How To Get Rid Of Crabgrass In Your Yard
The options of getting rid of crabgrass include, pulling them out by hand, using pre-emergent herbicides, using post-emergent herbicides, and taking adequate care of your lawn, among others. If these options are not effective, then consider hiring a professional.
Enjoy a beautifully manicured lawn with our timely yard work services that care for your yard according to the season. Call us today!
Crabgrass is a clumpy, unattractive weed that will quickly spread in your lawn. Not only does it have an unpleasant appearance, but it is also bad for your lawn’s health. Crabgrass will dominate your turf, keeping your lawn from receiving nutrients it requires to grow healthy grass.
Crabgrass is an annual weed that grows in the bare and thin spots in your lawn. While it dies in the fall, it produces thousands of seeds that will germinate the following spring. Crabgrass thrives in dry, hot conditions. It grows low to the ground with stems that grow out from the center of the grass clump, looking similar to crab legs.
This blog explores how to get rid of crabgrass and prevent it from returning to your lawn.
Ways of getting rid of crabgrass
Crabgrass will die on its own in the fall, typically after the first frost. But, if you don’t eliminate it before it spreads its seeds, you will have to deal with the troublesome weed again the following year. The best way to get rid of Crabgrass is to eliminate the weedy clumps as you notice them.
1. Getting rid of crabgrass by Hand
Pull the clumps out with the roots. You can use a garden weeder tool to remove the crabgrass roots. These tools usually feature a plunger or claw to drive deep into the ground, under the roots, to remove the plant. This process is time-consuming, but helpful in controlling crabgrass. Collect the clumps in a trash bag and seal tight. It may contain any crabgrass seeds that may still germinate and spread.
To know the tools used to remove weeds, read the article ‒ What are the best tools to remove weeds from your lawn?
2. Use pre-emergent Herbicide
This is the most economical and effective tool to deal with crabgrass. Pre-emergent herbicides interrupt the growth process, hampering complete germination.
These chemicals shouldn’t be used on grass that is yet to get established. For best results, you can preseed in the fall, and apply these herbicides in the spring, prior to the weeds having a chance to germinate.
3. Use post-emergent Herbicides
Once crabgrass has taken over your yard, that’s when post-emergent herbicides come into the picture. Post-emergent herbicides kill the plant itself, before it has the chance to produce more seeds.
It would help if you don’t apply “weed and feed” products, which combine herbicides and fertilizers. As crabgrass is a kind of grass, these applications will rather nourish the weed. Look for selective, post-emergent applications particularly targeting crabgrass.
Read product labels carefully and make sure your grass type is listed as approved. More importantly, ensure you read and follow all safety directions. As these are chemicals, they can be helpful in achieving your goal, but can also be dangerous.
4. Take care of your lawn
Ensure to follow healthy lawn maintenance practices, once your grass wakes up in the spring. A healthy lawn will keep weeds and crabgrass in control. Spring is a good time to check your lawn for bare spots that require attention.
Moreover, the shade of a dense turf will prevent seeds from sprouting, helping you in the fight. There are a few ways to promote a healthy lawn and discourage crabgrass.
First, prune your grass to the highest recommended height. Regular mowing acts as a natural crabgrass preventer, suffocating many weeds.
If you are located in a colder region, fall is the best time to plant new grass seed because frost kills crabgrass seedlings. Apply a crabgrass preventer in the spring.
Note: One common misconception is that trimming crabgrass short will kill it off in no time. This little invader can develop seeds even at just ½-inch tall, which is quite shorter compared to any residential lawn mowed. It’s important to get the roots early, similar to most weeds.
5. Adjust the Mowing Height
When mowing, leave your grass tall, about three inches long. Taller grass blades help shade the soil. Leave grass clippings behind to add natural shade and nutrients to the soil. This keeps the crabgrass seeds from germinating.
6. Feed Your Lawn consistently
A lush and thick lawn will leave little space to allow weeds to grow. An underfed lawn gets stressed and has a higher chance of being invaded by weeds. Ensure to fertilize your lawn every six to eight weeks during the growing season.
7. Water Your Lawn Deeply
Weeds sustain in stressed lawns. Deep watering benefits most grass species. Ensure your lawn gets one inch of water per week, either from watering or rain. The water must soak the soil six to eight inches deep. Deep watering supports your lawn to produce deeper roots, so it can grow thicker to help crowd out weeds. Also, this will help to kill the shallow-rooted enemy as the top of the soil will dry out in between waterings.
8. Repair Lawn Damage
Plant grass seeds in bare spots in your lawn, not leaving any space for crabgrass seeds to germinate. Repairing the bare spots will help prevent the growth of new weeds. Seed the bare spots in your lawn and deeply water regularly with a sprinkler or garden hose.
9. Corn gluten meal
This is a natural remedy that will not harm your grass. Corn gluten meal (CGM) is a byproduct of corn and contains all broadleaf weeds, including dandelions and clover. The proteins in corn gluten meal slows the growth of seedlings’ roots, while also adding nitrogen to encourage turf growth.
Corn gluten meal needs to be applied abundantly, and this will cost around $30 for 1,000 square feet of lawn.
Hire a professional
Call lawn care professionals who can treat crabgrass strategically on all fronts. Once you’ve tried all of your options and your lawn is about 60% crabgrass or other weeds, it’s time to call on the experts, like Eden.
To conclude, the options of getting rid of crabgrass from your lawn or yard include, pulling them out by hand, using pre-emergent herbicides, using post-emergent herbicides, and taking adequate care of your lawn, among others. If these options are not effective, then consider hiring a professional.
Enjoy a beautifully manicured lawn with our timely yard work services that care for your yard according to the season. Call us today!