Crabgrass owns my lawn

Hello all,
We've been putting money into our lawn, installed new sprinkler system, added seed, etc. HOWEVER, my "lawn" is mostly crabgrass and I was told to wait until the Fall to work on killing it all so we can have a healthy lawn next Spring. So, I am asking for any advice or products you recommend to spray all over my lawn (front & back) to kill crab grass and promote healthy growth next spring?
I live in Southern NJ, if that helps and thank you all for your anticipated advice...

 

The seed is already down for the crabgrass. Your best off seeding now, and use the pre emergent in the spring.

If you look at the crabgrass you have now you should see the seed sprouts have already been releasing seed for the crabgrass next year.

Your best bet is to put down a second pre emergent without fertilizer some time in summer before the crab grass seed comes up.

When you do the application in the spring it only lasts 2-3 months.

Thats what my few areas with crabgrass are doing anyway.

 

Two ways to deal with crab grass - pull it by hand or put down a pre-emergent in the spring.

Crab grass dies every fall and regrows from seed every spring so if you can get it before it germinates in the spring, it's gone.

 

As others have said, crabgrass is an annual. It's gonna' die soon. The problem is that like Mike said, the seeds from this year's crop are already in your lawn.

Fortunately, crabgrass is fairly easy to control. There's not much you can do now, but you can use a pre emergence control in the spring. I use Scott's Turfbuilder with Halts Crabgrass Preventer every spring. I had very good results with it. My yard is probably 50% crabgrass but when I mowed my lawn yesterday I noted one crabgrass plant on the edge of my walk. Don't expect miracles with your lawn the first year but once you get things under control crabgrass won't be a problem. If a plant or two pops up over the summer just pull it by hand.

Now if I could only control my clover problem

 

I don't mind the clover, it puts nitrogen [I think] into the soil. I live on top of a big slate rock hill - no topsoil to speak of. I've been seeding my yard for 20+ yrs and I've just about come to the conclusion, crabgrass gives me the best looking yard I fertilize 2-3 times a year but don't dare use any weed and feed..... I'd be back to 1" thick pulverized slate for a yard

 

Wayne - I had a lawn service for a couple years and after one application I never saw clover again, even in several years after I canned them.

As Mark said, though, it does fix nitrogen to the soil, so some like having it. That said, I'm with you - I don't want it in my lawn.

 

Mitch - Do you know what they used? I don't want to use an herbicide and end up with bare spots where nothing will grow. I've been thinking about tearing up the clover patches and planting grass but I think it will just return.

Mark - My yard is probably 75% crabgrass with the remainder made up of every weed native to the area. It's green in the spring and fall and looks good if you're just driving by. Mid summer it usually turns a nice shade of brown meaning I only mow it every other week. For a lawn I have an area in front and alongside my house that I try to keep weed free. It's nice, plush grass that I can walk around in barefoot to relive my childhood.

BTW - My topsoil is a foot or more deep. When I had my driveway put in the contractor made more money selling my topsoil than he made from the job.

 

Sorry, I do not - this would have been eight or nine years ago now so I know I don't even have the bill any longer if it said.

 

Years ago there were products available that would kill crabgrass. According to my local chemical supplier they are have been banned so we're left with preemergent herbicides. I have read online of Acclaim which claims to be the only available postemergent herbicide for crabgrasses. I've not tried it though.

 

I live in SE Pa. and I use 2 applications of a product I buy at WalMart, one in the early spring and one in late spring. It has been working very well for me. I tried Scotts one year and I felt it made the yard worse so I now continue to use the product from WalMart. I only wish I could remember the brand name of it!

 

I think the problem with "wonder" products that do everything in one package is that fertilizer and herbicides usually need to be applied at different time. Combining them into one product makes it easy which is what sells but it's a compromise so neither the fertilizer or herbicide can work their best.

 

I agree that the combo products are probably a compromise. I also believe that success with lawn care products depends on a lot of factors including geography, soil makeup, grass variety and the human factor.

It took me several years to come up with a regimen that works for my lawn. I think a lot of people expect that they can spread some fertilizer in the spring and then expect a perfect lawn.

 

I used to live in central VA and Scotts Turf Builder & Halts made my lawn the envy of everyone in the neighborhood. I moved 100 miles south and tried the same tricks that worked in VA and it just did not have the same effect.