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3 thoughts on “In The Field (blog)”

  2. My yard still has crabgrass after two years of a lawn service. Last fall they said they treated the lawn specifically for crabgrass. What’s going on?

    1. Thanks for bringing that up!

      Crabgrass is an annual, it dies in the winter and new plants sprout from seeds every spring. This information tells us a lot about our control options.
      #1: Because the plants you see now will probably be dead after a hard frost in 8 weeks or less, any treatment now may not be worth your effort. Also, mature crabgrass does not respond to herbicides as well as young crabgrass.
      #2: A pre-emergent applied in early spring will help suppress germination of crabgrass seeds. It usually is not 100% effective, but you are in luck, because of #3.
      #3: A post-emergent labeled for crabgrass is very effective on young plants if applied 4-6 weeks after germination. (In Ohio, that is usually around the beginning of June. Put it on your calender to look in flower beds because they are easier to spot, for 1″ plants around this time as a signal it is time to apply.) The longer you wait to apply after the plants reach 4 weeks, the less effective it will be.
      Remember, if you see what you think looks like crabgrass before the end of May, it is most likely not crabgrass, but one of the many perennial grass weeds. Unfortunately, most of these are only eradicated by hand-pulling, or a total vegetation killer, which also kills your turf.

      *Any time you use an herbicide, or fungicide, read the whole label, even organic products, and be responsible. It is against the law to do otherwise.

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