How to Kill Crabgrass

By
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience.

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Updated on 11/22/22
Reviewed by
Kathleen Miller
Kathleen Miller
Reviewed by Kathleen Miller
Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.
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how to kill crabgrass

The Spruce

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 1 - 2 hrs
  • Total Time: 1 - 2 wks
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Estimated Cost: $40 to $60

Crabgrass (Digitaria) is a coarse, warm-season annual grass that easily infiltrates a turf grass lawn and is thus loathed by homeowners. Spreading by seeds, crabgrass grows in clumps with stems that radiate out from the center and resemble crab legs. This opportunistic grass is the nemesis of homeowners wanting to cultivate a manicured lawn, perennial flower beds, and meticulous walkways. It often appears in the spring and proliferates in the hot, dry conditions of the summer if it's not eradicated first.

In addition to natural and commercial herbicide methods, crabgrass can be pulled by hand. Using a garden weeder tool, completely remove all parts of the plant's root system after hand-pulling the upper part of the plant. Dig the tool deep into the soil surrounding the exposed part of the plant to remove excess roots that have spread under the soil line.

To control larger portions of crabgrass in your lawn, it's best to use pre-emergent herbicides before the plants sprout or apply organic methods after pulling these weeds by hand. Below, learn how to tackle crabgrass to keep your landscape in shape.

Identifying 9 Common Lawn Weeds
1:54

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Before Getting Started


It helps to familiarize yourself with the plant's life cycle to effectively eradicate crabgrass. When spring soil temperatures (at a depth of 2 to 3 inches) reach 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, crabgrass seeds start to germinate. From mid-summer through fall, the plant produces more seeds in an attempt to increase its numbers. Once the first frost arrives, the plants themselves (but not the seeds) are killed.

If crabgrass is a problem in your yard, luckily, you have more than one arrow in your quiver to remove it:.

  • Pulling the weed in the spring, providing your lawn with the proper nutrients, and then reseeding where necessary should get the job done. This is a purely organic strategy that uses no chemicals.
  • For a tenacious crabgrass infestation, you can use post-emergent herbicides that kill crabgrass well after it has germinated. However, post-emergent herbicides tend to be effective only on young plants. You must be vigilant in detecting them and then act promptly when applying the herbicide.
  • Pre-eminent herbicides, on the other hand, kill crabgrass before seedlings emerge, making it a more effective way to get the job done and allowing you time in the season to cultivate a lawn that was once covered in weeds.

When to Kill Crabgrass

The proper time for attacking crabgrass depends on what method you are employing.

  • Pre-emergent herbicides (also called "crabgrass preventers") come in either a granular or a liquid form and kill crabgrass seedlings right as they germinate in the early spring. Think of pre-emergent herbicides as forming an invisible shield across the soil's surface that stops emerging crabgrass dead in its tracks. Pre-emergent herbicides, then, should be applied almost as soon as winter snows melt off the lawn.
  • Post-emergent herbicides should be applied as soon as you notice growing crabgrass plants. The earlier the better, as these chemicals are less effective on older, more established weeds.
  • When organic methods are used, gardeners must wait until the seedlings are big enough to hand pull, roots and all, but it's best not to wait for the plant to go to seed and spread more seeds. While crabgrass doesn't spread via its roots, it's still essential to remove the whole plant in the spring before amending the soil and reseeding with desirable turf grasses.

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What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Gardening gloves
  • Long-sleeved shirt and pants
  • Pitchfork or weeding tool
  • Pump sprayer

Materials

  • Seed and fertilizer spreader or weed sprayer
  • Organic compost
  • Grass seed
  • Straw
  • Herbicide

Instructions

Materials needed for killing crabgrass

The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

How to Kill Crabgrass Organically

You don't really need chemicals for crabgrass control. While it's easy to kill crabgrass with herbicides, the best way to remove it and control it is by first pulling it, and then cultivating healthy new grass.

  1. Soak the Soil

    Water the problem area with a sprinkler or garden hose, then wait about 30 minutes to allow the water to soak in.

    Soaking the soil with a garden hose

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  2. Pull Out the Crabgrass

    Using a pitchfork or weeding tool, remove young crabgrass when it's big enough to rip out, roots and all. If you're working with a large patch, this could take a while. If the soil is moist enough, though, clumps of crabgrass may pull free if you simply gather the leaves in your hand and pull upward with stead pressure.

