Killing Crabgrass: Sometimes Herbicides Are Crucial

While there are many challenging weeds, one of the worst is crabgrass. After crabgrass has spread, it is difficult to eliminate. You will need to understand the weed control supplies, the herbicides, that are available so you can prevent and eliminate crabgrass on your lawn.

Killing Crabgrass with Pre-Emergent Herbicides

Crabgrass is a challenging weed that can make your lawn look unkempt if you do not eliminate it. An effective weed control product against crabgrass is pre-emergent crabgrass killer. The herbicide comes in a liquid or granule form and must be applied at the right moment to achieve the maximum effect. When the soil is at 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the crabgrass seeds will be the most likely to germinate.

Some products are called weed and feed and are used both to fertilize the lawn and to kill weeds, including crabgrass. However, the weed and feed products might not contain enough herbicides to kill crabgrass. Tupersan is the most common herbicide included in weed and feed products. This can be tilled into the soil before planting grass seed.

Long-lasting weed killers are effective against crabgrass because not all of the seeds germinate within the time frame of short-term weed killers. After you have applied the herbicide, irrigate the area to activate the herbicides. Also, do not aerate your lawn after you have applied herbicides.

After the Crabgrass Has Emerged

Crabgrass is a fertile weed and can spread very quickly. Therefore, if you discover that crabgrass has already begun to grow, remove them and add mulch to the soil so they cannot gain access to sunlight and grow. If you moisten the soil before removing the crabgrass, you will be better able to remove the roots and the stem will not simply break off.

Pre-emergent herbicides are much more effective than post-emergent herbicides. Post-emergent herbicides are available for use when the crabgrass has already germinated. They primarily only kill the youngest plants, so it can be difficult to use this type because the youngest crabgrass plants are difficult to find.

Take Care to Avoid Damaging Your Lawn

Some crabgrass herbicides will kill some lawn varieties. For this reason, you will want to first identify the type of lawn you have. Then, read the label for the crabgrass killer and make sure that it will not harm your lawn. Also, even if the herbicide isn't supposed to kill a specific lawn variety, it can do so if used incorrectly. For example, if you are supposed to use a specific amount of a herbicide, be sure to apply that exact amount to the lawn. Then, you will effectively wipe out your crabgrass problem.