When to apply CGM.

[movingpictures]

The girl at the local feed store told me it's too hot to apply CGM and I needed to wait untill the daytime highs were around 80 degrees. Is this true?

[Dchall_San_Antonio]

If you want to use the CGM as a fertilizer, you can apply it any time of year. If you want a preemergent effect from the CGM, you need to apply when the weed seeds might be sprouting. Seed sprouting is a factor of temperature, moisture, and turf density.

Temperature: Many weed seeds will not sprout when it is too hot. That might be what your garden person was referring to.

Moisture: Most seeds need nearly continual moisture to sprout. If you have a rainstorm come through that releases an inch or so of rain, you might apply that same day. If you water your lawn every single day, or even every other day, then you will always have enough moisture to sprout weeds seeds. This is one reason why deep infrequent watering is recommended.

Turf Density: Most weed seeds need some sunlight to sprout. If you have a tall, dense turf, weed seeds will very seldom be able to sprout.

So if you have a cool front come in with cool rain for 3 days straight and you have a thin lawn, you can almost guarantee some weeds. If you expect a storm like that to hit, then apply the CGM right away before it hits.