How do get rid of crabgrass?

Question

All of a sudden it is taking over my yard. It's coming from my neighbors yard.

Answer 1

The lawn weed, crabgrass (Digitaria spp) is a warm-season annual weed, which means it reproduces by seed. People often ask me how to kill crabgrass. The short answer: applying preemergent herbicides at the right time is the best way to kill crabgrass.

There are many different types of preemergent herbicides for killing crabgrass. "Weed and feed" products often contain preemergent herbicides, although some question whether their concentration is strong enough to be effective. I will focus on 2 preemergent herbicides: Dimension and Tupersan.

Dimension (active ingredient, dithiopyr) is safe to use on most lawn grasses (check label first) and provides long-lasting coverage -- an important consideration, since not all crabgrass seed germinates at once. Thus Dimension will kill later-germinating crabgrass, too. Dimension also displays some effectiveness as a postemergent herbicide.

Tupersan (active ingredient, siduron) is worth mentioning because, unlike other preemergent herbicides, it will not damage germinating lawn grass seed. In fact, its active ingredient is often combined with starter fertilizers. Alternatively, for newly-seeded lawns, wait until after 3 mowings (or 3 months) before applying preemergent herbicides.

Answer 2

To kill it now, once it's growing use MSMA. You can get it at most good L&G Centers. Bonide is one company that makes it.

The best way to handle it so you don't have to kill the plants is to prevent the crabgrass in the first place. Many companies make a spring fertilizer with crabgrass preventer in it. It kills the crabgrass at the time of germination. Scotts has one called Super Turf Builder Plus Halts. The also sell Halts by itself if you want the crabgrass preventer but don't want to fertilize. Dimension is another good crabgrass preventer. Halts or Dimension will do a very good job for you.

Answer 3

Try Scotts Turf Builder +2, it works great against crabgrass and most weeds and gives your lawn a lush, green look

Answer 4

flamethrower.

Answer 5

cut it.