Proper Care and Timing for Crabgrass Control

A healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds. But despite your best efforts, weeds often move in and start crowding out lawn grasses.

Crabgrass is no exception. This annual weed moves in during hot dry weather. The plant goes to seed in fall, dropping thousands of seeds in the soil to fill in bare and struggling areas of the lawn. Manage this and other weeds by adjusting your lawn care practices or if time is an issue consider hiring a landscape company to do the work for you.

Mow high, keeping the grass at least 3 to 3 ½ inches tall. Taller grass shades the soil and helps prevent many weed seeds, including crabgrass, from sprouting. It also encourages deeper roots that are more drought tolerant and better able to out compete the weeds.

Fertilize your lawn around Memorial Day, Labor Day and Halloween to promote healthy growth that is better able to beat out the weeds. Use a slow release fertilizer to encourage steady growth throughout the season. You’ll avoid the excessive growth that high nitrogen, fast release fertilizers promote. The lush succulent grass that results is more susceptible to insects and diseases, requires more frequent mowing and will need more water. Slow release fertilizers also reduce the risk of burn when hot dry weather arrives.

If you decide to water your lawn, water thoroughly whenever your footprints remain after walking across your lawn. If you forgo watering during drought, do not treat the lawn with herbicides and limit foot traffic.

Making these adjustments will greatly reduce not only crabgrass, but other weed problems. Visit Kanavas Landscape Management’s website (kanavaslandscape.com) for my tips on managing other weeds in the lawn.

Treat crabgrass-infested lawns or spot treat problem areas with a pre-emergent soon after the forsythia start blooming and vanhouette sprieas, often called bridal wreath, are in full bloom. This provides the longest period of control. You’ll prevent crabgrass from the time the crabgrass seeds start sprouting through mid-June.

Organic gardeners can use corn gluten meal to help manage this weed. This plant- based herbicide prevents many seeds, including crabgrass from sprouting.

Both the synthetic and natural pre-emergent crabgrass preventers also stop lawn grass seed from sprouting. Check the label or ask your lawn care professional before overseeding treated lawns this spring.

With proper care and a bit of prevention your lawn can be free of crabgrass all season long.