Crab grass!

[Muvin Gruvin]

Ciscoe Morris, Seattle's Channel 5 NBC gardening guru suggests spot spraying with straight vinegar. Especially on a hot sunny day. Within in days you can pull those dead grassse up, stir up the soil, add a little more lawn soil and reseed. Early spring and fall best time to do this. It works on weeds and grasses coming up in cracks on the sidewalk. I have a 20 ft or longer area covered with lava rock that abuts next to the street. I spray the length of it with straight vinegar every now n then to keep weeds down. This won't kill any seeds weeds have left behind so have to keep at it.

[Chas Hurst]

Thanks for the follow-up Trader. I am currently mowing twice a week with a bagger in an attempt to corral the seeds. So the pre-emergent applied in fall will help control it.

Thanks again

Chas Hurst

[trader4]

Yes, the ag extension guy said pre-emergent applied again late summer would help control it. Of course it won't stop what's there from spreading by rhizomes. I got rid of the worst spots that I had couple of weeks ago with Roundup.

I think mine came from some shade mix I used. It's confined to three areas I seeded couple years ago. On the web, looks like contamination has been a problem, particularly for grass mix for wet/shady areas, as that is the environment it likes.

If what you have is poa trivialis, it should disappear with hot, dryer weather.

[Stubby]

That's bogus. Preemergent controls prevent the seeds from sprouting in early spring. In order to kill the plants before they set seed in summer/fall, use a crabgrass killer several times.

[Steveo]

They do the same thing in late summer, brainiak.

[trader4]

Funny how he thinks applying it in late summer is no good, but applying it several times is a great idea. When are we supposed to apply it then, 3 weeks in a row in April? LOL

[Eggs Zachtly]

This would be one of the ones that you spoke of in an earlier thread, wouldn't it?

[Steveo]

I didn't know pre-emergent herbicide could read a calender.... someone better tell preen. :)

Know what too much will do? Root prune the desirables.

Like I told you before your extension guy did, timing is critical with that approach. Too soon can root prune, and too late won't work. You'll still end up with some of it.

[Steveo]

Yep. Most of them prevent grass seed germination first, some are better than others at it.

[Rapid]

you are partially correct. preemergent controls prevent seeds from sprouting, period.

[Eggs Zachtly]

rgr that. I was referring to those that constantly give out bad advice. ;)

[Steveo]

Gotcha that time, eggs. :p

[Eggs Zachtly]

Heh. =P

Dood... I like yer style. =)

[Steveo]

I may be totally wrong but I'm a dancing fool. ($1 F Zappa)

[Dan]

A Zappa fan? Heheh, I knew there was somethin' I liked about you.

Uncle Remus

[Stubby]

Of course, you're right. However, in the late summer crabgrass plants are mature and setting seed. We don't want those seeds to hit the ground. So, we kill the plants. I may be wrong, but that's why Ortho, Bonide and other companies produce "crabgrass killers". In my experience they work very well when applied according to the directions.

[Steveo]

Goin' to Montana!

[Steveo]

You. [e-mail]

[trader4]

Who exactly are you addressing this comment to?

[trader4]

If you follow the thread, the discussion about applying pre emergent again in late summer was to control poa trivialis, not crabgrass.