Crabgrass popping up in your lawn or landscape can be aggravating, but don't despair -- you can manage this common annual weed with integrated pest management!
First, make sure that you are dealing with crabgrass and not a lookalike grass like dallisgrass or bermudagrass. The newly revised Pest Notes: Crabgrass includes detailed descriptions and pictures to help you tell them apart. This publication, authored by UCCE emeritus advisors Michelle LeStrange and John Roncoroni, contains cultural and chemical control tactics to help you manage crabgrass. Find the correct mowing height and frequency, turfgrass species selection, fertilization and water management to reduce the possibility of a crabgrass invasion. If your crabgrass problem is severe, the Pest Notes also lists herbicides available for both home gardeners and landscape professionals.
