Different Types Of Crabgrass Explained

Crabgrass is a weed that many homeowners fight every year in their lawns and gardens. There are two different primary types of crabgrass – smooth and long.These two different types of crabgrass have distinct features, making them easy to identify.

Smooth Crabgrass
Smooth crabgrass is sometimes called short crabgrass. Like all types of crabgrass, it has a shallow root system and is an annual plant. Annuals are plants that grow from seeds every year and completely die off during cold winter months. Seeds are spread every year as the plant grows and sheds seed pods.

Long Crabgrass
Long crabgrass is also called hairy crabgrass. This type of crabgrass weed grows in large clumps or mats. It is dramatically much taller than short crabgrass, growing 3 feet in height or taller. The grass blades are broad and often are tipped in purple.Like short crabgrass, long crabgrass is an annual plant that germinates from seeds every year and has a shallow root system.

Quackgrass
Although a different plant than crabgrass, quackgrass is sometimes mistaken for crabgrass. It can be distinguished from crabgrass by its blades, which are straight and do not branch off like crabgrass. Also, although crabgrass has spiky blades, quackgrass blades are more vertical and straight up and attach to a hollow stem.

Although fighting annoying weeds is a constant battle, allowing the lawn to grow a bit longer and eliminating bald spots will prevent the growth of both crabgrass and quackgrass.