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CRABGRASS
CRABGRASS
If you wonder where the crabgrass in your lawn comes from each year the answer is that it germinates from seed every spring. Crabgrass is a summer annual plant which means it germinates from seed each spring, grows bigger as the weather warms up, produces seed in late summer and is killed by a hard frost in fall. The crabgrass seed that germinates in your lawn this spring was most likely produced late last summer. If you had crabgrass in your lawn last year, it is important that you take steps to control it this year.
CRABGRASS CONTROL
The most effective way to control crabgrass is to prevent the crabgrass seed from becoming established in your lawn by applying a pre-emergent herbicide, commonly referred to as crabgrass preventer. A pre-emergent herbicide forms a herbicide barrier at the surface of the soil. As a crabgrass seed germinates, the emerging root contacts the herbicide barrier. The pre-emergent herbicide disrupts normal root growth and the crabgrass seedling soon dies without ever being noticed. For most pre-emergent herbicides to be effective they must be applied prior to crabgrass seed germinating. The pre-emergent herbicide must be present in the soil as the crabgrass seed germinates so the new root will contact the herbicide. Crabgrass seed begins germinating as the soil temperature at a two inch depth reaches 50° to 55° F for several consecutive days. The date when crabgrass seed germination begins varies depending on geographic location.
How to Prevent Crabgrass in the Spring
Mow at the proper height. You can discourage crabgrass by MOWING AT THE RIGHT HEIGHT for your grass type. Mowing higher, usually at one of the top two setting on your mower, allows taller grass blades to shade the soil, which in turn helps prevent the germination of crabgrass seeds.
- Feed regularly. A thick, full lawn seldom contains much crabgrass. When your lawn is underfed and stressed out, however, it has a greater chance of being taken over by weeds. Feeding your lawn regularly, every 6 to 8 weeks, during the growing season with a lawn fertilizer helps your lawn stay thick and lush, making it less welcoming to weeds (like crabgrass) by leaving little space for them to grow.
- Deep water your lawn. Weeds are better adapted to adverse growing conditions than most lawn grasses. Shallow, frequent watering encourages shallow root growth, making the grass more likely to suffer during periods of heat and drought. That kind of stress can lead to thin patches and bare spots that crabgrass will take advantage of. Instead, water lawns deeply (to a depth of 4 to 6 inches) and infrequently to encourage your lawn to develop deeper roots, so it can grow thicker to help crowd out weeds.
- Repair lawn damage. Crabgrass plants will be killed by frost in the fall, leaving behind bare spots. Don’t panic! All you need to do is repair the bare spots to help keep new weeds out.