My entire lawn is brown, yet it seems that crabgrass is growing around the curb, sidewalk, and driveway. Is this normal. Can I treat this now, or is it too hot?

Your situation is a very common one with the type of summer we have been having. Lawns are stressed, lawns are brown and dormant, and crabgrass has reared it's ugly head everywhere. You can treat with a chemical post emergent product labeled for these persistent grassy weeds. Better control usually requires the use of a liquid concentate that is mixed with water and applied with a 2-3 gallon sprayer where you can spot treat the areas. Or be patient and these grasses will start to die off in the fall. I would highly recommend that you overseed any area that is damaged or bare at this time at the end of August and through September and also use a good slow release fertilizer to help with the root system and restore the color to your lawn. There are many excellent Jonathan Green seed mixes and fertilizers offered at your local garden center. Thank you for your question. Jonathan Green

It's mid August in NJ, and crabgrass is taking over my lawn. I used Scotts Crabgrass Halts before the forsythia bloomed, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything at this point.

I have two types of crabgrass. One that comes out in late Spring, which I have had some luck controlling. The other comes out during the first week of August, and it's shooting up everywhere right now. It has a thinner blade and denser root structure than the other crabgrass that comes out earlier. I'm fairly certain it's a crabgrass, but I'm guessing the preventative in Scotts is useless against it either because of its chemicals or because the crabgrass comes out too late & the chemicals have already worn off the lawn.

Please let me know your thoughts on how to counter this problem. I'm planning on switching to your products asap.

And I have a related question. Does the pre-emergent herbicide kill the crabgrass seed or does it just prevent it from germinating?

Thanks

Crabgrass germinated late this year and is booming with the heat it loves and your cool season lawn hates, and you can't water enough. Your pre-emergent from spring has broken down with the heat also and I think your second crop of thinner crabgrass is probably nutsedge that is also running amock this year. Nutsedge is not controlled by spring pre-emergents and requires a special herbicide call Halosophoron or Sedgehammer that controls sedges. Many times crabgrass controls fail because of misapplications or inaccurate measurements of the lawn with not enough material going down. Edges and centers are hotspots and break down much easier and quicker. When you get poor control every year try overseeding with a good bluegrass mix early September to thicken the stand and apply split applications of step 1 the fallowing spring- Mid March and Later April.

Thanks Lang. I don't think it's Nutsedge, but you got me wondering if it's some other plant. I have attached a picture from my beat up lawn.

Crabgrass in all it's glory. The pre-emergent would have no control on that plants seed. On a small lawn I would pull it out before itcame to seed and the lawn patches itself, maybe a spot seed in early Sept. Big lawn bigger problem and if the lawn becomes more then 50% crabgrass you need to dethatch and overseed your lawn by early fall to thicken the lawn and do battle with the crabgrass nextspring with Step 1. Consider 2 applications of step one in problematic areas, or split apps to help the barrier last long. All pre-emergents break down in heat or over moisture but our Dimension is unique newer technology that last longer and kills crabgrass up to it's three leaf stage of growth, allowing you a better window of application with JG. Good Luck-Good picture.

Just a quick note on the crabgrass. This plant will turn brown and die once we receive our frosts in late fall. The existing seeds from the previous plants will want to germinate next year. I recommend seeding this fall and applying a double application next year to control your crabgrass problem. Between a strong stand of grass and the Jonathan Green Step 1 with Dimension being applied, you will see a world of difference in your turf next year for sure. Let us know how you make out!

Thanks for the replies.

Since I have had a big problem with crabgrass the past 3 years (each year being worse than the past), can I use step 1 for both my step 1 & 2 treatments next year?

FYI - my lawn has a lot of this crab grass on about 20,000 sq. ft, but I will kill it off in the next couple of weeks. I have found a good concentrate that will kill it using a 1 gal spray bottle. I hit different areas every day, and most of the plants are starting to turn.

And then I'm going to do a thorough job of dethatching and aerating prior to seeding. My current thought it to use Black Beauty throughout (for both shade & sun) rather than mess with trying to optimize my lawn at this point.

Thanks again.

The product you are using to kill it is what? Be sure you know the days to wait before seeding on the label. The best thing to use now so you can seed is a non-selective that allows you to seed in 1-5 days. Organic version is Avenger, you can seed the next day and the chemical one is Round-Up, you can seed in 7 days. MOst post emergent controls have a 30-60 wait time, so watch what you use. Dethatch to bare ground in two directions and seed at 5-7 pounds per thousand sq. ft., unless you use tall fescue then seed heavier at 10# per thousand for bare dirt. Check pH, shoould be 6.5, use Mag-I-Cal if it has to be raised.