Are you looking to finally eliminate and kill crabgrass from your lawn, flowerbeds and garden spaces for good – and do it without having to use harsh chemicals?
There is no doubt about it, crabgrass can be quite the issue for anyone that maintains a lawn. The invasive plant can creep in seemingly overnight. And once it does, it spreads like wildfire – quickly finding its way all throughout your lawn and landscape.
There are a couple of factors that make crabgrass extremely difficult to control. For starters, a single plant can produce tens of thousands of seeds. Seeds that can easily release, blow away, and then find a new home anywhere a tiny spot of bare soil exists.
Making it even tougher, not only are the plants prolific seed bearers, the seeds themselves are some of the toughest around. In fact, crabgrass seeds can stay fertile for three or more years. All the while waiting patiently dormant for their chance to come alive in your lawn!
Although crabgrass is certainly a formidable opponent, you can gain the upper hand. And without having to resort to harsh or dangerous chemical applications that can be harmful to pets, children and even adults.
A Consistent Approach – How To Kill Crabgrass Without Chemicals
First and foremost, it’s important to understand that in order to control crabgrass permanently, it takes a consistent approach. And that is true whether you are attacking the grass organically, or even if you were treating it with chemicals.
With its heavy seeding rate and explosive growing capabilities, it takes a bit of time to get crabgrass under control. The real key to success is to be vigilant in your approach. By simply employing a few of the methods below, you can more than have your lawn free of crabgrass within a few seasons. And even better – keep it that way with ease!
How To Kill Crabgrass – 3 Natural Methods That Work!
#1 A Thick Lawn, The Best First Line Of Defense
No matter what, the best offense and defense against crabgrass is a thick, healthy lawn. Just as with fighting weeds in flowerbeds, the more open soil spaces there are, the more easily it will be for crabgrass to find a home to seed and sprout.
One of the easiest things you can do immediately is to raise the height of your mower. Mowing your grass low is like sending an open invitation for crabgrass to come calling. When blades of grass are higher, they help to shade open lawn space and keep bare spots from exposure to crabgrass seeds.
It is important to note that crabgrass seeds need soil, sunlight and warmth to germinate. If you have a healthy, thick cover of existing turf, the seeds simply can’t get what they need.
A thick lawn also help conserve moisture in the soil, allowing existing grass to grow healthier and stronger. How high should you mow your lawn for protection? For traditional lawns, a good height is somewhere between 3.25 and 4 inches. (See: How To Cut Your Lawn For Success!)
In addition to mowing high, get in the practice of overseeding your lawn in the early spring or fall. Simply putting down a bit of new seed over the existing lawn can thicken and help fill bare spots, creating a natural barrier against crabgrass.
#2 Spring Treating With An Organic Pre-Emergent – How To Kill Crabgrass For Good
Springtime is a critical time for the development of crabgrass. And it is definitely the time to take preventative action in your lawn! In the spring, the seeds of crabgrass begin to sprout and the plant’s root system starts to develop. But by putting down a pre-emergent control application, you can block both from occurring.
A pre-emergent application prevents a seed from germinating. It basically sterilizes the seed. The good news is there are 100% organic pre-emergents that are safe for kids, pets and your lawn. They use natural ingredients like corn gluten to both thicken up the lawn and block weed germination. Affiliate Product Link: Natural Corn Gluten Weed Control/Fertilizer
The key to success with a pre-emergent is to put it down before crabgrass begins to sprout and develop. That means putting it on early in the spring, well before temperatures warm up enough to allow germination.
For best results, a pre-emergent should go on in March or April in most areas. The key is to get it on before your grass begins to green up and grow. Remember that once crabgrass starts to germinate or grow, the pre-emergent will be useless.
Using a pre-emergent early each spring is critical in helping to eventually stop crabgrass. With each passing year, it will knock out any chance for new crabgrass seeds to germinate. Remember it does and will not kill off existing crabgrass. For that, as you will see in step 3, you will need to use a little elbow grease!
#3 Hand Picking Summer Crabgrass – How To Kill Crabgrass For Good Without Chemicals
To kill off existing crabgrass naturally, there is no better method than hand picking. Unfortunately, it is a bit more labor intensive than the first two. But the good news is that this method works fast, and should only be for the short term.
Until your lawn grows completely thick and strong, there are going to be instances where crabgrass finds a home. And by simply digging those plants up and spot reseeding the area, you can slowly eradicate it from your lawn.
Crabgrass is fairly easy to spot in a lawn. That is one of the reasons it is so unsightly in lawns where it grows. To remove, use a small shovel or weeding fork to pop the roots from the ground. Be sure to get the entire root or it will come back!
Picking Crabgrass Before It Seeds!
It’s important to hand pick crabgrass before it flowers and goes to seed. Walk your lawn on a regular basis to locate and remove any new starts. More importantly, once you remove the crabgrass plant, reseed the area with grass seed and cover with straw. This will keep any open soil from having new seeds blow in and take hold.
Finally, if you do have crabgrass going to seed in your yard, and happen to have a bag on your mower, it is best to not mow the turf and allow the clippings to fall. This can spread seed and “plant” your entire yard in the process.
Once you have removed the existing crabgrass plant, with a thick lawn and a pre-emergent application each spring, hand picking will be a chore of the past. Here is to tackling and eliminating crabgrass once and for all, and enjoying time in your weed-free lawn for years to come!
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