How do you get rid of crabgrass in your lawn?
POSTED ON January 2, 2023 BY Galena Lawn Care
Lawns must be weed-free to maintain good looks. Caring for lawns is not everybody’s task, but you must be on the watch out to spot weed growth early so that you can seek professional help to get rid of it. Almost every homeowner living in the hot and tropical zones with lawns in their homes faces the problem of crabgrass that prevails through the hot season but disappears during fall. How you get rid of crabgrass in your lawn is a common question among homeowners.
If you can bear with the unsightly weed growing rampantly across the lawn and wait for the fall, then the problem would subside on its own as the change in climate makes the weed die. However, it does not end the misery of homeowners because thousands of seeds sown during summer will resurface in spring.
Fast removal crabgrass
At a glance, crabgrass looks like some plant because the low-growing grass has stems that look like crab legs radiating from the center of the grass mound. To prevent crabgrass from reappearing during spring as the climate starts getting warmer, it is best to look for ways of fast removal of crabgrass. So, what is the fastest way to get rid of crabgrass? Acting fast seems quite sensible, or else you must endure another season with the weed that grows rapidly in the bare thin spots in your lawn.
Killing weed is the best way to get rid of crabgrass, but you must be careful to protect your lawn.
Therefore, knowing what will kill crabgrass but not the lawn is crucial to ensure a weed-free lawn that looks beautiful.
However, killing crabgrass does not rule out the chances of its re-appearance later unless you take steps to prevent it. Therefore, prevention of the re-growth of crabgrass is important as killing it fast.
Killing crabgrass
Choose the right time to kill crabgrass, or it would be like a cat trying to catch its tail. You would be going in circles without any remedy in sight. Many ready-to-use herbicides are available that can kill crabgrass, and you can use these only if you have a few patches of crabgrass on the lawn. Making it a habit to remove the weedy clumps as soon as you spot it will prevent future growth. Does vinegar kill crabgrass is an oft-asked question. Spraying vinegar with 5% acidity will kill crabgrass with short-term soil damage.
Pouring boiling water in areas infested with crabgrass up to a radius of 3 feet is effective in killing the weed. However, when the weed becomes widespread, trying to kill it can endanger your lawn. Instead, it’s better to wait for summer to end when the weed dies on its own.
Looking for a permanent solution
Killing crabgrass might not be a one-time activity because the seeds sown around can pose more problems in the future. Many people keep asking – How do you kill crabgrass forever? The answer is simple because everyone knows that prevention is better than cure. Kill the weed once and then do it again during spring to ensure that the seeds strewn around never see the light of day.
Use a pre-emergent herbicide
Assuming that you could get rid of every clump of crabgrass either by removing it by hand or killing it, you should get down to the task of preventing it from growing again when summer returns. During the springtime, when the crabgrass seeds are ready to germinate, spray some pre-emergent herbicide across the lawn.
However, you must apply the herbicide at the right time for the best results. Since the seeds germinate when the temperature crosses the 50 degrees Fahrenheit mark, you should act at the right time and repeat the operation for a few consecutive days.
Applying a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring when the seeds are dormant is the most effective treatment to prevent germination.
Pay attention to lawn repair
Another way to prevent crabgrass growth is to ensure the weed does not get a favorable surface to grow. Crabgrass grows in the bare spots of the lawn where the soil is visible. Identify the bare spots and repair these as soon as possible to prevent crabgrass from growing. At those spots, plant grass seeds and water them regularly to ensure that it grows fast and leaves no room for crabgrass to grow. It is the best way to nip the problem in the bud, but laborious.
Focus on regularly feeding your lawn
The better care you take of your lawn, the fewer would be chances of weed growth. Ensuring a thick, lush grassy surface is best for lawns that do not have any weed growth. Dense and healthy grass does not leave any space for weeds to grow. Feed your lawn well so that the grass receives enough nutrition and grows thick that looks lush green.
Underfed lawns are vulnerable to weed growth. During the growing season, fertilize the lawn at an interval of 6-8 weeks.
Maintain proper mowing height
To get rid of crabgrass, you must take good care of the lawn grass with proper maintenance. Feeding the grass well with make it grow fast and timely mowing should help to maintain its good looks. Moreover, mowing the grass and maintaining proper height are critical to prevent crabgrass growth.
The grass blade should be three inches tall after mowing so that it creates enough shade for the soil beneath. Leaving grass clippings create a covering on the ground and prevents soil exposure while gradually turning into manure. It prevents the condition necessary for the germination of crabgrass seeds.
Killing crabgrass will not help unless you take proper preventive measures to stop the germination of seeds. With proper lawn care, it is possible to eradicate crabgrass from your lawn forever. Following healthy lawn maintenance practices is critical to prevent crabgrass growth. Although none of the methods can ensure crabgrass eradication, relentless surveillance and prompt action to kill or remove crabgrass can ensure a healthy lawn free from weeds.