Crabgrass is an annual plant, which comes up from seed every spring. It develops an aggressive spreading in June through July. Once established, it is extremely difficult to remove without harming desirable grasses. Get a jump on stopping crabgrass by applying a pre-emergent control. This chemical will burn tender, young sprouts off of crabgrass.
The key to success is timing. If crabgrass preventative is applied too soon the chemical breakdowns and allows some late seeds to germinate. If applied too late, the stronger young plants will survive the pressure of herbicide and develop into full size crabgrass. Mother nature is the best guide for timing of the application.
Often soil temperatures vary in yards based on sunny areas versus shade. You need protections over a three-month period. In lawns where crabgrass was a severe problem the year before, it is advised to apply crabgrass preventer twice, 60 to 70 days a part. Once established, there are controls for mature crabgrass, but they are only about 70 percent effective and require several applications with strict temperature range restrictions for application.
If you are still having difficulty removing crabgrass from your lawn, contact one of our The Grounds Guys professionals for assistance.