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Weeds are the main enemies for any healthy growing lawn. These uninvited guests compete with the grass on your lawn to eat away all the resources like water, nutrients, etc., without your intervention. So, It is crucial that you control the weeds in your yard in time. Out of all Crabgrass is considered as the most troublesome weed for any lawn. It spreads quickly in the summer season and produces thousands of seeds for germination between the mid-summer and early fall. In this article, you are going to know more about crabgrass, why it is bad for your lawn and treating crabgrass in fall.

What is Crab Grass?

Crabgrass is a common weed that grows in most of the lawns. It raises very low to the ground and stems resemble the legs of a crab, so it aptly titled with ‘crabgrass.’ As warm climatic conditions favor its growth, it rigorously spreads in the summer season and produces seeds that can sprout before it dies in fall.

Why is Crab Grass Bad for Your Lawn?

Crabgrass can take over the healthy turf in the garden. The growth of the weed makes harder for the grass to keep up with its health because there would be more competition from the weeds to get the nutrients and water supplied to the lawn.

How To Get Rid of Crab Grass in Fall?

Here are some of the points to remember while controlling the weed

• Kill the weed even before the germination using a pre-emergent herbicide.
• Kill the weed after sprouting using a post-emergent herbicide.
• Take measures to control the crabgrass after killing.

Killing Crabgrass with Pre-emergent Herbicides

The seeds of crabgrass germinate faster and proliferate. Choose an excellent pre-emergent solution and apply it to the seeds of the weed. As the pre-emergent do not work on the sprouted plants, you have to use the herbicide another time before the germination. Be sure that the nitrogen content in your lawn is low to control the weed growth.

Some of the essential things to take care before applying the pre-emergent herbicide are:

Weather is very crucial in herbicide application. The excellent time to use the pre-emergent herbicide is when the climate is warm.

• Do not apply the herbicide on a newly seeded lawn as it kills the new grass seedlings.
• Apply the herbicide evenly on the lawn. If there are any places left out, then the crabgrass can establish in that spot.
• After the application of the herbicide wait for at least 2 to 3 months for reseeding the lawn.
• Always follow the instructions and precautions given on the packing of the herbicide.

Killing the Crabgrass with Post Emergence Herbicide

The excellent way to control crabgrass is to apply a postemergence herbicide. Prefer a herbicide that is safe for the turf in your lawn. You have to use the herbicide before the temperature goes down. Use a sprinkler to directly apply the herbicide solution on the leaves of the crabgrass. The thin layer of the herbicide acts fast on the crabgrass to destroy it.

Tips for applying Post Emergence Herbicides

• Always be sure that the climate is sunny and calm. Avoid the application if there is rain in the forecast.
• For the best results, apply the herbicide after the dew is dried up in the morning.
• Post-emergent herbicides work best when the climate is hot. The hot conditions make the plants to absorb the herbicide very quickly.
• Always ensure that the soil of the yard is moist before the application. If the soil is dry make sure to water the lawn before the actual process.
• If the crabgrass has established well enough in the lawn, you have to apply the herbicide twice.
• Always follow the instructions and safety precautions given on the packet.

Preventing Crabgrass in the Future

• Mow the lawn at regular intervals and maintain the recommended height for the grass.
• Water your lawn in regular intervals of time. Remember that a regular lawn requires one inch of water per week in the form of irrigation or rainfall.
• Fertilize the lawn once every year.

Conclusion

The best defense against the crabgrass is to maintain a healthy lawn. You need to follow the basic lawn practices to keep your lawn protected from diseases and weeds. You need to take the help of Professional lawn care and landscaping expert to get rid of the crabgrass or other types of plants and pests in your lawn. Green Gold Landscaping Inc provides expert weekly lawn maintenance, landscape and snow removal services in and around Westchester NY, Greenwich CT. Call us at 914-882-5459 for a Free estimate now.