Green Lawn without Crabgrass

Crabgrass is one of the most dreaded sights in your lawn. No matter how well you care for your lawn, sooner or later a patch of crabgrass will start to crop up. If you do not act swiftly, this little one patch will grow and spread until it takes over your whole lawn. If you stay vigilant, and do these few things here, you can keep the crabgrass under control.

Before the crabgrass seedlings have a chance to sprout, apply herbicides fairly early in the spring. Two of the most commonly used herbicides are Dimension (dithiopyr) and Tupersan (siduron).

If you let your lawn grow on the long side (about 3 inches high) the grass will actually protect itself by depriving light to the crabgrass seeds so they can't germinate.

When you water your lawn, make sure the water runs deeply. And do not water frequently letting the soil dry out between waterings. You also do not want your lawn to get too soggy because other problems will develop. Because crabgrass is a shallow-rooted plant, it will tend to die more readily than your grass that has deeper roots. When the soil surface dries out, the shorter roots of the crabgrass will be left with no nourishment.

After your lawn has been watered, it is a good time to weed. Pick through it and just pull out (yank) the crabgrass and just toss it into your wheel barrel. When your grass is wet, it is much easier to weed. And make sure you dispose of the crabgrass properly, far away from your lawn.

Once you feel you have weeded all the visible patches of crabgrass (and dandelions, while you are at it), apply mulch to your lawn. This will prevent any remaining crabgrass seed from sprouting. If this weeding has left bare patches, re-seed your lawn in the fall. This re-seeding will fill these patches with grass instead of crabgrass in the spring.

Generally, the more lush, thick, and tightly compacted your lawn is, the more it will deter weeds and crabgrass. Because it is so dense, it will actually choke out weeds, dandelions, and crabgrass. Under favorable conditions and with proper maintenance your lawn is capable of being this rich and lush. It takes work maintaining it along with buying the right seed, applying fertilizer at the right times, and watering it the right amount.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking attractive and healthy.