Best Crabgrass Killer for Lawns
A dense, healthy lawn is your strongest defense against crabgrass, weeds, insects, and drought. However, if you’re already dealing with crabgrass, Jonathan Green can direct you to the best crabgrass killer for your area, ensuring your lawn remains vibrant and well-protected.
In this article, we’ll explore what crabgrass is, its lifecycle, and how it invades your lawn, as well as strategies for prevention and removal. You’ll learn about Jonathan Green’s advanced pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides, the benefits of integrated lawn care with our superior grass seed and soil amendments, and practical tips for achieving a lush, resilient lawn that stays crabgrass-free year-round.
What Is Crabgrass?
Crabgrass is a coarse, light green, unattractive summer annual weed and a very aggressive species that steals valuable moisture and nutrients from the soil and competes with desirable lawn grasses.
Crabgrass is relentlessly prolific and each plant can produce more than 150,000 seeds. The seeds begin to germinate when soil temperatures reach about 55-57 degrees Fahrenheit, and the plants really spread in lawns in July and August.
Although crabgrass will die with the first frost (usually October), the plants will produce seed heads during late summer to ensure a new crop of crabgrass plants the following year. Until you break the cycle of the seeds turning into seedlings, they will lay dormant in the soil until spring and jump into action again.
A sound crabgrass strategy involves interrupting the germination of crabgrass seeds in the spring, ideally in April or May. You can accomplish this by introducing grass seed to thin areas of your lawn, applying a crabgrass preventer (pre-emergent herbicide), and following our New American Lawn Plan.
Pre-Emergent vs. Post-Emergent Herbicides
Herbicides will kill the crabgrass seedlings as they are germinating. Pre-emergent herbicides will kill weeds before the seedlings emerge from the soil, whereas post-emergent herbicides will kill the crabgrass as it begins to grow and then keep it under control.
Pre-Emergent
Apply Jonathan Green Veri-Green Crabgrass Preventer plus Lawn Fertilizer on the same day you sow grass seed. This pre-emergent herbicide prevents crabgrass and grassy weeds from germinating without injuring new grass seedlings. It contains 30% slow-release nitrogen to feed the new seedlings gently and longer.
When you want to prevent crabgrass and fertilize your lawn but don’t intend to seed, consider Jonathan Green Corn Gluten Weed Preventer plus Lawn Food. It stops crabgrass, dandelions and weeds before they sprout and includes an organic fertilizer that greens up the lawn quickly. It also releases organic proteins into the soil to encourage root development. Apply it in early spring, but do not sow grass seed for at least 60 and up to 90 days.
Post-Emergent
If it’s mid-summer and crabgrass has already shown up in your lawn, you can wait it out and attack it in a timely manner next season or treat it with an herbicide specifically labeled for crabgrass control.
Jonathan Green Veri-Green Crabgrass Preventer plus Lawn Fertilizer contains the newest technology with Dimension® Crabgrass Control Herbicide. This product controls crabgrass before and after it germinates (up to the 3-leaf stage of growth; crabgrass is a 7-leaf plant when mature) and can be applied up to four weeks later than other crabgrass preventers. It will feed your lawn gently for up to 8 weeks; however, do not seed with this product.
Mentioned Products
When you need the best crabgrass killer around, visit Jonathan Green online or visit your nearest independent retail store for advice.