Crabgrass
SeaScape Professional Lawn, Landscape & Tree Services
Crabgrass is an annual grass, which germinates throughout the spring and summer and dies in the early fall. It is generally controlled using a spring pre-emergent (before it germinates) application. If it is able to germinate, it is difficult to control postemergently.
There are several reasons why crabgrass may be present in your lawn despite a pre-emergent control application in the spring, including:
· Your lawn or surrounding lawns had crabgrass last year. Each crabgrass plant produces thousands of seeds. Controls will control 95-99% of the seed, but 1-5% of the seed may escape the control.
· Areas of thin grass will get crabgrass, as there is no competition from permanent grasses. Competition plays a role in crabgrass control. No pre-emergent will control crabgrass in these areas.
· Areas along streets, drives or walks are often compact and receive excessive heat stress. Crabgrass is quick to germinate in these areas.
· Newly seeded areas in spring will almost always have some crabgrass.
· Heavy raking or de-thatching eliminates the pre-emergent control.
· Pre-emergent controls applied in the spring will only control the initial “flush” of crabgrass in May. A small amount of crabgrass may germinate in July or August. Such late season crabgrass, however, generally will die off before it has the chance to become large and suffocate other grasses.