Short Answer: The best pre-emergent products for North Atlanta lawns are prodiamine, dithiopyr, and pendimethalin. The first application should go down in late February to early March when soil temperatures hit 55 degrees. A split-rate second application in April extends coverage through our long germination window. Below is what each product does well, how to pick, and the timing signals we watch across Alpharetta, Roswell, and Woodstock.
North Atlanta’s red clay, warm-season growing climate, and mix of Bermuda, Zoysia, and fescue lawns make pre-emergent selection and timing more important than most homeowners realize. Done right, a pre-emergent program prevents 90 percent of summer weed pressure. Done wrong, it leaves gaps that crabgrass and goosegrass exploit all season. Here is what the pros use.
The Weeds We Fight in North Atlanta
Before picking a product, you need to know the target. Pre-emergent selection matters because different weeds respond to different chemistries.
- Crabgrass (large and smooth): the universal enemy. Germinates at 55 to 60 degrees soil temperature. Shows up everywhere in North Atlanta.
- Goosegrass: germinates 10 to 14 days after crabgrass at 60 to 65 degrees. Particularly common in compacted, high-traffic areas of Alpharetta and Roswell lawns.
- Poa annua (annual bluegrass): a cool-season winter annual. Germinates in fall, shows in spring. Needs fall pre-emergent for true control.
- Doveweed: a summer germinator starting as late as June. Often missed by single-application pre-emergent programs.
- Crowfoot grass: common in Bermuda lawns in our area, particularly on sunny south-facing properties.
Prodiamine: The Workhorse
Prodiamine (sold as Barricade and generics) is the most widely used professional pre-emergent in North Atlanta. It has a long residual (4 to 6 months), works well on Bermuda and Zoysia at label rates, and controls crabgrass, goosegrass, and a wide list of other grassy weeds.
What we like: reliable, long-lasting, flexible. What to watch: prodiamine is timing-sensitive. Applied too late, after germination has already started, it does almost nothing. Applied at the right time, it is the backbone of a North Atlanta program.
Timing: first application in most years between February 15 and March 15. Second application 60 to 75 days later for extended coverage.
Dithiopyr: The Forgiving Option
Dithiopyr (Dimension and generics) is our go-to when we think a homeowner may have missed the first-application window. It has light post-emergent activity on crabgrass, meaning it can kill seedlings that have germinated but not yet tillered (roughly the 1 to 3 leaf stage).
What we like: forgiving timing, good safety on warm-season grasses. What to watch: shorter residual (roughly 3 to 4 months) than prodiamine, which means the second application is more critical.
Often used for second applications in April or May to catch late germinators like goosegrass and doveweed.
Pendimethalin: Effective, Stains Concrete
Pendimethalin (Pendulum and generics) is another effective pre-emergent in North Atlanta. Works well on crabgrass and goosegrass with good safety on established warm-season lawns.
One caveat: pendimethalin has a yellow-orange color that can temporarily stain concrete, stamped pavers, or light-colored stone. On newer Alpharetta, Roswell, and Woodstock homes with light-colored driveways and hardscape, prodiamine is the safer choice.
Why Your Grass Type Changes the Product Choice
North Atlanta lawns are dominated by three grasses, each with quirks:
- Bermuda (hybrid and common): tolerates almost all pre-emergents at label rates. Most forgiving.
- Zoysia (Meyer, Zeon, Empire): generally safe with prodiamine and pendimethalin. Slightly reduced rates on newly established zoysia.
- Fescue (shaded areas): common in mature North Atlanta neighborhoods with oak canopy. Follow cool-season-specific products and rates.
If your lawn is mixed (many North Atlanta lawns have Bermuda in sun and fescue in shade), we default to more conservative product choices on the cool-season sections.
The Timing Signals We Actually Watch
Calendar dates are a starting point, not a recipe. The real trigger is soil temperature. In North Atlanta we watch:
- Soil temperatures at 2 inches hitting 50 to 55 degrees for 3 to 5 consecutive days (UGA Extension publishes data)
- Forsythia bloom finishing up
- Dogwood bud swell and early bloom
- Redbud bloom opening
When two or three align, we apply pre-emergent. Miss this window by 10 days and crabgrass will be through your defense by late June.
What DIY Homeowners Get Wrong
- Single application. One spring pre-emergent will fail in North Atlanta. Our germination window spans February through June. Two applications minimum.
- Wrong rate. Measure your actual lawn. Big-box rate charts assume coverage that may not match your lot.
- No watering. Pre-emergent needs to be watered in within 24 to 48 hours. If no rain is forecast, irrigate after application.
- Overseeding at the same time. Pre-emergent blocks new grass seed too. Overseed in fall.
A Professional Rotation in North Atlanta
- Round 1 (February 15 to March 15): prodiamine at full label rate
- Round 2 (April 15 to May 15): dithiopyr or prodiamine split-rate to extend coverage
- Round 3 (September): prodiamine for Poa annua and winter weed prevention
What to Do Next
Lawn Squad of North Atlanta serves Alpharetta, Roswell, and Woodstock.
Call us at 678-250-6490 or request a free quote at lawnsquad.com. Our VitaminLawn program uses professional-grade pre-emergent products, applied on soil-temperature timing, with split-rate coverage for North Atlanta’s full germination window.
