Crabgrass
The summer invader. Sprouts from seed once soil hits 55 F, sprawls flat in a star shape, and dies at first frost leaving a bare spot that reseeds itself.
- •Light green, wider blade than lawn grass
- •Stems radiate out from a center like crab legs
- •Shows up in July along driveways, sidewalks, and thin spots
- •Seed heads like a four-fingered hand in August
Bare or thin turf, scalped edges, and lawns mowed short. Crabgrass seed needs light to germinate; a thick lawn mowed at 3 inches shades it out.
Prevent mid-April. Pull or spot-treat young plants in June before they seed.
- Mow at 3 inches or higher all season
- Overseed thin areas every September so there is no bare soil in spring
- Water deeply and rarely; shallow daily watering favors crabgrass
Apply corn gluten meal at 20 lb per 1,000 sq ft when forsythia blooms, before soil hits 55 F. It suppresses germination, feeds the lawn 9 percent nitrogen, and does nothing to established grass. Expect 50 to 60 percent control the first year, improving each year.
Track the price of Corn gluten meal pre-emergentYear one with the eco route you will still see some. Year three you mostly will not, because the lawn itself is the control.
We never link to or price-track conventional herbicides. This panel exists so you understand what a service is selling you.