Crabgrass…why are you so healthy??

Each and every year as the summer heat come on, and the drought follows, Crabgrass infestations thrive!

Crabgrass is an annual plant, which means it dies each year in the fall and then germinates again in the next year beginning in late spring and into summer.

Crabgrass Infestation along curbside

Crabgrass plants grow very low to the ground and expand laterally in a circle upwards of 12 inches in diameter. As the plants grow bigger, and the infestation increases, the desired grass typically gets outcompeted quickly and the crabgrass completely takes over. A single crabgrass plant can produce over 150 000 seeds over the course of a season, and these seeds are what germinate come late spring the next year. knowing this, it is very important to re-establish desired turf back in these areas during the fall so the crabgrass has a much harder time finding its way back in the lawn the next season.

Crabgrass dying off turning purplish colour in the Fall

As the crabgrass plants begin to die off, the colour generally turns from lime coloured green to a purplish/yellowish/reddish colour. This discolouration indicates its time to begin a combination of cultural practices that can help with filling these infested areas back in with desired grass again. The fall is a great time for seeding and establishing new grass, and aggressively overseeding or slit-seeding these areas is recommended. Core aerating and topdressing these areas in conjunction with seeding will help speed up this re-establishment process even more.