Fall is a crucial time for turf managers and superintendents. Overseeding, recovery from summer stress, and preventing winter annual weeds are all on the to-do list, and timing is everything. One of the most effective steps you can take right now is to combine your fall pre-emergent applications with Dispatch® Sprayable, a proven soil surfactant from Aquatrols.
This combination doesn’t just protect your turf from weeds; it also ensures that your investment in pre-emergent herbicides is as effective and efficient as possible.
Why Fall Pre-Emergents Matter
Fall pre-emergent herbicides work by creating a barrier in the soil that stops winter annual weeds from germinating. When soil temperatures drop to around 70°F and stay there consistently, it’s time to apply. Applying after the weeds have sprouted means you’re already behind.
The challenge? Pre-emergents need to be watered into the soil to form that protective barrier. Without proper infiltration, much of your application could sit on the surface, become unevenly distributed, or even wash away during the next rain event.
Why Tank-Mix Dispatch with Your Fall Pre-Emergent
Dispatch is a patented, water-saving soil surfactant technology that maximizes infiltration, moisture uniformity and minimizes runoff. When used with your pre-emergent herbicide, it ensures:
- Improved performance: Dispatch Sprayable helps move the pre-emergent evenly into the weed germination zone, creating a more consistent chemical barrier.
- Better water management: By reducing surface tension, Dispatch improves soil wetting and infiltration, making every irrigation cycle count.
- Reduced runoff & loss: Keeps the herbicide where it needs to be, in the soil profile, rather than washing into non-target areas.
- Cost-effective insurance: Maximizes the ROI on your herbicide applications by reducing the need for costly follow-up treatments.
Dispatch Sprayable + Pre-Emergent: The Winning Combo
For a fall tank mix, apply 16 oz/acre of Dispatch Sprayable with your DNA pre-emergent herbicide. This one-time application improves herbicide delivery and gives you confidence that your fall program will hold through the season.
Application Tips:
- Apply to unfrozen, unsaturated soil.
- Time applications before target weed germination (around 70°F soil temps).
- Lightly water-in if necessary to ensure even distribution.
Proven Results
Independent research and field trials have shown that the technology Dispatch can:
- Reduce runoff on sloped turf by 20% or more
- Cut water use by up to 25% on cool-season grass & 50% on warm-season grass
- Improve nutrient and chemical distribution throughout the soil profile
- Maintain turf quality even under reduced irrigation schedules
Dispatch takes over where your irrigation system leaves off, ensuring that water, and everything it carries, moves where it needs to go.
Control Your Water, Control Your Results
Fall pre-emergent applications are one of the most important steps you can take to keep winter annual weeds off your course and ensure a smooth start to spring. By adding Dispatch Sprayable to your tank mix, you give your pre-emergent herbicide the best chance to succeed by protecting your turf, saving water, and reducing re-treatment costs. When it comes to fall weed control, don’t just apply, apply with confidence. Tank-mix Dispatch with your pre-emergent and control your water, control your results.
Integrating Improved Weed Control with Improved Overseed Processes
Beyond weed control, fall is also the prime season for overseeding. Dispatch Sprayable can play a critical role in helping new seed establish successfully. Overseeding requires consistent soil moisture, but hydrophobic soils left behind after summer stress, and the overseed dry down process, can make that need for consistent hydration difficult. Improving infiltration and ensuring water moves evenly into the seedbed, Dispatch Sprayable helps create the ideal environment for seed-to-soil contact and sustained growth. Used alongside fall pre-emergent applications, Dispatch provides turf managers with a dual advantage: maximizing weed control while supporting healthy, uniform overseeding heading into the cooler months.
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