Of all the different lawn care topics, “crabgrass control” remains one of the most searched-for issues on the Internet. It also happens to be one that homeowners frequently ask us about.
Crabgrass is a major source of frustration due to its prevalence as well as its ability to spread like wildfire in a lawn. But understanding what you’re dealing with will help set you up for success in tackling this weed.
That’s why we’re answering all of your common questions and sharing everything you ought to know.
Jump to:
What Does Crabgrass Look Like?
Why is Crabgrass So Problematic?
When Does Crabgrass Die?
How to Get Rid of Crabgrass?
How to Prevent Crabgrass?
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Dealing with crabgrass starts with knowing what’s growing in your lawn. Most people know how to identify crabgrass but there are lots of grassy weeds, some that are look-alikes, that can throw people off.
Crabgrass is a light-green or even yellowish grassy weed that grows in thick clumps. Its sprawling growth pattern along with its bright color makes it stick out like a sore thumb in a healthy lawn. The name “crabgrass” comes from the thick blades that grow outward from the center, resembling crab legs.
Dallisgrass is another grassy weed most often mistaken for crabgrass. This video can help you understand the differences. To sum it up, dallisgrass has a thicker blade and a seed head that resembles a zipper. It also starts growing in the lawn earlier in the season than crabgrass does.
The main reason why crabgrass is so problematic is that it spreads rapidly in a lawn, quickly overtaking bare spots. If given the chance to run rampant, it can start to choke out healthy turf.
This annual weed is a prolific seed creator. Just a single plant can produce up to 75,000 seeds which lay dormant in the soil until the ideal timing for germination in late spring. As the weed continues to spread throughout the summer, it begins to crowd out your turf in large, dense mats across your lawn.
Crabgrass takes very little nurturing to grow and thrive and therefore can begin to choke out your desired turfgrasses in no time flat if left untreated. Crabgrass also likes heat and will often pop up heavily in vulnerable areas of your lawn, such as alongside your driveway and walkways where lawns typically struggle during summer.
Crabgrass will die off with the first frost of the season. It is a weed that loves the hot weather and it’s an annual plant, so it doesn’t stick around when conditions get cold.
But that doesn’t mean it’s gone for good. Crabgrass has already been seeding like crazy. As we mentioned, a single crabgrass plant can drop 75,000 seeds in one growing season. Since this is an annual weed, those seeds allow it to keep coming back and starting the cycle all over again next season.
The seeds that crabgrass has put down during its growing season hide in the soil and are going to be sprouting up next year so you’ll need a crabgrass control strategy ready to go for next season.
This is the million-dollar question that everyone wants to know. Against such a prolific weed, how can you effectively get rid of crabgrass in your lawn?
The most effective crabgrass control strategy is one that is multi-faceted with different approaches depending on what time of the year it is. Let’s dive in.
Knowing when to spray for crabgrass is essential to your success in controlling this weed. Believe it or not, the best time to treat crabgrass is before it germinates.
This involves using crabgrass pre-emergent.
Crabgrass pre-emergent products work by creating a barrier that renders crabgrass seeds inert so they are unable to germinate in the first place. As such, the perfect timing for these products is obviously BEFORE the germination period. Crabgrass begins germinating when soil temperatures reach approximately 55 degrees and exactly when that occurs can vary year to year.
Generally speaking, we use April 20th as a guideline as when we typically aim to have our first round of crabgrass preventer applied.
It’s important to recognize that although mid to late April is when crabgrass is germinating, you’re rarely going to see it above the surface before May. If you’re seeing a grassy weed growing in your yard before then, it’s not crabgrass. It could be Johnson grass or Dallisgrass.
Of course, you might be reading this, and April 20th has already come and gone. Now you might be wondering if it’s too late to kill crabgrass because you missed that first round of pre-emergent.
The good news is that we can still apply a pre-emergent product because not all crabgrass germinates at once. The bad news is that some of the crabgrass will have germinated, and the preventer won’t do anything for those weeds.
However, we can use crabgrass post-emergent products on any that do breakthrough.
In fact, even if you had pre-emergent applications on time, we’ll still use post-emergent products for breakthroughs (though there won’t be nearly as much). Pre-emergent will take care of the majority of crabgrass, but there is always some persistent breakthrough that occurs.
What if you’ve missed the opportunity for crabgrass control in the spring? If June has now rolled around and you haven’t done anything to prevent crabgrass, it very well could be running rampant in your lawn. If that’s the case, you’re going to have to treat exclusively with crabgrass post-emergent controls.
We’ll be perfectly honest that this can cost more money as these products are more expensive than preventer products. But if you don’t want to have to live with a lawn full of crabgrass all summer, you do have options and we’ll discuss them honestly with you.
Some people might hear that and assume it doesn’t make sense to sign up for a lawn care program in the summer but that’s not the case at all. We can still start taking steps toward a healthier lawn. One of the best defenses against crabgrass is a thick and healthy turf, so you want to start taking steps toward producing those great results with professional lawn care.
There are also other issues to address in the summer as part of a comprehensive lawn care program. Broadleaf weeds, nutsedge, and insects are other items that need attention.
In addition to using crabgrass pre-emergent products that will prevent 80 to 85% of germination, you also want to take steps on your own to reduce crabgrass in your lawn.
Here are a few of our best recommendations:
But most importantly, you should be working closely with your professional lawn care provider in order to have the best results.
At Oasis Turf & Tree, we go above and beyond when it comes to crabgrass control, just as we do in the other areas of our lawn care program. In fact, our overall approach to lawn care has a big impact on preventing crabgrass in the first place.
Because we focus on soil health and truly care about getting your lawn in the best shape possible, crabgrass growth will be naturally stunted. A thick, healthy lawn is the best defense against invasive weeds like crabgrass.
Between our focus on soil health, our proactive approach utilizing crabgrass preventer, and our ongoing eye on your lawn for breakthrough with necessary spot-treatments in the summer, crabgrass really doesn’t stand a chance to survive in an Oasis lawn.
If you’re looking to get crabgrass under control in your Cincinnati, Dayton, OH or Northern Kentucky lawn, be sure to contact us or give us a call at 513-697-9090.