Weed Prevention In The Fall - Crabgrass
Spring has come and gone, bringing the flowers, tree blossoms, and unfortunately lots of weeds. Even though the season is over, the seedlings are still in your landscape waiting to germinate until next spring!
What is Crabgrass?
Crabgrass is a type of weed that infests your lawn in Bethlehem and sprouts in the warm months. In the summer months, the crabgrass can produce thousands and thousands of micro seeds, planted into your landscape becoming dormant through winter. As soon as the temperature rises, these seedlings sprout taking over more and more of your yard each year.
How do I prevent Crabgrass?
Preventing crab grass is a three step process starting in the fall of the year with a herbicide called a pre-emergent. Pre-emergents in Bethlehem are found at most of your home retail stores and are relatively safe to use. Of course, always follow the proper precations listed on the label. The three steps required to keep crabgrass away for good are:
Preventing next season bloom with pre-emergent.
Removing any blooms that might slip through the crack with a post- emergent.
Maintaining your lawn and landscape regularly to prevent further spread.
How do I use pre-emergents for prevention?
If crabgrass has taken over your landscape over the years, it might take all three of the steps listed above to permanently remove the crabgrass. However, starting with the pre-emergents in the fall is first. We have listed a coulple of basic guidelines for pre-emergents:
Make sure to time the pre-emergent right for proper reduction of seedlings. The pre-emergent (in Georgia) should be applied in the early fall of the year between August and November. This will prevent seedlings from popping back up next spring.
Make sure to distribute the pre-emergent evenly throughout your landscape. If there are bare or missing pieces, the crabgrass could still emerge.
Do not aerate your lawn after applying the herbicide as it could potentially break the chemical barrier you just made.
Do not re seed your lawn until 2-3 months after the herbicide has been applied.
Regular maintenance of your lawn and landscape is necessary to control future outbreaks. This means keeping your specific type of grass (each type has a different height requirement) at the right height, preventing the sun from reaching the underground weeds and encouraging growth.
If you still have questions about your landscape please feel free to use the link below to contact on of our tree and plant health care associates for more information!
