I have crabgrass in spring, or do I?

 Tall fescue growing in lawn in spring, it grows upright and is a perennial grass greening up in spring

We get many calls this time of year from homeowners complaining of crabgrass in the lawn.  Some of these homeowners are new customers complaining of previous lawn care efforts while some are our current customers.  The complaint usually states that a product didn't work or the application was mis-applied because the result is not what they want, a crabgrass-free lawn.   We spend much effort explaining to the homeowner that they are simply misled by creative national product marketing ads or they simply mis-diagnose crabgrass.  The reason we know this is quote simple.  It is absolutely impossible to have crabgrass in your lawn in Northern Illinois right now.

  

Crabgrass about 4 weeks after germination, it has to grow from seed annually and isn't mature until mid-summer

Crabgrass is an annual grass that begins germinating every spring once soil temperatures maintain a 55 degree plus reading for 5-7 continuous days.  This germination process then takes several weeks along with several tiller stages to become a recognizable leaf tissue that we know as crabgrass, also with 55 degree plus continuous soil temperatures.  We measure soil temperatures regularly and we did reach close to 60 degrees for about 3 days in mid-April, however, we have yet to get back to those temperatures and have even regressed to the 40 degree range for several weeks.  Knowing this, along with seeing bluegrass yet to fully begin growing (which only needs 40 degree maintained soil temperatures) we know for a fact that crabgrass germination and full tissue growth is absolutely impossible at this time of the spring this year.  Generally we do not see crabgrass in lawns until about mid-June in the local area.  And considering we visit about 450 lawns a week in the Antioch, Lake Villa, Lindenhurst, Gurnee and Northern Illinois area, we will be the first to let you know it is there.

What is that tall growing ugly grass in the lawn then?  It is quack grass or tall fescue which are always confused with crabgrass due to the obviously large leaf tissue and growth habit compared to the neighboring bluegrass, rye grass and fescues in the lawn.  These grasses are perennial grasses that do not form every year from a seed and are a dicot, containing similar biology to the desirable grasses in your lawn leaving them uncontrollable with the exception of non-selective herbicide, glyphosate (roundup).  Selective weed control inhibits cell growth in a monocot plant (broad leaf weed) such as dandelion, thistle, clover and creeping charlie.  These weeds are easily controlled on the lawn with regular applications of the correct rate of selective weed control.

Crabgrass growing in lawn mid-summer, it grows horizontally

There is a leading national product brand that has made millions of dollars preying on the inability of most homeowners to diagnose the difference between crabgrass and tall fescue.  Everyone who buys these products to control crabgrass go through the annual ritual of applying a product that never accomplishes the intended goal.  Since tall fescue is most often confused as crabgrass, its perennial growth allows for the perpetuation of this misinformation.  Crabgrass prevention is actually a service that no one ever sees.  Its successful implementation prevents the homeowner from ever seeing the weed it is supposedly preventing.  So if you are using the product in early spring and still "seeing crabgrass" then it is probably not what you think it is.  Need more help identifying weeds and crabgrass, contact us today for professional lawn care advice.

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Contact us today at:  847-395-0940 or at: group593@lawndoctor.com

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