It’s amazing, but crabgrass seems to be a menace to almost all Ohio lawns. There’s no perfect solution to totally eradicating this weed from your Cleveland or Columbus, Ohio property. But there are things that you can know and do to nearly eliminate it from your yard.

You, as a homeowner, have three courses of action in order to limit crabgrass growing in your lawn. First, you can apply a pre-emergent before the seedlings have a chance to sprout. Then, you can apply a post-emergent directly on the weed during the early summer months. Finally, you can prepare to stop crabgrass, from taking control of your turf the following growing season, by planning to overseed your lawn this autumn.

Crabgrass seeds live in the ground over the winter; that’s why pre-emergent weed killers are applied to your soil after there have been three to five days of 50 degree Fahrenheit weather in early spring. (Read more about crabgrass prevention by clicking here) First, you need to know the facts about crabgrass and weed killers:

1. There are two types of crabgrasses: smooth and hairy. Yet, the treatment for both of them remains the same.
2. Crabgrass germinates in the top half of the soil.
3. You can apply pre-emergent weed killer in southern Ohio from March 1 – April 1. For homeowners in central Ohio, you can distribute pre-emergent weed killer from March 15 – April 15; and if you live in northern Ohio, spread a pre-emergent from April 1 – April 25 on your lawn.
4. You can still treat crabgrass after it emerges from the ground. You’ll apply a post-emergent herbicide.

Now that this year’s weeds are under control…

You have two more chores to do in order to control crabgrass. First, you need to thicken up this year’s turfgrass to crowd out any remaining weeds that might pop through, and second, you need to prepare for next spring.

In late spring, you can reseed and fertilize your yard to encourage new grass to densely grow. Turf density doesn’t allow for weeds of any kind to overtake your lawn. Also, you need to wait to apply grass seed until your pre-emergent weed killer has totally broken down in the soil. Otherwise, the weed killer will prevent your healthy grass from growing too.

For the fall of 2014, plan to have your property core aerated and reseeded by a professional lawn care company. If crabgrass has taken over your lawn, it’s even more important to get a lawn care service to your home to renovate your lawn from start to finish.

You may not be able to totally rid your lawn of crabgrass and other weeds. But there are solutions to help you control crabgrass in your Columbus or Cleveland, Ohio property.

Get a Jump on Crabgrass by Hiring a Lawn Care Professional!

All lawns in Cleveland and Columbus are destine to have crabgrass germinate throughout the year. It's important that you or a professional can get the jump on the season and stop it before it has a chance to germinate. But who to hire? With so many fly-by-night companies out there, it can get a bit confusing when going through the hiring process. That's why we put together a step-by-step guide that will help you pick the best lawn care company for your lawn AND your wallet. To get this great FREE guide, simply click on the button below!

Resources:

“Annual Grass Weed Control in Home Lawns,” Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, HYG-4002-93, http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/4000/4002.html.

“Crabgrass Preemergence Control,” Ohio State University, http://buckeyeturf.osu.edu/index.php?option=com_content&id=1006:crabgrass-preemergence-control&Itemid=170