How to Control Crabgrass in Your Louisville, KY Lawn

When it comes to getting outside and enjoying your yard to the fullest, you know that weeds can easily stand in the way of a good time. Instead of enjoying your lawn, you might find yourself getting frustrated by seeing weeds.

Crabgrass weeds, in particular, are a major source of frustration. That’s because crabgrass is incredibly invasive and can spread easily. This is largely due to its ability to proliferate. Just one crabgrass plant can produce up to 75,000 seeds. These will lay dormant in the soil until conditions are just right…and then they will spread like wildfire!

It doesn’t take much for crabgrass to grow and thrive. In fact, it will even perform well in compacted soil. Since crabgrass loves the heat, it tends to pop up in thinned-out areas of the lawn or alongside hardscaping.

If you have crabgrass in your lawn, or you’re just worried about it, you might be looking into crabgrass control in Louisville. In this article, we’ll talk about what works so that you can get an effective solution underway.

Preventing Crabgrass in Lawns

A big part of the crabgrass control strategy involves preventing it in the first place. This can be achieved with a product called pre-emergent. Some people also refer to this as “crabgrass preventer.”

Crabgrass pre-emergent products work by forming a thin barrier at the surface of the soil to intercept crabgrass germination. When the germinating seeds come into contact with that barrier, they stop growing.

As far as avoiding crabgrass in a lawn, this strategy will prevent a large majority of it. However, there will always be at least some breakthrough. Breaks to the barrier can be formed by mowing, dry conditions and cracking soil, or even excessive rainfall.

Fortunately, any breakthrough of crabgrass weeds can be addressed with a post-emergent product.

As you might have guessed, a big key to the success of crabgrass preventer products is application timing. The best time to apply pre-emergent products is in the early spring, prior to germination. That last part is essential. If the crabgrass has already germinated, the barrier won’t do any good.

The exact timing is weather dependent…or, more specifically, soil temperature dependent. Your lawn care professional should be paying close attention to soil temperatures so that they are applying crabgrass preventers within the optimal window (prior to germination).

At Limbwalker, our first two visits include pre-emergent applications. We put a thorough application down and then follow that up with a second application to build upon that first layer.

What Kills Crabgrass?

Now that you know all about preventing crabgrass weeds, let’s talk about killing crabgrass that has already germinated.

As we mentioned, post-emergent products are those that work on crabgrass that has already germinated. To rid your lawn of crabgrass, it’s important to spot-treat the breakthrough with an effective crabgrass control product.

Of course, if you have missed the window for pre-emergent products to work, you’ll have to discuss the best approach to crabgrass control with your lawn care company. At this point, only post-emergent products are going to be effective. Whether or not it makes sense to treat your entire lawn with post-emergent might depend upon how bad your crabgrass problem is.

How Can You Help with Crabgrass Control?

• For one, you can be sure to mow your lawn properly so that it’s not too short. The cut height for prevalent grass types in our region is typically 4 inches. While we know that people like a short lawn when you go too short, you put a lot of stress on it. This can cause the turf to thin and weaken, which makes it more likely to be invaded by crabgrass weeds.

• Another step that you can take is to avoid scalping the edges of your walkway or driveway when you trim. This is another area where crabgrass weeds would love to creep in. When you scalp the edges, you make it more difficult for grass to grow.
• Finally, you can also invest in a complete lawn care program that promotes an overall healthy and thick lawn. People don’t always realize that a strong weed control strategy not only involves targeting weeds but it involves creating an environment where weeds struggle to grow in the first place! When a lawn is thick and healthy, it’s very difficult for weeds to thrive. Your healthy lawn will actually start to naturally choke out weeds on its own. It’s also important to remember that crabgrass weeds are just one type that you’ll be dealing with. Power Seeding your lawn every 1-2 years can make a huge difference in terms of naturally keeping various weeds away.

Partner with a Pro for Effective Crabgrass Control

There are many reasons why it makes sense to partner with a lawn care professional to fight against crabgrass weeds.

For one, your weed control arsenal really does need to be robust and varied. That includes the use of both pre-emergent and post-emergent controls.

Plus, as we’ve mentioned, crabgrass weeds are just one type that you’ll be dealing with. Since different weeds require different controls, you’d need to invest in a variety of products to ensure you’re fully covered. This also includes specialty controls for tough-to-control varieties like nutsedge.

A pro will also have access to commercial-grade products that will be most effective against these difficult weeds. And, along with that, they’ll be able to implement a full lawn care program that promotes a thick and healthy lawn to naturally choke out weeds.

While you might think about taking on these responsibilities on your own, the beauty of partnering with a lawn care professional is that you can hand over these tasks and let them take care of them for you. That means you can let go of the worries and simply get back to enjoying your lawn.

We understand that crabgrass weeds can be really frustrating. But a professional can help you get your lawn problems back under control.

Are you ready to have a thick and healthy lawn that’s getting everything it needs at your Louisville, KY home? Get in touch with us to get a quote for our lawn care programs, which include three lawn care pricing options.