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What Is Crabgrass?

How Can I Control It? 

Crabgrass is a common grassweed found throughout North America, including in Pennsylvania. It typically germinates in the spring and starts to appear on lawns by the start of summer. There are several forms, but most people don’t want to see it on their lawn because it tends to stand out and take away from a uniform appearance.

How to Identify Crabgrass

If you’re battling crabgrass, you may be quite frustrated as this is a hard-to-treat problem. First, make sure that you have correctly identified what you’re up against. There are two specific types of crabgrass commonly found, hairy crabgrass and smooth crabgrass:

  • Hairy crabgrass: This type has long, straight hairs on the leaves and stems of the weed. The leaves tend to look wider than blades of grass, but it grows faster and taller than most varieties of grass. It also has a stout stem. When flowering, it has a number of small branches that have tiny spikes on them. 
  • Smooth crabgrass: This form is less “hairy,” creating more of a smooth edge. The hairs are smaller and tend to protrude at the inside area of the leaves. It has a smaller stem with more of a pinnacle of spread-out branches for its flowering system.

Generally, you’ll notice crabgrass as large clusters of grass that seem to stand out significantly from the normal lawn blades. These clumps of grass tend to have blades that grow away from the stem.

How to Get Rid of Crabgrass 

Prevention of crabgrass is better advised than trying to get rid of it once it’s already taken over your lawn. That means pre-treating the lawn in the spring months. Also, avoid cutting the grass too low as that can make it easier for crabgrass to germinate throughout the season.

There are treatments that can be applied later in the year as well. It is also necessary to remove the weeds themselves as they start to show up. Doing this and then watering your lawn well encourages grass to fill in the gaps, crowding out the crabgrass as much as possible. 

Hire Professional Lawn Care Services to Handle the Tough Patches

The best way you can avoid the onset of crabgrass and control it once it does develop is to use a professional lawn care service like GREENSKEEPER. We can provide a wide range of treatment options for all the weeds growing on your lawn this summer. Keep in mind that crabgrass can be a problem all year, but if we treat it by the end of the summer, it may not return in the spring again.

We offer commercial and residential lawn care services that develop healthy, beautiful lawns. Let’s work together to create a treatment plan that works for your needs. We have over 50 years of experience you can count on. Check out our service programs, including our weed control solutions now to get started. 

Learn more about our weed treatment options. Call GREENSKEEPER at (215) 938-8440. You can also contact us using our online form and get a free, no-obligation quote today.