Don't Be Crabby: Crab Grass Prevention and Control

Crab grass is a type of annual grass. Once it takes up residence in your Ottawa lawn, it can be very hard to evict. What's more, since crab grass has an aggressive seeding pattern and grows quickly, it can easily overwhelm your existing grass.

Crab grass works by taking over large sections of your lawn. It grows in thick mats that choke out any of the surrounding vegetation. Once that grass dies, the crab grass spreads its seeds over the bare spots. This allows the crab grass to spread even further during the next growing season, especially if it gets enough water. Once crab grass takes a hold of your property – watch out! As with most weeds, prevention is always easier and more effective than trying to fight the weeds after they appear.

Ottawa Organic Lawn Care Tips for Crab Grass Prevention

Here are some great organic lawn care tips to prevent crab grass from invading your property:

• Have a luscious, healthy lawn: Weeds can't make a dent in your lawn if it's thick and healthy. Of course, maintaining an immaculate lawn requires some extra care, which is why it never hurts to contact Nutri-Lawn for help. Our Fiesta weed killer is organic and healthy for your lawn. Ask us about integrating a weed control service into your Ottawa organic lawn care package this spring.
• Beat crab grass to the punch: Crab grass thrives in warm weather, which means you need to be proactive in early spring with your regular seeding, fertilizing, and watering routine. By working hard to get your lawn healthy, it will choke out the crab grass when it starts to invade and not vice versa.
• Seed densely: Piggybacking on the above point, when you seed your grass in the summer, make sure you give it a hearty helping. Overseeding will help make your grass thicker and prevent weeds from taking hold. For professional seeding services, contact Nutri-Lawn Ottawa about its overseeding – but do it fast. Our spring appointments are already booking up quickly!
• Set the blade high: When you go to mow your lawn, make sure you set the blade to cut higher. This will make the grass healthier and prevent the sun from penetrating to the crab grass seeds. Without sunlight, these evil weeds will not be able to germinate.
• Water the lawn: Irrigation helps to control crab grass, so make sure regular irrigation is a part of your organic lawn care regiment care. If possible, set your inground irrigation system to water your lawn once per week. The optimum amount of water is three centimetres or an inch (the soil needs to be moist at least to the bottom of the grass roots). If you want to avoid taking out your sprinkler or hose every week, why not invest in some sprinkler systems that will do the work for you? Nutri-Lawn's irrigation systems may have some upfront cost, but in the long run they will save you money and help you conserve water. Contact an Ottawa inground irrigation specialist today to book your consultation.
• Do some weeding: Last but not least, you can combat crab grass by pulling it up at the roots once you see it in your lawn. It isn't the easiest of methods, but it has been proven very effective.

Don't let a weed problem leave you feeling crabby. Talk to an organic lawn care professional at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa for more information on environmentally friendly crap grass treatments.