How do I get rid of crabgrass?
I have a large lawn area that originally was sod many years ago. Today it is mostly crabgrass. It looks nice from far away but because it is spindly, it is not fun to play on. How can I get my beautiful grass back?
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Best way to stop crab grass is to have a thick healthy lawn so that the grass dominates the competition.
Use a pre-emergent, which is in a granular form that creates a chemical barrier. Put that in late February or before soil temps hit 60 degrees.
Use a post emergent like quinclorac to spray on the crab grass directly. Don't use this if it is well established.
Last way is to use a professional product like Prodiamine. Not sure where you would buy this, but the other products are linked below.
Quinclorac: https://amzn.to/2x2ooHU
Pre Emergent: https://amzn.to/2CCAmOz
I use Spectracide weed and feed in a hose end sprayer. Any brand that kills crabgrass will work. No mixing, no mess. Kills the weeds/crabgrass and feeds the lawn.
You need to follow a lawn care system. My husband uses the Scott's system. He fertilizes (I think) 3 times a year. He uses crab grass preventer at different times a year. He cuts the grass about 1/2 inch to an inch taller than any of our neighbors and we have a beautiful green lawn all year round (even when everyone else's grass turns brown from a drought.)
https://www.scotts.com/en-us/library/lawn-care-basics/important-lawn-maintenance-projects-fall
Check out on line with this ? and you will find a wealth of info. Best time to kill them is in the spring, but I have been using vinegar. I have pulled them out, poured vinegar directly into the hole. With your large area, that would not work well. But try to use of you can a natural way to treat your lawn. Harsh chemicals kill everything else including animals.
an early spring application of the pre emergence to get ahead of. We have a local company in Maryland that uses all natural product . If I can mention the Name it's called Natural Lawn. I have a big yard and it's actually more cost effective to let them do it.
Just spray for weeds. There are tons of products...just read the labels...it's easy.
We have finally tackled ours. Now is the time to overseed, only healthy grass can suffocate out crab grass. Seed and keep it moist 24-7. Then, come spring use HALT. Did you know crab grass comes back every year? Crab grass comes back when the soil temperature reaches 65 degrees for at least three days, usually when we have our first 85+ temps. Get halts and double dose the grass it will stop the crab grass from coming back. But nothing else will so it’s stop the crab or seed, that’s why I say seed in the fall and kill crab in the spring. Then late spring three weeks later you can seed again. Same with dandelions so any crab and weeds you can pull, do, from the roots. Good luck
Baking soda will kill the crabgrass. Sprinkle it on the wait a few days or couple of weeks and it will turn yellow and die. Then you will work to remove it and replace with sod or plugs.. We have St Augustine grass and the baking soda does not effect that. Then be diligent with the above suggestions to keep it away.
The best way I have found is to dig it up making sure you get all the roots. May have to repeat till it is gone.
Beware of the word “ natural”... some chemicals may be natural but toxic to other plants but especially animals... and growing children
Please don't use weed killers or chemicals, you will kill everything and upset the balance of the mycorrhizal fungi in the soil.
At this time of year scarify the lawn to get rid of old dead grass and thatch, then reseed with a good 'sports field' quality grass seed and water well. Watch for germination and seed again.
Don't cut your lawn too short in the first year, let it establish to out compete the crab grass.
Your plot looks quite shady so scarify /rake the lawn before and after you mow.
Finally... don't feed the lawn in the first year or two....you will only be feeding the crab grass and making it stronger !!
p.s. grow some native shrubs and flowers to encourage birds and insects