Skip pre-emergent on any areas you plan to seed

What to Do

When applying pre-emergent herbicide in spring, physically skip over or flag any areas where you plan to seed bare patches. Apply pre-emergent only to the established portions of the lawn.

Why It Works

Pre-emergent herbicides prevent all seed germination, not just weed seeds. If you apply pre-emergent and then seed the same area, the grass seed will fail to establish roots and die. This is the most common spring lawn care conflict — weed prevention versus lawn repair.

Tips

• Use a drop spreader for precision around seeded areas rather than a broadcast spreader that throws product widely.
• Most pre-emergent barriers last 3-4 months, so spring-treated areas cannot be seeded until late summer at the earliest.
• Plan to overseed the skipped areas in fall when pre-emergent has worn off.