How Does Rain Affect My Fertilization, Weed Control, or Pest Control Service?
That is a great question, and there is a lot of misinformation about how rain affects my services. The short answer is that it does not negatively impact my services. There are some situations that would keep us from applying lawn or pest products, but I always ask that you let me (or my technicians) make that decision. Rain, of any amount, after we apply lawn or pest products, is not a problem due to the surfactant we use. We will not provide service if there is a chance that service could be diminished by weather or another situation.
It would be ideal to have a wet landscape every time we arrive to provide any landscape service, then you water after we have finished, or it rains. Structural pest control is not affected by any rain event or sprinkler watering with the exception that my technicians are not going to stand out in hard rain and apply pest control products. After products are applied, you can water, or rain can fall, without any problem at all. As a matter of fact, it is helpful. If you would like a much more detailed explanation, see below.
FURTHER EXPLANATION OF THE EFFECTS OF RAINFALL ON FERTILIZATION, WEED CONTROL, OR PEST CONTROL
I have tested our processes extensively, and with 100% certainty, I can tell you the following information: When we apply liquids, landscape or pest control, we use a great surfactant. I have tested it by applying products in heavy rainfall with no failure.
Several years ago, I had liquid molasses in my tank (I did not realize it) and added pest control products to that tank. I treated the foundation and eaves of a white stucco house. I left a beautiful brown stain on the cream-colored stucco. Our customer, trying to be helpful, used his water hose to try and wash it off. No luck. I had to take my 900 psi pressure washer to get the molasses stain off the stucco. That was all due to the surfactant I use. It took the pressure washer to remove the molasses because the surfactant kept it in place. That surfactant does the same thing with our pest control and landscape products.
As for lawn treatments, the grass takes in 85% of what it is going to tank in within 5 minutes. The surfactant sticks it to the grass and soil so the grass can take in more product slowly over the next day, and what is on the soil will work its way into the soil over time. Water helps that process. Heavy rainfall does not stop or hinder that process.
When applying pest control products (like our Essentria ICPro) to the structure, we treat the foundation, weep holes, eaves, etc. The surfactant sticks to the products, and at some point, it will dry and be there for months (again, it will take a pressure washer to remove it).
The ideal time to put down dry fertilizer is when the soil is wet, and there will be water applied by rain or sprinklers after it is applied. The pellet starts melting as soon as it gets wet. That sticks it to the soil. Proper watering, as I recommend, will help that pellet melt at the proper rate. That is better than slow melting, especially when you are talking about organic fertilizer that releases nutrients slowly even after it is in the soil.
For all my services, if your property receives a little rain, or a lot of rain, or you water a little, or a lot, it does not matter; we just need water. I still recommend using my watering recommendations, but we cannot control the rain.
So, not only will my products and application processes not fail if it rains immediately after I am there (or before I am there, or while I am there), it will not fail if it rains two days later, or the next week, or two weeks later, or three weeks, or six weeks, etc. And, if you think about it, our product manufacturers must create products that succeed in a wide variety of weather and application situations. It is just not possible to wait for the ‘perfect’ time to apply something. It must be successful just about any time.
There are two situations where the weather can cause a problem. First is excessive heat and dryness. When the ground is cracking, and it is 100+ degrees, our liquids will evaporate quickly. This can reduce effectiveness and residual. Also, dry fertilizer can break down and blow away when it is extra dry. That situation is rare because almost everyone has sprinklers and can get some moisture onto the landscape. Still, we have the most pest control re-treatments from June through September every year, not rainy months like March and April.
The other situation is really a landscape problem. If you have soil erosion, you can see product failure. A torrent of water that erodes part of your landscape can cause failure. Those areas are very evident. There will be no grass, and/or there will be ‘potholes’ or erosion lines. Those are areas where fertilizer will not help anyway. Water can move across the yard, but if there is no erosion, it is not a problem.
You can count on the fact that our products work in most situations and that we have the expertise to know when they might not work and the need to reschedule a service. You can count on the fact I am very aware of our landscape and weather issues in the Metroplex. I provide services that give our customers every chance to have success in their lawn and a pest-free home (at least from a fertilization and pest control standpoint). After 34 years, I do not do service just to be doing it, and I know the services I provide are the best you can get. There are many things I do not control around your house that you should worry about. My services are not part of those things. My staff will take care of your pest control, landscape disease control, fertilization, and weed control needs. Let me know if you have other concerns or questions.