Crabgrass Crusade: How to Weed Out the Unbeatable Weed

There’s no denying that curb appeal is of utmost importance to a potential buyer’s first impression, and as we know, first impressions are everything.  A luscious, neatly manicured lawn is the most neglected aspect of curb appeal, one that must be addressed in order to sell your home.  Should your lawn be infested with Digitaria, or crabgrass, it won’t matter how well-groomed your lawn is.  Slip on your gardening gloves and fetch your mower, you’ve got some crabgrass extermination to do.

Preventative Measures

The key to preventing crabgrass is maintaining a healthy lawn. Crabgrass and weeds can’t flourish within a vibrant lawn full of hefty blades of grass.  The application of a high nitrogen lawn fertilizer is one way to foster a dense, verdant lawn. Ensure that fertilization takes place in the first half of the year.

The use of pre-emergent herbicides during early spring can halt crabgrass germination.  According to GardenGuides.com, the weeds germinate from early winter through late summer.  If crabgrass blemished your lawn the year prior, applying an herbicide to your lawn is an important step. Using Siduron for effective crabgrass prevention will not damage grass seed.

Mowing Down Weeds

Mowing your lawn at the proper height is more important to preventing weeds than you might think.  You’ll want to consult the pros to check your particular grass type and the height it should be cut.  Set your lawnmower at the highest setting. The height and density of the grass will inhibit crabgrass growth by blocking ultraviolet light.  Crabgrass needs ample ample amounts of sunlight to germinate, so the less it receives, the better.  Lowes.com recommends that no more than one-third of the grass blade should be cut. Leaving your lawn at a greater height will of course mean that frequent mowing is necessary.

Inspect your lawn mower’s blades.  Are they dull?  Blunted blades are conducive to crabgrass growth because the grass blades are torn and damaged rather than cleanly sliced.  The grass plants will then use greater amounts of energy to restore the plant back to its former self while leaving scant energy to support root growth.  One remedy to this situation other than sharpening the blades, is replacing your current mower with a push reel mower.  These manual mowers manicure your lawn, rather than shred the grass and the best ones require blade sharpening once per decade.  But which reel mower should you purchase?  Mowers Direct recommended the Husqvarna lawn mower as one of the better market options.  By using the best reel mowers, your grass will be greener and the lawn should remain healthier as a whole.

The Post-Emergent Process

Once crabgrass germinates, it’s only a matter of time before it propagates its weedy influence throughout your lawn.  The weed blooms from July to early September, so be on the lookout within this timespan.  When crabgrass weeds invade your otherwise beautiful lawn, immediately yank them from the ground.  Ensure that the weed is fully uprooted and either burn it or toss it in the trash.  GardenGuides.com recommends that homeowners blanket the area with mulch to stymie the remaining seeds and roots from re-seeding.

As always, local information is provided as a courtesy by your Warner Robins Real Estate Agent, Anita Clark.