Crabgrass is quite common in many places in the United States, and Western North Carolina is no exception. Some years are worse than others for this invasive weed, which isn’t grass at all. It can be identified by its sprawling, broad, tendrils wreaking havoc on your lawn. As weeds generally are, this grass has a long seed dormancy (3 years!), paired with its annual lifespan, both of which contribute to its massive release of seeds and its difficulty of extermination at the end of the growing season.

For most people, it tends to err more on the side of being unattractive to look at, however, if left unchecked it can take over your entire outdoor living space. This is why most people want to get rid of it and instead introduce more attractive grasses to their lawns.

Keep reading below for crabgrass prevention tips and learn why your lawn may be at risk!

Why do I have crabgrass on my lawn?

There are quite a few reasons that crabgrass may have appeared on your lawn. Crabgrass is incredibly opportunistic, so likely causes can be any of the following:

• Mowing your grass too short.

• Overwatering your lawn.

• You have bare spots in your lawn where nothing else can grow.

• You have salty soil. Meaning there may be more salt deposits than not caused by environmental factors such as water that is not properly balanced, other toxic build-ups caused by overuse of herbicides or fertilizers, or bad soil quality.

• “Proper” weather conditions that contribute to the growth of crabgrass such as an especially rainy spring or hot summer.

What to do about it:

If your lawn is healthy, you're less likely to have an invasion of crabgrass and other weeds that can harm your beautiful lawn. Prevention is always better than letting things happen and then needing to deal with them. 

Being mindful of how much you're watering your lawn, not mowing your grass too short, applying pre-emergent herbicides, or if you're having a bad day and want to take it out on something, use that frustration to pull what you can of crabgrass by weeding your lawn. OR.....

Leave it to TPS Landscaping!

Our turf-care programs include crabgrass treatments and other lawn maintenance services to help keep your lawn beautiful and not full of crabgrass! We also offer a range of other “a-la-carte” services too, such as grub control, overseeding, aeration, and more! Learn more about our Turf Care programs and features and how they can fit into your life to give you a lawn you’re proud of by clicking here!