Crab Grass is an annual grass weed that is a universal trouble for homeowners across Australia. Once it grows in your lawn it seems to live forever. The resilient weed can grow in turf, garden beds, and even concrete and thrives through the summer months and drought, making it stick out like a sore thumb in the peak of summer. The plant grows in a rosette, where leaves radiate from a central growing point. The leaves are thick and fold vertically, with flower stalks appearing in the summer to release thousands of seeds.
Crab Grass is part of the Digitaria family, which has 33 listed species, the majority of which are native to temperate and tropical regions. Unlike other lawn weeds Crab Grass only live for a single year, setting seeds late in their lifecycle that can live unsprouted for years. Because of its annual life cycle, Crab Grass dies off during the autumn, leaving behind dead patches in your lawn, if untreated these dead patches are where seedlings will appear the following spring.
As always, prevention is key. Proper lawn care and maintenance will provide a thick, lush lawn, which will reduce space for Crab Grass seeds to germinate. Healthy turfs are less likely to be affected by lawn weeds, with our Lawn Care Program you can ensure the healthiest, and most well protected turf.
The recommended method of treatment for Crab Grass is chemical as most lawns will be completely infected by the time treatment begins, making physical removal a tedious and time wasting task. Timing is important when treating Crab Grass, prevention of the next years sprouts with pre-emergent herbicides is the most effective route. Preventers must be applied before the Crab Grass seed germinates. Crab Grass seeds can germinate from early spring until late summer when soil temperatures are right. Timing can be difficult to get right, expert treatment will ensure your lawn is treated at the right time, and is more cost effective than attempting to treat your lawn yourself.
Contact us now to book a free 10 point lawn assessment and gain expert advice on lawn care.