    Closeup showing an area where crabgrass has been pulled out

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  3. Add Compost

    Add organic compost to the area in question. Work the soil so that it is thoroughly incorporated.

    Adding compost to the hole in the lawn

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  4. Topseed with Turf Grass Seed

    Seed the area with grass seed, and then place a layer of weed-free straw over the top to maintain moisture and protect the seeds from being eaten by birds.

    Mulch placed over the top of the hole in the lawn

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  5. Keep the Soil Moist

    Water the area multiple times daily, depending on moisture conditions. Make sure the soil is consistently moist until the seeds sprout.

    Keeping the soil moist

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  6. Switch to Deep Watering

    When the grass is long enough to mow, start irrigating the lawn more deeply and less frequently. Crabgrass is a notoriously shallow-rooted weed; if you water too frequently and for a short duration, it will help it thrive.

    Lawn sprinkler spraying water on grass

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  7. Mow the New Grass

    To maintain your new patch of grass, mow it high. This means leaving grass at a height of 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall. Doing so will allow the lawn grass to "protect its own turf," depriving crabgrass seeds of the light they need to germinate.

    Mowing the new grass

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  8. Weed as Needed

    Throughout the season, pull any remaining crabgrass plants that sprout up. By next year, your yard should be free of it.

    Person removing new crabgrass

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

How to Kill Crabgrass With Pre-Emergent Herbicide

To successfully kill crabgrass with pre-emergent herbicides, timing is of the essence. Apply pre-emergent herbicides before germination, which usually coincides with the blooming of lilac bushes. Once you kill the weed from its roots, you can then reseed the area after a waiting period.

In early spring, check the weather and select a time to treat when a steady rain is in the forecast. Water actually activates pre-emergent herbicides.

Warning

Put on gloves and protect yourself with long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Herbicides are toxic chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin. Herbicides should always be applied by spot-treating rather than broadcast spraying. Choose a windless, calm day for spraying crabgrass.

  1. Measure the Lawn

    Measure the lawn area and refer to package directions to mix the proper herbicide application amount.

  2. Apply the Fertilizer

    Spray or sprinkle the herbicide over the area in question. Make sure to apply it thoroughly and uniformly, taking care not to miss a spot.

  3. Reseed the Area

    Wait two to four months before reseeding the problem area, and then follow irrigation and mowing recommendations to prevent weeds.

How to Kill Crabgrass With Post-Emergent Herbicide

  1. Mix Herbicide

    If using a concentrated post-emergent herbicide, mix it with water, following the manufacturer's instructions for ratios for treating crabgrass. Some commercial weedkillers are rated for both broadleaf weeds and crabgrass, while others are formulated for broadleaf weeds only—these will not work on crabgrass.

    Pour the mixture into a pump-style garden sprayer.

    Tip

    If applied very carefully, a broad-spectrum herbicide such as glyphosate (RoundUp) will kill crabgrass. Take care not to allow the spray to drift, as this chemical will also kill desirable turf grasses. But with a large colony of crabgrass, sometimes the best strategy is to kill the entire area with glyphosate and then reseed or resod.

  2. Spray the Weed

    On a hot, sunny, windless day, spray the clump of crabgrass thoroughly,, making sure it is entirely saturated to the ends of the leaves. Unlike pre-emergent herbicides, post-emergent chemicals should be spot-sprayed directly on the weed, not applied broadly. Take pains not to allow the mist to drift onto garden plants, as these herbicide are toxic to many broadleaf plants.

  3. Observe and Repeat

    The crabgrass should begin to turn brown and die within a few days. But rainfall or watering can rinse the herbicide away, so repeated follow-up treatments are sometimes needed.

Tips for Killing Crabgrass

  • In the fall, fertilize or compost more heavily. This will help beat back the weeds and provide nutrients for your lawn. Also, don't let bare spots remain uncovered for long or opportunistic crabgrass will take root. Fill in the bare spots each fall by overseeding.
  • Re-apply pre-emergent herbicides if you question your product's coverage. Because crabgrass seedlings do not all germinate at once, re-application can kill some of the later-germinating seedlings.
  • Make sure not to aerate the lawn after applying pre-emergent herbicides. The act of doing so will deactivate the barrier and allow weeds to sprout.
  • You can also avoid chemicals altogether by applying an organic pre-emergent herbicide, like corn gluten, instead. This natural product will suppress crabgrass germination, while also acting as a fertilizer for your lawn.
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