How do I remove crabgrass from my lawn without tearing it to shreds and starting new?
November 20th, 2008
Andy B asked:
I have a stretch of lawn about 40 feet long x 10 feet wide that is consumed by crabgrass.
I have a stretch of lawn about 40 feet long x 10 feet wide that is consumed by crabgrass.
The rest of my lawn is healthy straight green grass.
How do I remove the crabgrass and let the other grass grow in without reseeding the area??
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Tags: Green Grass, Shreds
2 Comments at "How do I remove crabgrass from my lawn without tearing it to shreds and starting new?"
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Mow now. Overseed. Lime and fertilizer per soil test.
Crabgrass is an annual, so the main thing you have to do is to get desirable species growing there ASAP to prevent crabgrass seed in the soil from germinating.
See also a crabgrass faq I wrote many years ago:
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Crabgrass is an annual grassy weed that will die naturally come the first frosts this fall. Mowing, spraying or pulling now will do nothing for the mass amount of seed that has set and already dropped to the soil preparing for germination next spring.
The best way to prevent crabgrass in a lawn is to maintain a dense, lush turf mowed at the proper height. Crabgrass likes heat & sun. Often times you will find crabgrass along the drive, sidewalk or front curb. Anyplace that’s hot and dry and disadvantages your turf. So what should you do?
1) Aerate your lawn this fall - opens soil to air, water & nutrients to allow your turf to grown better.
2) Fertilize this fall & next spring - promotes a denser lawn.
3) If you water your lawn, water deep & infrequent - light, frequent watering promotes seed germination.
4) Mow at the proper height - crabgrass prefers a lawn that is cut short or scalped. A longer turf shades the seeds of crabgrass and helps to prevent their germination.
5) Use a pre-emergence herbicide like Scotts’ Halts when the forsythia are blooming next spring - this helps to stop crabgrass germination. You do not need to apply this pre-emergence to your entire lawn, just use it in your 40′ x 10′ crabgrass zone. Please read & follow all label instructions when purchasing or applying a pesticide.