Frequently Asked Questions for Weed Abatement in Prescott

Weed Abatement and/or Pre-Emergent is a service that our clients have had a lot of questions about in the past. Therefore, we’ve created an FAQ for Weed Abatement to help address these questions. We trust that you will find them informative and please call our office if you have additional questions.

Q: What is Pre-Emergent? 

A: Pre-Emergent is a product that when it gets into the top layer of the soil, it kills weed seedlings as soon as they germinate. This is sort of a magical product because we spray it overtop your landscape, it doesn’t bother/damage any existing shrubs or trees, the rain (and snow) work the product into the top layer of the soil, and as soon as the seedling sprouts, the pre-emergent kills it before you ever see the seedling. Now, to be fair, you’ll need 2 to 4 applications before nearly perfect weed reduction occurs. While this is ‘magical,’ magic in this example takes some time, but once it begins to build up in the soil after multiple applications, the magic will do its thing and you may never see a weed again in your yard. 

Q: Is Pre-Emergent safe For Pets? 

A: Yes. Not only does the pre-emergent label list that it’s pet-safe, our years of applying it confirm that the product we use is pet-safe. Additionally, we would also go as far as saying it’s livestock and wildlife safe as well. There is only one caveat in the statement that the pre-emergent we use is safe for animals. While we are spraying, we do need you to keep animals away from the treated areas until the product dries. Here’s an example; we’re at your house, so you keep your dog inside until we’re finished spraying. Once the product is dry, which takes anywhere between 30 seconds and two minutes, you can let the dog outside. Simply put, as long as animals aren’t licking the ground where the product is wet, all animals will be safe. 

With all that being said, it is important that you hire a licensed professional to apply pre emergent and various other weed products to your property. “The label is the Law” is the phrase that all weed control professionals ought to abide by. Our spray techs are certified with the Arizona Department of Agriculture to ensure that we understand how to read labels on all products we use and to apply those products in compliance with those labels.

Q: What Is Involved In Your Weed Abatement Program? 

A: Our weed abatement program stands out from the industry standard we’ve observed over our 15 years in business. Many wonder why we’ve chosen to innovate, and the answer is straightforward: our approach is more comprehensive and effective in weed management. Traditionally, companies rely on two annual pre-emergent sprays, which have become the norm. However, we believe this is just one piece of the puzzle for achieving true weed control. At Guardian Landscape, we supplement these pre-emergent applications with four additional post-emergent sprays throughout the year. We advocate for a proactive approach to weed control, ensuring that we address any emerging weeds promptly. Through our program, we conduct a total of six treatments annually with post-emergent herbicides. Our decision to enhance our service stemmed from our clients’ feedback over the years, where the conventional two-pre-emergent approach often fell short of expectations. Thus, we are committed to visiting your property every other month to target any weeds that may have evaded initial treatments.

Additionally, we don’t use the same pre-emergent product that our competitors use. Why? Because we’ve found a pre-emergent that is superior. Our competitors use a three month residual product, while ours is eight months. Simultaneously, our product is unquestionably more effective than what our competitors use. How can we be so confident? The proof is in the properties we treat. After 2 to 4 applications, there are little to no new weeds on our client’s properties. We also use this pre-emergent at our personal residences and we basically have zero weeds. To bolster our claim, we have a more than 95% retention rate for our weed abatement program clients. They’ve spoken with their money that our program is superior and we’re proud of those results.

Q: Is the spray and pre-emergent you use safe to be applied near a well head?

A: Yes. Specticle Flo is a herbicide known for its low leaching potential and environmental safety profile. When used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, it generally poses minimal risk to groundwater sources, including areas near well heads. However, it’s crucial to adhere strictly to application guidelines and any local regulations regarding chemical use near water sources to ensure safety. If you have specific concerns or regulations in your area, consulting with a local agricultural extension office or a licensed professional can provide tailored advice based on local conditions and regulations.

Q: Is The Black Backing Of The Artificial Turf Cancerous to Animals? 

A: In our 15 years of experience, we are not familiar with even one case of the black backing of turf to be cancerous to animals. Correspondingly, the artificial turf companies have informed us that none of their turf products are cancerous. We are confident that the product(s) that we use are safe around domestic animals, live-stock and wildlife. With that said, if you see animals eating your artificial turf, please stop them from doing so. At the very least it isn’t healthy to consume turf and at the worst it could choke them or something similar.

Q: Should Artificial Turf Occasionally Be Treated With Antibacterial Soap? 

A: It’s not the most polite thing to answer a question with a question. However, what makes you think that your artificial turf needs to be disinfected? The majority of inquiries we receive are concerned with their dog’s feces and keeping it clean. If this is you, then the most simple answer is to treat the turf with a deodorizer. This will help clean the turf and reduce any scent that is leftover. If this example isn’t what you are searching for, then please call our office more an answer specific to your case.

Q: Will pre-emergent harm my existing flowers, shrubs or trees (or anything else in my landscape)?

A: Spraying pre-emergent overtop your existing flowers, shrubs or trees will NOT harm them. It won’t hurt anything else in your landscape either. Let’s take a step back and explain how things work. Pre-emergent will ONLY kill newly-sprouted seedlings in the soil, not already existing/growing landscape plants. For pre-emergent to work effectively, it must get into the top layer of the soil. Seedlings are located in the top layer of the soil. Therefore, once seedlings open, the pre-emergent kills them before you see them. If seedlings spout without pre-emergent in the soil, spraying pre-emergent overtop them will NOT kill anything. Let us give you an example. When we come onto the property, you might have gravel, native grasses, etc.. We’ll start spraying the ground with pre-emergent, but inadvertently spray the flowers, shrubs or trees. The pre-emergent will not harm anything that we spray and everything will keep growing as normal.

Q: How Can We Do Weed Abatement With Leaves All Over The Ground?

A: We are able to spray pre-emergent on the ground not covered by leaves. However, where there are leaves, we would not spray pre-emergent because it wouldn’t hit the ground. For the best results, we recommend that all the leaves are cleaned up prior to our visit. In that example, the ground would be leaf-free and allow us to spray pre-emergent on 100% of the ground. This would give you the highest probability of the pre-emergent doing its job, which is to kill seedlings and reduce weeds.

To read about FAQ for pest control, read this article.

Lastly, we highly recommend Watter’s Garden Center, Mortimer Nursery, or Prescott Valley Nursery as great places to both purchase shrubs & trees but to also ask questions because these are the experts.