What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Crabgrass?

Crabgrass is one of the most troublesome weeds for yards.

It’s found in almost every lawn and landscape. Crabgrass thrives especially well on patchy lawns and poor soil, so it’s no surprise this weed dominates Minnesota lawns. 

The good news is crabgrass plants only live a single year. The bad news is one single plant produces 150,000 seeds. As soon as temps reach about 55°F a few days in a row, crabgrass will germinate, grow, and spread until it overtakes your yard.

Luckily, you can get rid of crabgrass via a few methods. In fact, the three main ways we’ll highlight below will not only get rid of crabgrass, but will help promote grass root growth for a thick, healthy, green lawn.

How to Get Rid of Crabgrass

There are a few ways to deal with crabgrass if it’s an issue in your yard. We’ll start with the basics, and end with the best way to get rid of crabgrass.

1. The old-fashioned way is to pull up the weeds in the spring. It’s the most organic attempt, but can be back-straining work. It’s also difficult to eradicate by hand because it’s not easy to pull, and small weeds might be missed. Later in the season when crabgrass seeds, it’s almost impossible to manage by hand.
2. Post-emergent herbicides can help if you weren’t prepared for the spring growing season. It’s a little tricky, because post-emergent treatments are most effective on young plants and seedlings. You will need to apply this type of herbicide multiple times throughout the summer, as soon as you spot the crabgrass growing. Be careful with this method because most herbicides that kill crabgrass will also kill your lawn.
3. The best way to kill crabgrass is with pre-emergent herbicides. It’s most effective because it kills seeds and seedlings before crabgrass even sprouts. If you get an early start and use herbicides in the spring, that gives you time all summer to cultivate a lush, beautiful lawn. Ironically, a thick and healthy lawn is one of the best preventative methods to handle crabgrass, as the weed thrives in bare spots and poor soil.

How to Use Pre-Emergent Herbicide to Kill Crabgrass

The best time to apply pre-emergent herbicides is in the spring. Before you begin use of pre-emergent herbicide for crabgrass, make sure to protect yourself by covering your skin completely. Wear long pants and long sleeves, and wear gloves.

Choose a calm, non-windy day that ideally has steady rain forecast over the next few days. If it’s not raining after you treat your yard, run your sprinklers longer because the water will help the herbicide.

Tools & Equipment You May Need:

• Gardening gloves
• Protective clothing
• Handheld Lawn Spreader
• Herbicide

For pre-emergent herbicide, we highly recommend Ace Crabgrass Preventer Lawn Fertilizer which is available for purchase at Ace Hardware. There are two sizes available, 5,000 sq feet for small yards, or 15,000 sq feet to cover more ground.

In one easy step, you can prevent crabgrass from taking root while also fertilizing your lawn. Ace Crabgrass Preventer Lawn Fertilizer for all Grasses delivers pre and early post-emergent crabgrass control while also providing controlled release fertilization for up to 8 weeks. You can apply it in the spring or fall, but our lawn and garden experts recommend that the best time is before Memorial Day. Ace Crabgrass Preventer prevents crabgrass up to 4 months, and simultaneously fertilizes your yard to promote root growth for a thick, healthy, green lawn.

For a Healthy, Weed-Free Lawn

From crabgrass killer to pest control to lawn seed and soil, find everything your yard needs at Mimbach Fleet Supply. Stop by our store in Sauk Rapids, or shop online at Ace then pick up at our store.

Not sure what you need? We’ll be happy to point you to the right products and tools. Call our local team or send a message to get started!