August 4, 2020

What is crabgrass?

Digitaria is a genus of plants in the grass family. It is a thin “finger-like” grass that grows in a different pattern than the rest of a lawn. The seeds germinate in late spring and early summer, overtaking the domesticated grasses.

Our ability to suppress crabgrass has been hampered by weather this season. The treatment is applied once the temperatures reach 50-55°F; if it is applied too soon it could break down and be ineffective. The first round of applications was disrupted by excessive rain and cool temperatures, followed by extreme drought conditions. The pre-emergent didn’t have a fair chance to do its job. 

During the August applications, we will apply a post-emergent crabgrass treatment that will help control the issue. The crabgrass should start to die-off and go dormant moving into September. If weather is cooperative, over seeding may be helpful.