Crabgrass ugggh

[brucer95]

I recently put a large room edition on my house, I stacked all the dirt in my backyard. After all the construction was complete I used a bobcat and my 129 and got it graded and seeded in mid-may. My grass was coming in nicely then in june the rain stopped, in Indiana we just had the driest and hottest july on record, result brown grass and lots of huge crabgrass. I have always tried to keep a turf-like lawn, and this is awful. I dont know if my grass will come back or wether its just went dormant, but do you guys know of any good crabgrass killer, went to the local big=box store and read the labels and man do I have a headache!HELP!!

[scleve]

Our local Tractor Supply had a tool that was about the size of a golf cub that you put on the middle of the crab grass and stepped on one peg to push it down and then the other peg made it go sideways and pulled the whole grab grass clump, roots and all up. and it does a good job of getting the roots up.

[ol'George]

why complain? it's grass not dirt!

[johncub7172]

Up north, the grass has been green all year. elevation is higher. Sounds like you need to water your yard!

[red211]

Welcome to our world, any cool season grass sowed after march 1st in Nashville area rarely makes it through our hot summers. When the temps get into the high 90s you can't give young grass enough water, I think it just steams it to death. Brown patch is also bad in high temp/high humidity conditions and it will look like lack of water. I would just mow it and be happy there is something green like Ol George said. Plug the puwty out of it in Sept and overseed. The crabgrass will die 1st frost and slow WAY down before that. Preimergent next spring will stop the crabgrass from retuning. You could always plow the whole area up in sept, disc it, seed it and disc it in starting over. Much more seat time and you won't be out in the super heat digging crabgrass!

[brucer95]

Thanks guys I was thinking probably roundup the whole thing and start over too. Any preferred pre-emergent for next year? We have caught a couple rains recently but what little grass I have looks to not be greening back up,oh well like you said more seat time and I get to use my recently purchased 70!

[zippy1]

Originally Posted by brucer95

Thanks guys I was thinking probably roundup the whole thing and start over too. Any preferred pre-emergent for next year? We have caught a couple rains recently but what little grass I have looks to not be greening back up,oh well like you said more seat time and I get to use my recently purchased 70!

I've used Round up's generic form, Buccaneer Plus, and it will kill what's growing, but the crabgrass came back as soon as the weather got hot and dry. I think you'll have to treat it with a crabgrass preventer.

[gcbailey]

what type of grass in on your yard? Over the past few years I've been re-seeding to a hydrid bluegrass/fescue that doesn't go dormant once it gets around 90. Keep your yard longer too, helps keep the weeds and crabgrass choked out. I use a spray on turf builder, not granualized, seems to be more effective.

[Pjtk3]

In the past crabgrass preventer was the only option and most of the time people put it on too early. Crabgrass won't germinate until early June in Indiana. If you read the scotts label they want you to put it on in April so by June it is at less than half strength. Scotts wants you to apply it multiple times. Also, I wouldn't use the kind in the fertilizer, it is usually not at a high enough level.
A couple of years ago a new option came out called Quinclorac. I buy it in "Weed b gone max plus crabgrass control" it is a post emergance crabgrass killer in a liquid form. It also kills emerged foxtail and all of the broadleaves because it also has 2,4-d and dicamba in it.(don't use it if it is going to be over 86 degrees in the next couple of days though, you will kill alot of off target flowers that way)

Your grass should come back fine in the spring but you can always over seed it in March or April.
If you have any yard questions you can check out Purdue's turf site. http://www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/ It is an awesome resource. I like the help section and the turf tips.

[CADplans]

There are advantages to crab grass!

The horse "took out" all the fescue and only crab grass was left behind.

We have been loaded with turkeys coming to get the seed!

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When you got lemons, Make lemonade!!