What do the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day and applying pre-emerge herbicides to your lawn have in common? They all occur in February.

Pre-emerge herbicides must be applied before weed seed germination. The Super Bowl should be a reminder to get your pre-emerge herbicide purchased, and Valentine’s Day provides the perfect timing and is an easy day to remember for applying it.

Timing, rate, uniform coverage and activation are the keys to effective pre-emergence herbicide weed control. Seeds of weeds such as crabgrass will germinate when soil temperatures reach 58 degrees. Though it feels cold now, it only takes a few sunny, warmer days to raise the soil temperature. A couple of weeks early are much better than a day late.

The herbicide label will provide a list of the weed species the active ingredient will control and at what rate. If there are several weeds you are targeting, use a rate that controls the most difficult one while staying within recommended rates for your specific turf species.

John C. Coccaro is county Extension director. Write to him at 1100-C Grove St., Vicksburg, MS 39180 or call 601-636-5442. E-mail him at jcoccaro@ext.msstate.edu.

Pre-emergence herbicides create a thin weed control barrier on the soil surface. Liquid or granular application equipment should be accurately calibrated prior to making an application to ensure proper rates and coverage.

Once the herbicide is applied, it must be activated. This will require about a half inch of rainfall or irrigation shortly after application.

With any pesticide you should always read the label carefully and completely before applying. Now, “Who dat say they gonna kill those weeds?”

For you folks thinking about growing a vegetable garden for the first time this spring, please remember to follow these three main rules: Start small, grow what you like and don’t panic.

Often new gardeners remember their grandparents’ garden that fed whole families and feel they have to do the same thing. Instead of plowing up the backyard and getting discouraged before you eat your first radish, plant just a few of the things you want the most.

Six properly grown tomato plants can produce 100 pounds. Each squash or okra plant will produce one or more fruit for harvest each day. If something starts to go wrong in the garden, contact the Extension office to identify the problem and to get a solution. A good source of information is the Garden Tabloid.

Anyone interested in growing watermelons this summer? The Extension Service is hosting a meeting Feb. 16 at the Extension office in Hattiesburg. Dr. David Nagel, Extension horticulture specialist, will be discussing fertility, emerging markets and technology. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. and ends after lunch, so we will need to know if you plan to attend. Admission is free.