How To Keep Crabgrass Out Of My West Palm Beach Lawn

Keeping up with a healthy lawn is not always an easy task. As spring turns into summer here in West Palm Beach, one particular lawn weed will be causing homeowners more and more trouble. Of course, we are talking about crabgrass.

This unsightly weed is well known for destroying and sucking the life right out of lawns. If your goal this summer is to maintain a lush, green, and healthy-looking yard, crabgrass can quickly ruin your plans. To help you fight back against this common weed, here are a few tips and tricks you can try.

What Is Crabgrass?

Crabgrass is a pernicious weed that springs up during the spring and summer months as soil temperatures reach 55 to 65 degrees. Due to our warmer climate here in West Palm Beach, some species of crabgrass can be a year-round problem.

Most species of crabgrass, however, are annual and will die off during the fall and winter months. One crazy fact about crabgrass is that their seeds can lay dormant in the soil for upwards of thirty years before sprouting.

That means even if you get it under control this year, chances are high that it will be back next year, without fail. One thing that sets crabgrass apart from regular grass is that it grows parallel to the ground from a stock. Its leaves are incredibly soft to the touch.

How Crabgrass Destroys Lawns

Crabgrass prefers to grow in densely compacted soil where grass has been weakened or thinned. The larger crabgrass grows, the more water and nutrients it needs. This chokes nearby grass of the sustenance it needs to grow green and healthy and in turn, kills it slowly.

Overall, the biggest problem crabgrass causes is that it is ugly. No one wants their grass to grow flat against the ground in thick clumps. They want straight up, pretty green grass that makes neighbors go, “Wow”.

How To Lessen Your Chances Of Getting Crabgrass

Once crabgrass has grown up around your yard there is not much you can do to stop it. Some things can, however, be done before it grows. Here are some prevention tips our experts recommend.

• Do your research and find out what type of grass your lawn has. Specifically, look at what height you should use on your mower when mowing. Cutting at the proper height for your grass-type will reduce your chances of crabgrass growing.
• Keep your lawn well-fed with the nutrients it needs to stay green and healthy.
• Crabgrass has trouble growing when there isn’t any extra space.
• Water your lawn correctly. Many people overwater their lawn or water at the wrong time of day. We recommend keeping your sprinklers on two days a week and only applying water in the early morning.
• Repair damage in your lawn and re-sod and treat areas that are dead or under attack by other threats.

Overall the healthier your lawn is, the less of a chance there will be that crabgrass will grow.

How To Get Rid Of Crabgrass

If crabgrass has already begun to grow throughout your yard and is making it look unsightly, there is really only one option you have left and that is to get the professionals here at Native Pest Management involved.

Our team of dedicated service technicians knows what methods are most effective for treating crabgrass and can help you quickly get your yard back to the lushness you desire.

Contact us today to learn more about our West Palm Beach lawn care services, or to schedule pest control services for your West Palm Beach property.