Prevention is better than a cure. So often, we wait until problems are obvious before we think to address them, but we can often save ourselves a lot of headaches if we think ahead. This is especially true if you found your yard overrun with crabgrass last year. Our dry, hot summer is the perfect growing environment for crabgrass, and it only takes a single crabgrass plant to produce thousands of seeds.
Removing crabgrass from your lawn doesn’t have to be labor intensive if you think ahead. Crabgrass sprouts once the soil temperature reaches 55 degrees, so it’s best to address it before it has a chance to grow. Scotts makes a product called Crabgrass Preventer with Lawn Food. It’s best applied in early to mid-spring. It is easily applied using a seed spreader and it targets the crabgrass while simultaneously feeding the good stuff. They also have a product that targets broadleaf weeds in addition to crabgrass if that better suits your situation.
If you’re fortunate enough to only have a few spots of crabgrass, you can spot treat it with Spot Weed Control which will kill it down to the root. There’s also the old-fashioned way of pulling or digging the crabgrass out by hand.
Some people are cautious about using herbicides on their lawn but still want to combat crabgrass. One method to hinder its growth is to prevent sunlight from reaching the seeds by adjusting your mower to its top two settings. Taller grass blades obstruct sunlight, slowing down the germination process.
A stressed, underfed lawn leaves space for the crabgrass to grow. Another method is to prevent crabgrass from having the space to grow. A healthy, well-fertilized lawn will prevent bald spots from developing. There are a number of high-quality fertilizers on the market to choose from.
Help your grass develop a deep root system. Aerating your lawn will help with water penetrating deeper into the soil, which prompts the roots to grow deeper. When this happens, grass tends to be more drought resistant. Contrary to what you may expect, these deeper waterings should not be done frequently. Frequent watering will keep the root system shallower as it teaches the roots that water is always readily available.
Spring is just around the corner and if your goal is to prep your yard for the summer, Randy’s Do it Best Hardware is the place to visit. Remember, at Randy’s, we don’t mind your questions. We don’t mind them at all!
