I'm in zone 7a and my front and back yard (about half an acre) are completely overrun with crabgrass. After mowing on Sunday, I spent 1.5 hours just trying to clear the thick crabgrass that kept jamming my mower. I had to stop every couple of passes to empty the bag and clean out the blades. I mowed again today, and the same thing happened! Does anyone have effective sprays or solutions that I can use this fall and spring? I've had some crabgrass in the past, but never to this extent—it's really overwhelming!
5 Answers
I've seen entire half-acre yards that were just crabgrass and micro clover. They can actually look really nice and require little maintenance! But if you’re seeing a lot of brown spots too, it might not be the best option. Just a heads up, crabgrass dies in winter and won't come back till summer. If it were perennial, I bet some folks would love it!
Exactly! I just want my yard back to normal!
You know what? Chickens! They’ll help with the weed situation if you can handle having them around. They eat a ton of greens, including crabgrass!
Don’t worry too much; the crabgrass will die off in the winter. For the spring, make sure to apply a pre-emergent herbicide, then follow up about eight weeks later to keep it from coming back. Since you've got a lot of it, your turf might be too sparse, so consider overseeding this fall. Also, using fertilizer can help your grass grow thicker and outcompete the crabgrass.
Tackling crabgrass can be tricky! You can spray it now, but wait for a warmer day. I've had success with Bayer's crabgrass killer—just note that it might not wipe out everything since it’s an annual. In spring, use a good pre-emergent and fertilizer combo, like Greenview. The key is controlling the seeds, as they can stick around for years and sprout later. Once you get it managed, it should be a lot easier to handle moving forward!
I need a strong pre-emergent for my yard as well; it was such a mess this year! Does anyone know if Home Depot has any options?
Yeah, I saw they have Preen. Just be sure to apply it in spring when conditions are right. There's a cool map you can check to see the timing!
Haha, yeah, you've got to balance it out! Just keep in mind that while some people find it nice, it doesn't help with those brown spots you've got going on.