The dry pattern this fall may have reduced winter annual weed emergence, and we don’t appear to be headed into an overly wet pattern. It’s possible that weed populations are low and may not merit a fall application, although there are always more weeds out there than we think.

Fall herbicide treatments have come and gone in popularity, but the fact is that fall-applied herbicides can go a long way toward preventing issues with dandelions and winter annuals and maintaining a more problem-free no-till planting environment, says Ohio State University.

2019 was a generally tough year for weed control, leading to higher end of season weed populations in some fields. If you have never applied herbicide in fall to burn down winter annuals, or done it only infrequently, this might be the year to make an investment in fall herbicides, says Ohio State University.