What is crabgrass? When should I apply crabgrass protection?

It can be overwhelming to know how to treat certain weeds or areas in your lawn, and it can be even more overwhelming to know who to trust to apply those products.

Crabgrass protection is important to apply to your lawn every year to help fight against weeds and crabgrass.

What Is Crabgrass

Crabgrass is a weed that shows up on lawns between late spring and the summer heat. As opposed to spreading by roots, crabgrass spreads by seed, meaning it can spread quickly because of its ability to produce seeds each season.

It is able to grow anywhere on your lawn that has access to water and sunlight, including bare spots. Your lawn could be vulnerable to the weed if you mow your grass too short or if bare areas develop.

Crabgrass Doesn’t Go By A Calendar Date

The truth is there is no specific calendar date as to when crabgrass protection can be applied. Many times we are told by customers, “If my crabgrass isn’t applied by April 1st, I was told I will get crabgrass!”

Crabgrass germinates based on soil temperatures, not certain dates or months of the year. When the average daily soil temperature reaches 57-64 F, this is usually when crabgrass will begin to germinate.

So, depending on when spring starts, the time of year crabgrass germinates, can change. That is why it is important to have someone who understands soil temperature and Ohio’s climate when applying products to your lawn.

Soil Temperatures

When it comes to knowing your soil temperatures, we know that it may not be the easiest way for you to decide if it is time for crabgrass protection to be applied. An easier way is to look for flowering plants, trees, and shrubs to begin blooming.

When soil temperatures begin rising to high enough levels for crabgrass to even consider germination, flowering trees will be in full blossom.

Treatment

So now that you know how to spot crabgrass, the next, and probably most important question, is how do you treat it? The most common way to treat crabgrass is by using pre-emergent herbicides. Pre-emergent herbicides are meant to stop the crabgrass before it emerges from the soil. If you apply the pre-emergent too early, the crabgrass will not be controlled throughout the entire season.

Unfortunately, there are those weeds that sometimes still survive. If you do see any pesky weeds, you can touch up your lawn throughout the summer with post-emergent. Applying post-emergent herbicides to weeds that pop up on your lawn will take care of the crabgrass throughout the season.

Certified, Trained Lawn Care Professionals

Hiring a professional lawn care service not only saves you time, but it saves you from the worry of when to apply a specific product. Your certified lawn care technician will work with you to get you the healthiest lawn possible.

If you're looking for more information on crabgrass protection or are ready to speak to someone about getting an estimate, go to www.loveyourlawn.com or call 866-724-4555 for a free quote today!