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If you don’t use a regular lawn care service, crabgrass is one of your biggest dilemmas. Crabgrass (Digitaria spp), also spelled Crab Grass, is a warm-season annual weed, it reproduces by seed and can come back from a network of roots that have been established in the lawn. Typically applying a Pre-Emergent herbicide at the right time is the best and most effective way to kill crabgrass.
Pre-Emergent Herbicides for Killing Crabgrass: When to Apply
When trying to get rid of crabgrass, it helps to know the life cycle of it. When the soil temperatures reach 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit, the first crabgrass seeds will begin to germinate. From Late Spring to Fall, crabgrass produces seed. These seeds in turn create more crabgrass clumps. In the fall crabgrass plants, not the seeds, are killed by frosts in late fall. Crabgrass roots will go dormant specially if they are along a drive way or around the house, because it tends to stay warmer in those areas.
Pre-Emergent herbicides come in either granular or liquid form and kill crabgrass seedlings as they germinate. Think of Pre-Emergent herbicides as forming an invisible shield across the soil surface that stops emerging crabgrass dead in its tracks. As their name suggests, Pre-Emergent herbicides kill crabgrass at a specific time: before (PRE) seedlings emerge. For success in getting rid of crabgrass in this manner, timing is of the essence. Apply Pre-Emergent herbicides before germination, but not too far ahead.
Types of Pre-Emergent Herbicides for Killing Crabgrass
There are many different types of Pre-Emergent herbicides for killing crabgrass. "Weed and feed" products often contain Pre-Emergent herbicides, although some question whether their concentration is strong enough to be effective.
Using Pre-Emergent Herbicides for Killing Crabgrass: DOs and DON'Ts
Do:
· Irrigate afterwards: water activates Pre-Emergent herbicides.
· Re-apply Pre-Emergent herbicides, if you question your product's coverage. Because crabgrass seedlings do not all germinate at once, re-application can kill some of the later-germinating crabgrass.
· Follow label directions and apply the proper rate. Measure the lawn area and calibrate your spreader carefully.
Don't:
· Allow pets or children on lawn until after 24 hours from the application time
· Apply Pre-Emergent herbicides on new sod.
There are also herbicides for killing crabgrass well after it has germinated called post-emergents, but they are effective only at killing young crabgrass plants. Because these young crabgrass plants are small, they are very difficult to detect in a lawn. Post-emergent herbicides are far less useful than Pre-Emergent herbicides for killing crabgrass.
Crabgrass Control: Organically
Is there any other way to prevent crabgrass? The answer is, No. But, while the best way to kill crabgrass is with Pre-Emergent herbicides, your other option to control it is by having a healthy lawn. Here are some ways to promote lawn health at the expense of crabgrass:
· Winterize your lawn in the fall. This will promote root development. By then, frosts will have already killed any crabgrass.
· Don't let bare spots remain uncovered for long, else opportunistic crabgrass will take root. In the fall, fill in those bare spots by putting sod down or seeding whatever is appropriate for your turf.
· When irrigating the lawn, water more deeply and less frequently. Crabgrass is a notoriously shallow weed. It’s better to water 1 day a week for 1 hour than 20 min 5 days a week.
· Mow "high", leaving the lawn grass at a height of 2 1/2"-3". This will allow the lawn grass to "protect its own turf" better, depriving crabgrass seeds of the light they need to germinate.
Our Lawn Care program is specially designed to prevent crabgrass. We ensure proper application of our specially blended products. We find that even though a lot of our customers enjoy taking care of their lawn, they have less and less time to do it. Using a professional company not only frees up time, but you won’t have to guess when to apply products. Not to mention storing the products and equipment, and keeping it away from children and pets.
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