If you want the perfect lawn, crabgrass and other plants that are common weeds, can be the ultimate enemy if you let them take control. A nicely manicured lawn is not only good for your home’s value, but it is good for the lawn, your own pride, and self-benefits, and it will keep bugs away that are attracted to weeds and other plants that will try and put down roots in your yard.

Knowing that you want a great lawn is the first step, the second step is to know how to get the lawn you need. There are several steps one must take to successfully eradicate crabgrass and then maintain the lawn to prevent future invasion.

How to Get Rid of Crabgrass

You already have crabgrass growing in your yard, so, you need to get rid of it. Although, anyone would dread the thought of pulling each weed out of the ground. Luckily, you don’t have to do that. All you must do is simply drive down to your local home store and purchase a concentrated herbicide that is specially formulated to kill crabgrass, and not the regular grass species you have in your lawn.

There are many kinds of herbicide that can work for you. First, take note of where you are going to spray. Some brands have more harsh chemicals than others. Still, spraying near vegetable gardens, flower beds, or kid’s play equipment is something you would like to avoid, if possible.

There are several brands of herbicide at the store. Make sure to read each label or even do extra research on each product online to ensure you get the best product for your needs.

There are natural methods of killing crabgrass too. Some products that you see in the store are all natural. But, you may not even have to go buy a product to kill your weeds. Here are a few things you can try to kill your crabgrass:

  • Pour boiling water onto the weeds
  • Pour a vinegar solution onto the weeds
  • Cover the weed with something to deprive it of all sunlight
  • Pull the weeds by hand

Rake the Yard

You must get all the dead crabgrass out of your yard. Even the dead plants will drop seeds and even release a liquid toxin that hurts surrounding plants, like grass. And, you do not want the dead plants covering your good grass.

Seed Bare Spots

You will obviously need to over seed the spots where the crabgrass had taken hold. You can use whatever type of grass seed you want. Make sure to read the directions, plant a lot of seed, keep the seeds moist, and rip out any weeds that want to start growing in the bare spots.

The fall is the best time to plant new grass. Depending on where you live, it will have more than enough time to establish itself before the frost hits.

Prevent Crabgrass

The hardest part of this entire operation is preventing the crabgrass from coming back. You must stay vigilant in guarding your lawn against this horrible weed. But, luckily, there is a product that many manufacturers make called ‘preemergent’. Preemergent is a product that specifically targets crabgrass, and other weeds you do not want in your lawn and prevents them from ever even popping up. Any kind of prevention is going to be most successful when it is applied in the fall or winter, so that it can work to prevent the weeds from coming back from the frost. Although, every product is going to be different, so be sure to read the instructions to ensure you use it correctly.

Maintenance

After your lawn consists of just grass, make sure to set your mower height a notch higher so the grass will shade the topsoil. Also, do not use a top irrigation system if possible. Use an underground irrigation system to promote deep roots and stronger, healthier grass.