Learn Your Lawn: Crabgrass

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WHAT IS CRABGRASS?

Crabgrass is a troublesome annual weed grass that germinates in the spring when soil temperatures are between 54˚F and 56˚F. Crabgrass favors sandy soils and hot, dry areas of your lawn that have thinned and along sidewalks and driveways. Crabgrass does not blend well with most other desirable grasses and can be very invasive if not dealt with appropriately. Once established, crabgrass can take several years to get under control.

Crabgrass is often misidentified as some perennial grasses, such as Quackgrass or Tall Fescue. These perennial grasses will be well established in the spring and will start to green up with the rest of your lawn. Crabgrass, on the other hand, will not begin to germinate until early summer. It will have a lime green color and will look similar to a miniature corn plant. Because it’s an annual plant, it will die off in late summer, turning a purplish color and leaving its seed heads to germinate the following year.

HOW CAN I CONTROL CRABGRASS IN MY LAWN?

Crabgrass is not controllable with standard broadleaf weed control products. An effective way to control small infestations of Crabgrass is to pull up individual plants by hand and then repair these areas with desirable grass seed varieties or sod. If the infestation is larger, other forms of control may be necessary. Preventative applications can be applied for Crabgrass, but the products that are available will vary by region.

A thick, healthy, well-maintained lawn is always the best line of defense. This can be achieved through beneficial cultural practices, which include:

Watering: Deep and infrequent watering is essential for strong plant health and development. A general rule of thumb is to water each area of your lawn for 30-45 minutes, twice per week, in the early morning so the turf is dry by nightfall.
Mowing: Maintain a regular mowing schedule throughout the growing season. In general, you should keep your lawn between 2 ½ and 3 ½ inches high, but during the hottest weeks of summer, you may allow the grass to grow as high as 4 inches. Never remove more than ⅓ of the grass blade at each mowing.
Fertilizing: Regular applications of Weed Man’s specially formulated, slow-release granular fertilizer will help provide your lawn with adequate nutrients. These applications are timed specifically to avoid over fertilizing the lawn.
Core Aeration and Overseeding: Aerate and overseed annually to fill in bare areas with suitable seed and topsoil and to choke out unwanted grasses and weeds. This will help thicken the turf, so weeds can’t break through, and will improve soil drainage and alleviate soil compaction, allowing water and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the soil.

Your local Weed Man professional will be able to offer other solutions and recommend the best form of treatment that is suitable to improve the conditions of your lawn.