Article 1- Crabgrass Lawn Diseases: What is Crabgrass and How to Get rid of it?

What is Crabgrass?

Crabgrass is one of the most common weeds in lawns and gardens. Crabgrass, which is native to Europe and Eurasia, was brought to the United States as a prospective fodder crop. Crabgrass has spread over the region since then. Some people may be surprised to find that there are two varieties of crabgrass: smooth crabgrass and hairy crabgrass. The former is more likely to be found in your yard. Crabgrass thrives in even the most adverse conditions due to its toughness. It can drain the nutrients and moisture in your lawn, making it difficult for other grasses to survive. Crabgrass, a plant that grows in the spring and dies in the fall, is also known for having a greater stalk area that serves as an ideal shelter for insects. Crabgrass is a weed that grows every year. It blooms in early summer and thrives in hot weather because of its drought tolerance. In fact, it’s typically the last green item on the lawn in August, before the October frosts destroy its stems. Crabgrass loves tightly compacted soil that has been weakened or thinned by grass. Crabgrass requires more water and fertilizers as it increases in size. This deprives surrounding grass of the nutrients it requires to grow green and healthy, eventually killing it.

Causes of Crabgrass in Your Lawns

Crabgrass enjoys salt, and it is a serious threat to your tree lawn if you reside in a region with salted roads. Crabgrass thrives in locations with bare soil and direct sunshine. This is common at the borders of the driveway, sidewalk, and tree lawn. Mowing your lawn to a height of 3.5-4 inches can control crabgrass more effectively than any pesticide on the market. The thick grass covers the soil surface, preventing Crabgrass from getting the sunlight it requires to thrive. Crabgrass seeds sprout faster when they are watered on a daily basis. Water no more than twice a week for the greatest defense against crabgrass. Crabgrass grows best in certain years. Crabgrass will sprout better in rainy spring, and it will grow faster in a hot summer. Although you can’t stop rainy seasons and hot weather, you can have thick grass and keep it mowed high to protect your lawn from crabgrass.

Prevention and Control: How to Protect Your Lawn from Crabgrass

If you keep your lawn healthy, it means protecting against crabgrass and preventing it from growing in the first place. Fertilization promotes your lawn to grow strong and healthy with deep roots as a preventive strategy, with the added benefit of forcing out crabgrass. Frosts in October or November will destroy crabgrass and other annual grasses that sprout in late summer. Mow your grass at a 2- to 3-inch cut height. Taller grass shadows the soil, keeping it cool. Crabgrass seeds do not germinate in cold temperatures. Water deeply once a week and avoid light irrigation as much as possible. Crabgrass is a sign of poor lawn growth rather than a problem in and of itself. It is an annual plant, which means that it will grow from scratch each year. As a result, if you can keep your lawn healthy by using aeration, planting, fertilizer, and proper watering/cutting, crabgrass is unlikely to establish a root and will not return the following year.

Article 2- Crabgrass Prevention and Control: An Ultimate Guide

Crabgrass has been a problem for lawn management for 50 years and remains at the top of the list of the most bothersome weeds. Turf managers have been looking for improved chemical controls since lead arsenate initially showed promise for crabgrass management. Several goods have come and gone, and new ones arrive on a regular basis, but crabgrass endures. Smooth crabgrass and hairy crabgrass are both found in the semi-tropical and temperate zones of the United States. Both are annual grasses that appear in early to mid-spring and die with the first frost in the fall. Crabgrass blooms all summer and is a prolific seed producer. Smooth crabgrass usually develops in North Carolina from March to early May when soil temperatures exceed 53 to 58°F at a 4-inch depth. In the spring, alternating dry and wet weather at the soil surface promotes development. Crabgrass germinates and grows best under conditions of appropriate light and humidity. Smooth crabgrass looks similar to big crabgrass; however, the large crabgrass leaf blade has more hairs, with short hairs on both surfaces and dispersed hairs on the margins.

Life Cycle

The grass family includes large crabgrass, a summer annual. It is one of the most vexing weeds on lawns. A single plant may produce between 150 and 700 tillers and 150,000 seeds. Crabgrass plants respond well to mowing height. Seeds can be produced by plants at mowing heights as low as 1/2-inch. Crabgrass seeds are dormant for a brief time after they have been shed from plants—the temperature of the soil influences seeds germination. Crabgrass begins to sprout when the soil temperature at the surface hits 55°F for four or five days in a row. Early spring to late summer is the optimal time for seeds to germinate. Crabgrass grows until July when the days become shorter. Plants begin their reproductive stage as their vegetative development slows. Purplish seed heads appear till the plants are killed by the cold. Plants that arise early in the season and have a long vegetative stage are much larger and more aggressive than plants that emerge later in the season.

Prevention and Control

Under tight mowing circumstances, crabgrass will flourish. Thin open turfgrass stands, incorrect mowing heights for the desired turf, summer fertilizing, and light, frequent watering all contribute to increased competition. To maintain a thick, actively developing turf, use the crabgrass management measures provided. Some herbicides can be reapplied for longer control; time and rates should be followed according to the instructions. Core aerification or dethatching should be performed according to label recommendations. Seeding or over-seeding methods are one of the management issues linked with preemergence herbicides. Preemergence annual grass weed killers, with the exception of the active component siduron, will also harm be sprouting desirable grass seed. Siduron is frequently used with starting fertilizer. If crabgrass plants develop on lawns in the middle to late summer, keep in mind that they are annual plants that die when temperatures fall in fall. Crabgrass in the lawn will persist unless the conditions that encourage crabgrass are corrected.