Killing crabgrass in a garden.

[Mark]

I planted a variety of nice plants in the front of my house in Cincinnati Ohio at the end of April. However, since then I have had a major problem with crabgrass. I sprayed some crabgrass killer on it on multiple occasions, and it did not help much. Since then, I have been reduce to pulling it out. (Of course, when I pull it out, I try to get as much root out as I can.) I have peonies, day lillies, and snapdragons in the garden. Can someone give me an idea as to how I can control the crabgrass.

Thanks,

JD

[Ann]

"Mark" expounded:

What makes you think it's crabgrass? Crabgrass is an annual and is easily controlled in a flower bed by cultivating with a garden fork a few times when it's germinating; I've never found it to be hard to pull by hand even after it's established. It could be quackgrass, in which case you have to remove all of the root, the smallest piece will resprout quickly, quackgrass is very difficult to control.

[Mark]

Ann,

I have had crabgrass before in lawns and easily killed it with a spray. This looks similar. However, whatever it is grew very tall (12 to 14 inches) -- after I sprayed it, I waited for it to die and most of it did not do so. Since I have never had a major crabgrass problem before, and the crabgrass was always in a lawn where it never had the chance to grow, I can't definitely say it is crabgrass. Also, I would add that when an experienced gardener visited my house on one occasion, she referred to it as crabgrass. I'll make an effort to specifically identify the plant, but in the meantime, I would appreciate any suggestions as to how to control crabgrass or quakgrass.

Thanks,

JD

[Ann]

"Mark" expounded:

I'm not a sprayer, I'm a weeder and a cultivator. I'd hand-weed it, no matter which one it is.

[raycruzer]

The roots of crabgrass and quackgrass can be fished out of the soil with a hand tool called the weed twister with double coils. The other weed twisters on the market that do not have the double coils will not get the roots out effectively.

Ray ____________________________________________ EWIRM: Nature makes plants, humans make weeds!