Removing crabgrass from your lawn takes more than just pulling up weeds that you see—the way you kill and remove crabgrass matters.
Crabgrass is a common and annoying weed that finds its way into many yards. It’s hardy, and it decreases the growth of surrounding plants. Today we’re sharing what we know about common crabgrass and how you can fight it in your own grass.
The Problem with Crabgrass
Crabgrass is a coarse weed that grows in flat clumps, spreading easily and killing the surrounding grass and plants. It dies every year in the fall, making it an annual plant, but the way it grows throughout the season and sheds seeds makes it more like a perennial plant.
Essentially, the longer crabgrass is allowed to grow, the more crabgrass will sprout in your yard. This weed loves to find unseeded areas or sparse areas of grass to take over. Merely mowing your crabgrass will not prevent or kill it, and if you use a grass-mulching lawnmower, you may be actively spreading seeds to other areas of your yard. Crabgrass is best prevented, but you can fight it when you see it.
How to Remove Crabgrass from Your Lawn
At the first sign of crabgrass, begin working your way through these steps to return your yard to full health.
- Prevent Spread. First, you need to stop the spread of the seeds. When you’re ready to mow your lawn, use a rake to fluff up the matted crabgrass, much like brushing your hair. Once the crabgrass is standing upright, mow right away. Collect the clippings and dispose away from your grass.
- Weed Carefully. If you can count the number of sprouts on one hand, you can uproot the weeds yourself. Wet the soil around the weeds to soften the dirt and roots. Pull up the weeds completely, leaving no roots or blades behind.
- Post-Emergent Spray. If crabgrass is taking over your lawn, it may be time for a post-emergent weed-killing spray. While there are some crabgrass killers in your local home improvement store, this is a job best left to professionals. All crabgrass killers can harm grass in some way, and some could completely kill your healthy turf along with weeds. We can help kill weeds that are threatening your lawn with professional and safe lawn treatments.
- Re-Seed Bare Spots. The bare areas attract weeds of all kinds, so replace any empty spots with the type of growth you’d like to see. Reseed the area and then increase watering to help the grass bounce back after weed damage.
- Plan Next Year. Chances are your crabgrass will return next year, so beat it before it shows up. Figure out the best pre-emergent spray for your grass and climate, and treat your grass early in the spring before crabgrass has a chance to sprout and spread.
Your Crabgrass Hero
The experts at All Green Pest Control and Lawn Care can remove crabgrass and turn your weeds into a lush, green yard worthy of envy.
With crabgrass especially, it’s important to pursue removal right away, so reach out now. We serve Utah and Salt Lake counties.