When To Apply Crabgrass Protection

There are many products out there that are said to make and keep your lawn healthy all year round. It can be overwhelming to know who to trust and what products to apply.

Crabgrass protection is something that should be applied to your lawn every year. While some “bigger” lawn care service companies may start applying the application in early March, here is why they may still be fighting crabgrass all year, while you enjoy a healthy lawn.

What Is Crabgrass

Crabgrass is a lawn weed that grows in the summer heat. This is an annual weed, which means that it spreads by seed, as opposed to spreading through roots. It is able to grow anywhere in your lawn that has access to water and sunlight, including bare spots.

Crabgrass Has No “Due Date”

The truth is there is no “due date” as to when crabgrass protection can be applied. Many times we are told by customers, “If my crabgrass isn’t applied by April 1^st, I was told I will get crabgrass.”

Crabgrass does not come by a certain day of the month each year; it is solely based on soil temperature. It begins to germinate when the average daily soil temperature reaches 57 to 64 degrees at the absolute earliest.

Soil Temperatures

Getting soil temperatures may not be the easiest way for you to decide if it is time for crabgrass protection to be applied. An easier way is to look for flowering plants, trees, and shrubs to begin blooming.

When soil temperatures begin rising to high enough levels for crabgrass to even consider germination, flowering trees will be in full blossom.

Treatment 

The most common way to rid of crabgrass is using pre-emergent herbicides. Pre-emergent herbicides are meant to stop the crabgrass before it emerges from the soil. If you apply the pre-emergent too early, the crabgrass will not be controlled throughout the entire season.

Unfortunately, there are those weeds that still survive. If you do see any pesky weeds, you can touch up your lawn throughout the summer with post-emergent.

Applying post-emergent herbicides to weeds that pop up on your lawn will take care of the crabgrass throughout the season. 

Other Crabgrass Preventers

There are some other lawn care practices that can help with preventing crabgrass and other weeds, all while still benefiting the health of your lawn. 

Seeding

Because crabgrass likes to grow in bare spots in your lawn, overseeding your lawn will help to fill in those small spots and thicken that area of lawn, making it more difficult for weeds to come through.

Tip: do not treat the new seeds with a pre-emergent herbicide. This will prevent the new grass from growing.

Fertilizing

Fertilizer gives your lawn the food that it needs to be as healthy as possible. If your grass is lacking nutrients, it will be a lot easier for crabgrass and weeds to grow.

Lawn Aeration

If your lawn has a lot of foot traffic during each season, it may be compacted and need core aeration. This will help relieve soil compaction and weed prevention.

Water and Mow

Making sure you are mowing and watering your grass correctly can be the difference in seeing expected results and actual results. You want to mow your grass at about 3 to 3.5  inches during the summer as this helps to retain more water and shade to the roots. Watering regularly helps block out crabgrass and other weeds.

Certified, Trained Lawn Care Professionals

Hiring a professional lawn care service not only saves you time, but it saves you from the worry of when to apply a specific product. Your certified lawn care technician will work with you to get you the healthiest lawn possible.

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