The crab grass slipped in on my lawn this spring. I have sprayed Ortho crab grass killer on it with very dissapointing results. It was left over from last year. Does it have a shelf life once opened? Are there other brands of crab grass killer that work better?
Chas Hurst
Where do you live? It seems very early for crabgrass in most of the US.
To answer your question, there are a number of varieties of crabgrass killer. The one I like is Image. I had a huge amount of crabgrass in my new zoysia last summer. I sprayed it with Image in one of the hose end applicators and the crabgrass was noticably damaged in a week or so and completely gone in 3 weeks or so.
My experience is that crabgrass killers work very slowly. And, they are weak. I need about 3 applications, 2 weeks apart. And even then, it takes a few weeks for the crabgrass do whither.
I agree that it's too early for crabgrass for most of the US. Crabgrass needs soil temps in the 70s to germinate, which is why it's not a problem most places until 2-3 months from now.
If it is crabgrass, Aclaim is the best product I've found. It's not a typical retail product that you'll find at home centers. You need to buy it at an agri supply type place, like Lesco.
Same here, I've had the same experiences like that too. I was told.... if it was stronger, the regular grass would die too.
I just get mad and pull the stuff up by hand now. If I'm in a rush, I run around spraying, and come back later, since the crab grass 'yellows' so I can find it later when I have time.
later,
tom @
Thanks for all the replies. I live in SE PA and did not expect to see crab grass this early, but there it is.
I kind of doubt it. Can you post a pic of it here?
Let's try this one.
but it's hard to tell from that pic.
OK, hows about this? Where can I find a picture of crabgrass?
Looks more like quack to me since it appears well established already..like you said, it's hard to say from that pic. Here's quackgrass in turf:
Hard to get depth percerption, but IMHO, that looks like crab grass. BTW, it has been warm enough here in PA to get it. I've seen some on OTHER people's yards.
The forsythia around here bloomed in early March.
later,
tom @
re-seeded some spots last fall and apparently it was in the mix. I bought what I thought was quality seed and there was no listing of annual rye grass on the assay label. Anyway, I can live with the rye since it's an annual and it gets mowed regularly hopefully keeping it from going to seed.
I think it is annual bluegrass "poa annual". Does it have numerous little silver/white seeds at the top of the grass leaves, assuming you let it grow?
The only way to get rid of it this spring is to either pull it up by hand or to wait until warmer, drier weather kills it. I have a bunch of it in my yard. Didn't think I'd have that problem with
One thing for sure, what Chas has is not crabgrass. I line in NJ and immediately recognized this as the same thing I have in a few spots in my lawn. It's lighter in color, grows faster than the surrounding grass, is most noticeable this time of year, then either greatly diminishes or disappears by summer, only to reappear in the same spot next spring. It doesn't look at all like crabgrass, which grows lower to the ground. This stuff grows low for the first inch or so, then shoots up straight.
It doesn't respond much to Acclaim, which is effective against some undesirable grasses, especially crabgrass. So, I whacked the few spots I had it growing in with Roundup and reseeded before it spreads more and gets way out of control.
I may pull a remaining clump and take it to the local state agri service for identification, as I've been curious as to exactly what this is for awhile. Quack grass is on my list of possibilities too.
-snippage- Hi Trader.
It might be quack if it hasn't gone to seed yet, or it could also be some sort of bizarre annual rye, or blue...or, if it is or has seeded. (?)
As someone else has already suggested, the only way to attempt a control of an annual grass infestation is with a late summer pre-emergent crabgrass control product application. (the same product you'd use in the spring)
You have to lay it down before the annual grasses re-germinate....otherwise their whole life cycle starts over. (timing is critical)
It's a real problem to deal with, if you're going for a mono-strand look.
I've got clumps of similar grass. I let one grow up to flowering and IDed it as orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata). Perennial, tolerates poor soil and shade.
To Chas and anyone else still interested, I had some weed grass growing in my lawn that looked identical to the photo that Chas had provided a few weeks ago. I let it grow to seed head and managed to identify it as likely to be poa trivialis. Took it to the local county agri service here and the expert there agreed. It's common name is rough stalk bluegrass.
The bad news is that there is no selective herbicide for control and it will spread. Roundup and reseeding, pulling, mowing it frequently enough to limit seed formation, applying pre-emergent crabgrass control in early Fall are some of the ways to deal with it.
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