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Best Ways to Get Rid of Crabgrass

Chandramita Bora
Weeds like crabgrasses are quite invasive, and they can ruin the look of your lawn. However, with the application of herbicides and proper lawn care, you can keep your lawn free of such weeds.
Crabgrass is the common name of Digitaria, a genus of 300 grass species. Digitaria belongs to the family Poaceae, found in tropical, temperate regions. Digitaria, a Latin word, means finger, and it looks as long finger-like bunch of flowers on branches.
Crabgrasses are often termed as lawn pests, and they are quite difficult to get rid of once they start invading your lawn. Their seeds usually germinate in early spring or late winter, when the soil temperature reaches about 55°F. They produce seeds from mid-summer to fall. They are killed by autumn frosts.

Weeding Out Crabgrass
You can apply a pre-emergent herbicide to get rid of these lawn pests. As the name suggests, this herbicide prevents the emergence of weeds by preventing their seedlings from sprouting. So, it is important to apply this herbicide before the seeds germinate. For crabgrass, the timing of germination usually coincides with the blooming of the lilac shrubs.
Pre-emergent herbicides are available in both granular and liquid forms, and they form a protective layer on the surface of your lawn. This protective layer prevents the seeds from sprouting.
Do not aerate the soil after applying a pre-emergent herbicide. However, you can water your lawn, as watering can help activate the herbicide. Sometimes, you may need to reapply the herbicide, as all seedlings do not germinate at the same time.
Post-emergent herbicides are also available that can kill weeds after germination. But it has been observed that they are mainly effective in destroying the young seedlings, which are quite difficult to distinguish from lawn grass.
As excess use of chemicals is not safe for both humans and pets, you can consider the option of killing crabgrass organically. An effective organic pre-emergent herbicide is corn gluten, which not only inhibits the germination of this grass, but also increases the soil fertility.
To check the growth of weeds, it is important to not leave any bare spots in your lawn. A full and thick lawn can help get rid of these weeds by leaving no space for them. Maintain your lawn grass at a fixed height by mowing regularly. This can help prevent the flowering and seeding of crabgrass.
As far as irrigation is concerned, irrigate your lawn deeply but not frequently. Crabgrass is a shallow weed,so let the ground dry a bit to inhibit its germination. Deep watering would benefit your lawn grass by stimulating the roots to grow deeper into the soil.
Instead of applying fertilizers in spring, do it in fall, as this grass is killed by the hard frost of fall. If your lawn is not overcrowded by crabgrass, you can practice weeding, as hand pulling can also be effective to uproot them. While applying different types of herbicides, don't forget to read and follow instructions mentioned on the product label.