Preventing Crabgrass

 

Crabgrass is very often incorrectly identified. Crabgrass is an annual plant; it comes up from seed every spring. It develops into to an aggressive spreading plant in June through July. Very often people confuse crabgrass with other perennial grasses. These grasses are present in lawns year round. The majority of perennial grasses can not be selectively controlled.

The old adage - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - is very well applied in the case of crabgrass. Once established, it is very difficult to remove with out harming desirable grasses. Get a jump on stopping crabgrass by applying a pre-emergent control. This chemical burns up the tender young sprouts of crabgrass. The key to success is timing. If you apply crabgrass preventive too early, the chemical breaks down and allows some late seed to germinate. If applied too late, the stronger young plants will survive the pressure of the herbicide and develop into full size crabgrass. Mother nature is the best guide for timing of the application. When the forsythia bush blooms - the bright yellow flowering shrub - that tells you that the soil temperatures are warming and you are early enough to apply crabgrass preventive.