Pre and post emergent weed control in Illinois
Two treatments doing two jobs. Pre emergent builds a barrier in the soil that stops weed seeds before they ever sprout. Post emergent kills what is already standing in your yard. Run both and the lawn stops losing ground every spring.
Short answer
Pre emergent goes down in early spring before soil temperatures reach 55 degrees, and it blocks crabgrass and annual weed seeds from germinating. Post emergent handles dandelion, clover, creeping charlie and thistle that already came up. EKKO Lawns times both to the season across five Illinois counties and prices the program off measured square footage.
Why one spray in June does not fix a weedy lawn
By the time weeds are tall enough to notice, the seed head is already forming and the next generation is on its way into your soil. A single summer spray kills what you can see and leaves the seed bank untouched, so the same yard looks the same next April. Weed control works when the barrier goes down before germination and the follow up rounds catch the escapes while they are small.
- Blocks crabgrass, foxtail and annual weeds before they sprout
- Kills dandelion, clover, plantain, thistle and creeping charlie
- Treats the whole lawn instead of spot spraying the obvious ones
- Cuts the seed bank down season over season instead of holding steady
- Leaves the turf room to thicken and hold the ground on its own
How our weed control season runs
Soil temperature drives the schedule, not the calendar. We watch it and move when the window opens.
Early spring pre emergent
The barrier goes down before soil hits 55 degrees. Miss this window and crabgrass control for the year gets much harder.
Late spring broadleaf round
Dandelion and clover are actively growing and take the product down to the root. This is the round that clears the yard.
Early summer follow up
We catch escapes and the second flush of broadleaf weeds while they are still small enough to kill outright.
Midsummer spot treatment
Heat slows the lawn and pushes weeds like spurge and purslane. Treatment gets targeted so the turf takes no extra stress.
Fall broadleaf round
Weeds pull nutrients down to the root for winter and carry the product with them. Fall kills perennials that survive spring treatment.
Free service calls
Something breaks through between visits, we come back and treat it at no charge.
Weed control and a thick lawn work together
Herbicide clears the weeds out. It does not fill the hole they leave behind. Bare soil takes about one season to grow the next crop of weeds, which is why lawns on weed control alone plateau and then slide back.
We pair every weed program with feeding so the turf closes those gaps itself. Dense grass shades the soil surface, weed seeds never get the light they need and your chemical load drops year over year.
- Licensed applicator handling product selection and rates
- Treatment adjusted for turf type and the weeds actually present
- A note after every visit listing what we treated
- No contract and no cancellation fee
Pairs well with
Fertilization
Thick turf crowds weeds out without chemicals. Feeding is what makes weed control hold.
See fertilizationCrabgrass control
Crabgrass needs its own spring barrier timed to soil temperature, not the broadleaf schedule.
See crabgrass controlLawn restoration
When weeds hold more ground than grass, treatment alone will not get there. Restoration rebuilds it.
See lawn restorationWeed control questions we get
Before soil temperature reaches 55 degrees at a two inch depth, which usually lands between mid March and early April. Air temperature runs ahead of soil temperature, so the calendar date moves every year.
Broadleaf weeds curl within a few days and break down over one to two weeks. Tough perennials like creeping charlie and violet often need a second round.
Yes, at label rates. Stay off the lawn until the application dries, usually one to two hours, then the yard is open again.
It will. Pre emergent stops any seed from germinating, including yours. If we are seeding in the fall we plan the barrier around it.
Pre emergent covers the whole lawn since seeds are everywhere. Broadleaf rounds get targeted at the weeds present, which keeps product and cost down.
Price runs off lawn size and how much pressure the yard is under. Call (815) 521-6356 and we can measure and quote it fast.
Stop losing your lawn to weeds every spring
Send your address and we will price the season program today.
