We will have a better idea on the extent of winterkill as athletic fields start to green-up with warming temperatures. Though we expect most damage on low-mown turf, we may also see damage on higher mowed turf. Turf seeded last fall, trafficked over the winter, and/or on windy exposed sites are just some of the areas that we may see winter damage. For season-long crabgrass control, two (referred to as sequential or split) applications of preemergence herbicides are most effective in Nebraska and Kansas, and the first application can be made almost any time after March 1 with the second application in early June. However, wait to apply preemergence herbicides this year until after the lawn has green-up to insure there is no winter damage. There is no rush to apply preemergence herbicides since applications as late as mid-April to early May are still effective, depending on your location.
Zac Reicher, Professor of Turfgrass Science, zreicher2@unl.edu