Crabgrass

[Hydrohead]

What is the best way to eliminate crabgrass, and at what time of the year? I have tried overseeding and fertilizer for the last two years and it seems to have stopped spreading, but it is still pretty thick.

Thanks

 

[Gary Swart]

You use an application of a product that prevents the seeds from germinating. The most common brand is Scott's Halt. It must be put down at the correct time and remain undisturbed for the entire growing season. Obviously, you can not overseed or otherwise plant new grass.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Hydrohead]

Does Halt stop it from spreading or kill the germinating crabgrass? I'm to the point where I think I just need to kill off everything and start over. With 1/2 acre of grass, that's not my first choice!

 

[Wet_Boots]

Dealing with Crabgrass

 

[Hydrohead]

Thanks boots

 

[Prashster]

pre-emergent herbicide when the forsythia blooms drop.

 

[Bob NH]

I used some of the post-emergence stuff last year and it did serious damage to some of the fescue in the lawn. It didn't kill it but retarded its growth for much of the summer.

If you go the Round-up route to kill it all, get the concentrate and mix your own. Those 1-gallon premixed things are very expensive for what they cover.

If you are going to kill all, you should probably start the process in late summer for a fall reseeding. You can rent a slice-seeder so you don't have to till the whole lawn. Tilling the whole lawn will stir up a lot of weed seeds and cause them to germinate.

 

[Hydrohead]

I appreciate everyone's input. Thanks!

 

[Jimbo]

http://www.flameengineering.com/Roofing_Torch_Kits.html

This is the only sure method to get crabgrass!

 

[Prashster]

If you go the Round-up route to kill it all, get the concentrate and mix your own. Those 1-gallon premixed things are very expensive for what they cover.
.

If yr gonna buy concentrate, buy 'glyphosate' generic concentrate (the ingred in roundup) from another company. HiYield makes a prod that's 41% glyphosate. I think residential roundup is like 2% glyphosate, so a gal will last you forever.

However, I gotta say that in 2 years of using it, I hate it. I outfitted a pair of salad tongs with foam paintbrushes so that I could dip and carefully grab individual leaves to 'spot' kill. Didn't work too well.

It's easier to just pick the plants out by hand. Get em as soon as they emerge.

2 step process: put down pre-emergent. Then handpick young plants as they emerge.