Crabgrass, a low growing, blue-greenish lawn weed, can not only ruin the look of a well-maintained lawn but also weaken the soil below it. Crabgrass grows when the soil warms in the spring, when the soil temperature reaches between 55 and 60 degrees, and can spread quickly throughout the yard. Mature crabgrass plants can drop as many as 5,000 seeds at one time! Crabgrass is a difficult weed to remove and destroys the beauty of a lawn. This annoyingly aggressive weed is definitely not something to ignore. Crabgrass control is best achieved through prevention. Small steps can be taken to ensure that the weed doesn’t have the environment it needs to grow strong and happy, so follow these crabgrass prevention tips and help keep your lawn healthy and beautiful.
One step for crabgrass prevention is to mow high. Crabgrass needs warm soil to grow and doesn’t like the shade, so by making sure your grass isn’t cut too short you can help keep the crabgrass from sprouting. It’s also important to make sure that edges of the lawn aren’t trimmed too short either. Short grass can weaken the grass plant and expose soil, creating a great place for invading crabgrass to take root.
Improper use of string trimmers around lawn perimeters can grind the grass down close to the soil and make a lovely environment for crabgrass to sprout. This is particularly important to watch alongside walks and drives.
Another step toward crabgrass control is to start watering early. Sometimes lawn owners wait until they see that the grass needs watering before they start. This usually occurs after the outside temperature warms enough to start to dry a lawn out, which is also the exact time when crabgrass starts sprouting. By starting to water at this late time, you actually give crabgrass the nutrients it needs to grow. By watering early, you strengthen the grass and help it grow thick and healthy, leaving no room for the crabgrass to grow.
Also making sure that your lawn is being fertilized can help to ensure that grass grows thick, leaving no room for weeds to take root. It is usually best to fertilize early in the spring before the crabgrass can start to grow. Crabgrass prevention is most effective if applied before the soil reaches 55 degrees, which is the perfect overnight crabgrass seed germinating temperature. Senske will apply materials that prevent the seed from sprouting as a part of our full lawn program that schedules the right products on your lawn at the right time.
Don’t let weeds take control of your yard. Using crabgrass prevention services now can save hours of hard work and frustration after your yard is infiltrated. If you’re not sure where to start, contact us today at(877) 944-4007 or click to request a Free Estimate on our lawn care service that can take care of your lawn and prevent crabgrass from gaining a foothold.
