Crabgrass is a common name a layperson uses for any grass that they don’t like growing in their lawn. However, here in the Northwest crabgrass has been relatively non-existent until recently. Crabgrass is a common annual grass weed in many of the parts of the US where summers are hotter, but due our cool climate it has not been an issue here. Recently, mostly due to our warming climate, we are now seeing it where we had rarely or never have seen it before.
NOW THE PROBLEM: Control is not easy and requires additional herbicide applications.
We have seen crabgrass on some properties over the past few years and have discussed and recommended control measures with those customers accordingly. However, due to our long hot summer this year, which Crabgrass loves, we have seen it explode on most properties. The problem with Crabgrass is that it is multi-faceted. First, it grows more rapidly and taller that other grass and is very light green which makes it stand out. Second, it quickly goes to seed and the seed heads are quite unsightly and tall. Third, it is a profuse seeder and quickly produces seed that will germinate in future years making the problem worse the following year if untreated. Finally, as an annual, it grows aggressively choking out the desirable grasses during the heat of summer then dies out in the fall looking ugly and leaving bare spots going into winter.
CRABGRASS CONTROL BEING PROPOSED FOR 2022: We are sad to say, but the explosion of Crabgrass this year caught us off guard as this past month it has become apparent that we need to propose control in the future. Unfortunately, this new control strategy for 2022 was not considered or formulated during budget preparation and thus we are needing to revise budgets to take into account our new control program as stated below:
Pre-Emergence treatment in May: As we do for weed control in our shrub beds, the best control for Crabgrass is to apply a Pre-Emergent product on lawns to prevent it from germinating in the spring. The timing is based on soil temperature and occurs in late April to Early May. We are in the process of developing addendums to 2022 Budgets for the proposal of Crabgrass Pre-Emergence application. The cost is $500 - $600 per acre or $11.50 - $13.50 per 1,000 SqFt.
Moving Turf Core Aeration to September: We will also be changing our historic timing of Turf Core Aeration to September as aerating in June after applying the Pre-Emergence will disrupt the control. As most clients have us aerate and our budgets submitted include this scheduled for June, we request clients move this budget for aeration to September.
WE ARE TRULY SORRY FOR THIS ELEVENTH-HOUR CHANGE TO BUDGET PROPOSALS. We are sorry if this requires you to change your budget after you established it and hope to not have to make changes like this again. We work very diligently to develop a budgeting program each spring to ensure budgets are accurate and consistent. Unfortunately at that time, Crabgrass was not assumed to be the significant problem that it became this summer.
