Does Anyone Have a Solution for Crabgrass?

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Does Anyone Have a Solution for Crabgrass?

Submitted by: Amy Knowles 09/08/2009 12:11 AM

Most of our lawn has been unattended until this year. When we moved in, I realized that most of our lawn is crabgrass and makes gardening a royal nightmare.

My husband hand dug out many beds for me and now I hate to ask him to do it again as the crabgrass has moved right back in. I can only pull new weed plants. The established plants have roots often to two feet down. He was so frustrated that for the last bed he just took an escavator and dug a 5' by 5' hole. It has completely grown back in one season. My new beech tree has crabgrass encroaching on its roots. :(

Is this a lifetime of digging or solvable?

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Comments:

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best time to weed is right after it rains, easier to pull the roots up. and dig up the soil and overseed with a hearty grass to combat the crab grass.

Posted by grace on September 09, 2009 6:32 AM

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I've heard that if you let your grass grow taller, ie, set you lawn mower setting higher, then it will be harder for the crab grass to grow because it do well in shade.

Posted by anonymous on September 09, 2009 9:40 AM

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If you choose to use a weed killer that does crabgrass, look for it on sale in the fall, but put it on very early in the spring. Crabgrass is an annual that re-seeds itself and the idea is to smother the seeds. There are organic ones out there corn gluten based.

Posted by anonymous on September 10, 2009 7:59 AM

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i had to kill it out with roundup or hand pulling. then replanted ugh.

Posted by anonymous on September 10, 2009 5:44 PM

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I kill weeds, and whatever else I don't want to have growing in my yard, with a 3/1 mixture of bleach and water. I spray it directly on the root area of the trespassing vegetation and the plant dies in a day or two.

Fall is a good time to do this, as the snow will then dilute the bleach to allow for reseeding the area in the Spring.

Posted by anonymous on September 10, 2009 8:35 PM

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BLEACH? ARE YOU KIDDING?
As as a master gardner I can tell you this is a terrible "tip"
Frugality at the expense of the earth is wrong.

.
Stop caring about your lawn and care about your surroundings.

Posted by anonymous on September 12, 2009 9:37 AM

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Re: Crabgrass
A primary technique is to spread corn gluten (it comes in various product names and brand names now) on the yard at the recommended rate of 20 pounds per 1000 square feet. I buy mine at the feed store. It's pretty inexpensive.

This product acts to stop small seeds from germinating so if applied when the forsythia come into bloom, it will stop small seeds from germinating. It will keep crabgrass from germinating. It will not kill any existing crabgrass.

Another: A bit of university ag-research pointed out that an application of 20 pounds of manure per 1000 square feet in the fall and again in the spring gave a 75% reduction in the amount of crabgrass because the other grasses were more vigorous.

Hope this helps.

Posted by anonymous on September 13, 2009 11:44 PM

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In Florida, crabgrass is called St. Augustine and is a highly desirable type of grass. Why would you want to kill it? It is hearty and green. Just cut it and enjoy it.

Posted by Bob in Punta Gorda, Fl. on September 17, 2009 9:36 PM

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Crabgrass is a problem I have also. I don't like it crowds out beautiful flowers I want to grow. I think just plain bleach will get it.
I have tried the green peace peoples remedies, found they are basically not reliable uses. I don't think there is a solution.

Posted by Doug on September 24, 2009 11:25 PM

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I've used a post-emergent crabgrass killer (an Ortho product) when the crabgrass first shows up in summer. I know it would be better to use a pre-emergent herbicide, but spring is such a busy time, and crabgrass season is when I have more time for killing weeds. It's important, though, to treat the crabgrass while the seedlings are small rather than waiting until they have produced seeds.

Posted by Jackie Runyan on September 25, 2009 1:09 AM

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Re: Anonymous in Florida thinking St. Augustine grass and crabgrass are same

Why do you think they are the same. I've searched extensively and everything says that crabgrass CAN be killed by using a pre-emergent on St. Augustine grass without killing the St. Augustine.

Posted by anonymous on October 02, 2009 9:52 PM

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oops, previous post regarding crabgrass and St. Augustine grass should have been directed to Bob in Punta Gorda, Fl.

Posted by anonymous on October 02, 2009 9:54 PM

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Yeah, crab grass KILLS St. AUgustine and is NOT the same. Very much undesired and extremely difficult to eliminate. Best to fight in the spring before it comes up. Once it is out it is too late, except to pull it out.

Posted by Jane on October 06, 2009 2:37 PM

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if you are trying to stop crabgrass in your flower garden or around trees and srubs, try putting down thick black plastic in your garden,ect. and place mulch of the desired color over the plastic. if weeds or crabgrass do return, it is a silple matter of pulling it up. for it is difficult for it to grow thru the plastic

Posted by mcgyver on October 12, 2009 10:38 AM

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An older gardner in our neighborhood recently suggested sprinkling baking soda in the crabgrass-affected area. Someone else mentioned it as well, so there may be truth to this. I am going to get at it this weekend and see what happens.

Posted by Gail on November 03, 2009 11:54 AM

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Amy, the first step in controlling a plant is to identify what you have. Here's a good web site for that purpose- -but not the only one.

Crab grass is an annual that reseeds itself. New growth can be controlled using pre-emergents in either a lawn or in a flower/vegetable bed. There are different formulations depending on where you want to use it. Existing plants will need to be controlled using a post emergent or weeding.

Crab grass does not have 2-foot deep roots that creep back into an area. That might be a variety of bermuda, zoysia, or St. Augustine, depending on where you live. Different controls should be employed if this is what you have.

During the growing season you could possibly take a sample to your County Extension Office for identification if you're not confident doing it yourself.

Identify first, then figure out the appropriate control.

Posted by Patti on November 15, 2009 2:30 PM

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Save money and work with weeding and grass removal by placing a barrier of brick or raised bed with wood partially sunk below ground level. I usually use 12inch boards and the dirt inside is not very high unless I am hilling potatoes or have something that needs alot of compost like squash.

When a plant runs out of its box, I don't allow it to root in the grass making mowing difficult but put a 12-15in pot tray with compost under where the plant is fruiting to give it a boost, then either keep the plant turned into the garden or trim off so energy goes to that squash or pumpkin; or go with bush types that are less work.

I found that if you make a raised brick bed for strawberries, its easier to control weeds and the new plants can just root in the upper or lower wall section, and they don't have to compete with weeds. Any tree seeds or air floaters like dandelions are much easier to spot and pop out with just a few minutes work. No heavy weeding.

If I get a bit of aggressive grass trying to grow up and over the wall, I dig a one or two inch trench that is 2in deep and fill with bark mulch or line with thick newspaper and bark mulch.

Make sure no fertilizer is used in this mulch and you won't see weeds in that area till later in the season.
Many communities now have mulch piles shredded for free give away or a small fee. Ask your DPW or Township about any such programs. I was doing the round-up around the bricks the first two years until I realized it affected our bees.

Posted by Cher B on January 03, 2010 11:50 AM

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