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Crabgrass is a warm season grass that does its
most vigorous growing in June and July. Crabgrass is killed by
the first frost of the season. If you live in a warmer climate
it may only go dormant or semi-dormant during the cooler months.
The way to deal with crabgrass is to get it before it gets going.
What Crabgrass Likes
If you make a nice home for it in your yard,
crabgrass will do very well. By knowing your enemy, you will know
what not to do. Crabgrass likes warm weather and sunshine. It
doesn't mind nutrient poor soils. It likes thin turf so there
is plenty of sun shining down on it. Furthermore it likes short
lawns, again so it can gather the suns warming rays. Crabgrass
dies every year in all but the warmest climates but it leaves
seed to carry on its legacy.
What You Can Do to Control Crabgrass
First, deny it sunshine. Mow your lawn to a height
of 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Fertilize your lawn so that it fills in
and keeps sunlight off the ground. Reseed thin patches in your
lawn, again, to deny the seeds sunshine. These are all things
you should be doing anyway. Keeping your lawn healthy is the most
effective way to prevent crabgrass.
Next, as another preventative measure, use pre-emergent
herbicides. Pre-emergent just means "kill it before it starts
growing". Even in warmer climates, pre-emergents are beneficial.
Most people will be applying the herbicides in early spring, but
in subtropical zones, like Southern California, people will apply
them in December and January. Note though that most varieties
of these herbicides will also inhibit desirable seed growth. So
time your reseeding so that the seeds are not stopped by the herbicide.
In the summer months, there isn't much you can
do to fight crabgrass. It is a fast-growing, vigorous weed. The
best plan is to prevent it from getting a hold in your lawn next
year. Deal with crabgrass before it becomes a problem.
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