s once again time for me to appeal to your inner Izzy Mandelbaum and implore you to get out and get nutty, and do it now!

But before I do that, did you see this week’s video? I’m talking to all of you right now, Warm Season, Transition and Cool Season.

In that video, I show you how to bucket test a battery-powered sprayer (or any sprayer really) and in doing so, figure out how to lay down a consistent liquid application across the lawn. It’s an important lesson to learn so you can be sure that your applications are effective while also being responsible and following label directions.

In other words, if you’re going to squirt, you want it to work!

Speaking of that, check out this early morning manual lawn squirting I got done today.

That’s really my first tip and it’s to you warm season folks: get out and manually water spots of your lawn that are showing signs of stress.

This is mostly related to my Florida brethren as we are in the midst of our dry season. Chinch bugs are going to be popping up for us too, and all kinds of other menacing (more like annoying) lawn pests. So called “dry spots” in the lawn could be chinch bug damage masked by lagging turf vigor from lack of rain.

It’s also pretty common for your irrigation heads to be out of whack since you probably haven’t used the system much since last year… things need adjusting; patrolling the lawn often looking for these struggling areas can really help you get on top of problems before they get out of hand and screw up your lawn season early.

Sometimes you just need a little more water and not a chemical to bring an area back to life. Take note, learn your land!

By the way, if you do have insect problems right now, you can try Bi-Fen IT. It’s essentially “Talstar” which is active ingredient Bifenthrin.

This is what I use in my own lawn about 3x per year (spring, summer, early fall) to not only control Chinch Bug populations but to also keep out the nuisance pests like fleas, ticks, and ants (and probably other junk that bites me when I walk through my thick lawn). I also use it as perimeter pest control spraying right up to my foundation of the house.

Chinch have shown some resistance to this product, but it’s worth a try before going a more expensive, more invasive route.

For me, again, I use it more for the aspect of keeping out the nuisance pests, mosquitos included. If you have fleas and ants or chinch, go with the full 1oz/gallon rate, 1 gallon covers 1,000 sq ft. If you are looking to cover off on annoying mosquitos, the ½ oz/gallon rate will be just fine.

PRO TIP: use a surfactant with your application to make it stick better. 1.5 oz/gallon added right into the BiFen mix.

You transition zone folks are also coming into your own pretty quickly now. You guys with Bermuda should be about ready to see green up as temps start to get consistently higher. I know it’s been pretty chilly up through North Georgia, Louisiana and over to Texas, but green in your alpha-male bermuda will be here soon.

Be sure you have at least gotten your first pre-emergent down and are spot spraying any weeds that are growing. If you really want to jump-start the lawn, get down some of our old pal MILO at a full 15LBs/1000 sq ft. Throw’er Down! -- hope for the best.

Now if you are in transition zones and have fescue, well, I'm sure you are already in the thick of the growing season. Cold snaps aside, you also better have applied your first pre-emergent and start thinking about the second.

Now, cool season lawn folks… you are nearing critical Go Time yourselves. Check out the GDD Tracker from this week…

Look at the “forecast” portion there. Look how far up into Indiana and Illinois the window opens on April 1! Yes, the window is opening in less than a week for you folks! It’s definitely go time as far as soil temps stand. Let’s hope the snow is melted away so you can get er’ done!

Get Prodiamine Granular here: 

Get Prodiamine Water Soluble (for liquid apps) here: https://goo.gl/tYHoYc

I know you folks along the east and to the north are itching to get started too - you are not far behind! Here’s what I see for Philly just today… knocking on the door, but not there yet!

April showers will be here soon and with it them, the season will begin for real. Until then, be prepared my friends to the East and North, be prepared to get nutty!

I’ll see you in the lawn!