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Ed Rooney · 6 July 2010, 11:31 AM

We moved into this house last May. Our front lawn faces South and gets the full force of the sun. Last year, 2 months after we moved in, most of my grass stopped growing, so I was like "cool, I don't have to mow". A week later, POW, a lush, green bed of crabgrass. I tried everything to kill it, but I ended up with lots of dead bits surrounded by live bits. It was a really bad infestation.

I went into this year knowing what I had to do. In March, I hit it with some crabgrass pre-emergent weed killer. Once the rain dried up, I started to water more deeply and less often. A few weeks ago I noticed some neighbor's lawns getting overrun. Mine was still pretty good, except for some bare spots were I actually pulled the crabgrass last year. It took some research to figure out that the weed killer was preventing new grass seed from growing.

So it looks okay this year. Only a bit of crabgrass is coming up, and I am pulling it before it gets big enough to do any damage. The key is not let any of it flower and spread seeds. I'm spending a lot of time looking like a rube picking little plants in my lawn, but it beats resodding.

Part 2 is that I figured out one of the previous owners planted or sodded a very fine grass, which seems to go dormant when it gets hot, regardless of the water. So I have been seeding that big clumpy fescue that loves direct sun.

I probably won't need crabgrass preventer next year, so it should grow in nicely. I figure this is a 2-3 year project.

CoopJr · 6 July 2010, 12:05 PM

Ed..if you had a Mac...you wouldn't have any Crab Grass!

Ed Rooney · 6 July 2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoopJr

Ed..if you had a Mac...you wouldn't have any Crab Grass!

If I had a Mac, I would be grazing on crabgrass, anxiously awaiting my next shearing.

Brunotheboxer · 6 July 2010, 02:20 PM

If you bought a mac you'd have extra time and money left over to hire a professional landscaper. Now you're stuck with Microsoft and a yard full of weeds. Haha.

Lion · 6 July 2010, 10:13 PM

For your information, the early spring application of crabgrass preventer is for going after crabgrass seedling which will be germinating and attempting to grow. It will also prevent your desired grass seedlings from germinating and growing as well. It will not go after existing crabgrass plants!!!

Dan Pierce · 6 July 2010, 10:16 PM

If not for crabgrass I'd have no grass at all.

dP

ducatidoc · 6 July 2010, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

If not for crabgrass I'd have no grass at all.

dP

+1

Earl · 6 July 2010, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

If not for crabgrass I'd have no grass at all.

dP

your talking of that short skinny leafy stuff that grows up and out of the lawn?

Ed Rooney · 6 July 2010, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brunotheboxer

If you bought a mac you'd have extra time and money left over to hire a professional landscaper. Now you're stuck with Microsoft and a yard full of weeds. Haha.

If I had an iPhone I would have to go to the genius bar to figure out how to call the landscaper without dropping a call.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lion

For your information, the early spring application of crabgrass preventer is for going after crabgrass seedling which will be germinating and attempting to grow. It will also prevent your desired grass seedlings from germinating and growing as well. It will not go after existing crabgrass plants!!!

Yes, i knew the part about the germinating seedlings before I applied it. I didn't realize it would prevent all grass from growing, but that's still fine. I needed to put a stop to the seed-crabgrass cycle.

Brunotheboxer · 6 July 2010, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

If I had an iPhone I would have to go to the genius bar to figure out how to call the landscaper without dropping a call.

The Iphone is so good it would have called the landscaper for you at the first sign of crabgrass. There's an App for that.

How's that zune working out?

Ed Rooney · 7 July 2010, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brunotheboxer

The Iphone is so good it would have called the landscaper for you at the first sign of crabgrass. There's an App for that.

How's that zune working out?

My Blackberry Tour plays music just fine (XM and MP3), and it doesn't need a case to work. I wish I had a Zune. It has HD Radio.

6 July 2010, 11:31 AM	#1
Ed Rooney "TRF" Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Annapolis, MD Watch: Sea-Dweller 16600 Posts: 5,081	Crabgrass!! We moved into this house last May. Our front lawn faces South and gets the full force of the sun. Last year, 2 months after we moved in, most of my grass stopped growing, so I was like "cool, I don't have to mow". A week later, POW, a lush, green bed of crabgrass. I tried everything to kill it, but I ended up with lots of dead bits surrounded by live bits. It was a really bad infestation. I went into this year knowing what I had to do. In March, I hit it with some crabgrass pre-emergent weed killer. Once the rain dried up, I started to water more deeply and less often. A few weeks ago I noticed some neighbor's lawns getting overrun. Mine was still pretty good, except for some bare spots were I actually pulled the crabgrass last year. It took some research to figure out that the weed killer was preventing new grass seed from growing. So it looks okay this year. Only a bit of crabgrass is coming up, and I am pulling it before it gets big enough to do any damage. The key is not let any of it flower and spread seeds. I'm spending a lot of time looking like a rube picking little plants in my lawn, but it beats resodding. Part 2 is that I figured out one of the previous owners planted or sodded a very fine grass, which seems to go dormant when it gets hot, regardless of the water. So I have been seeding that big clumpy fescue that loves direct sun. I probably won't need crabgrass preventer next year, so it should grow in nicely. I figure this is a 2-3 year project.

6 July 2010, 10:13 PM	#5
Lion "TRF" Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Real Name: Leo Location: Midwest Watch: GMT-II 16710 PEPSI Posts: 21,461	For your information, the early spring application of crabgrass preventer is for going after crabgrass seedling which will be germinating and attempting to grow. It will also prevent your desired grass seedlings from germinating and growing as well. It will not go after existing crabgrass plants!!! __________________ SS GMT-II 16710 PEPSI(Z-serial#) THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND BOYS IS THE PRICE OF THE TOYS!!! MontBlanc Meisterstuck Doue Silver Barley MontBlanc Meisterstuck Solitaire Doue Signum Proud Card Carrying Member of the Curmudgeons.....Yikes!!!

6 July 2010, 10:16 PM	#6
Dan Pierce 2024 Pledge Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Real Name: D'OH! Location: Kentucky Watch: Rolex-1 Tudor-3 Posts: 36,216	If not for crabgrass I'd have no grass at all. dP __________________ TRF Member# 1668 Bass Player in TRF "AFTER DARK" Bar & NightClub Band Commander-in-Chief of The Nylon Nation The Crown & Shield Club Honorary Member of P-Club

6 July 2010, 12:05 PM	#2
CoopJr "TRF" Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Real Name: Coop Location: U.S.A. Watch: Subs Posts: 6,455	Ed..if you had a Mac...you wouldn't have any Crab Grass!

6 July 2010, 02:20 PM	#4
Brunotheboxer Banned Join Date: Mar 2008 Real Name: Bruno Location: Boston/Cape Cod Watch: 16610,PAM. 111, G Posts: 7,608	If you bought a mac you'd have extra time and money left over to hire a professional landscaper. Now you're stuck with Microsoft and a yard full of weeds. Haha.

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