Springtime has its own charm; flowers bud, trees blossom, and the grass turning green. It’s the perfect time to indulge in outdoor activities or relax on the lawn.

But all isn’t well and fine with spring. The abundance of growth during springs results in sprouting weeds too. Out of all the weeds, crabgrass is the one that causes homeowners the most frustration.

The target of today’s article is to familiarize you with the best crabgrass preventer, tell you how weeds like crabgrass grow, understanding their cycle, and how to plan their prevention. 

The thing with crabgrass is that once they start growing in your lawn, these unattractive and coarse weeds will spread all over. Thou crabgrass only lasts a year but it has consequences that are long-lasting. So, you should take a minute to understand how actually crabgrass works and how you can break the cycle. This info will assist you in getting rid of crabgrass for once and all.

First, let’s list the best crabgrass preventers that we have shortlisted using manufacturers’ information and customer reviews.

Top 5 Crabgrass Preventer

1. Scotts Halts Crabgrass Preventer

You can avoid the growth of crabgrass and weed in your lawn with the help of this preventer. By just one application you can stop the growth of crabgrass all season long. Rain, snow or even freezing weather doesn’t cause any effect in its performance. The best time for the application of this preventer is in early spring or fall. In spring you can avoid the growth of crabgrass and common lawn weeds, whereas, its application in fall will prevent the germination of Poa Annua, chickweed, moss and other forms of common lawn weeds.

Don’t apply this fertilizer more than twice a year. It is ideal to give two months of space between the two applications. Also, the amount of fertilizer and the best spreader needs for its application is based on the size of the lawn.

Specifications:

• Product Dimensions: 15 x 10 x 3 inches
• Item Weight: 9.63 pounds
• Manufacturer: Scotts
• Application method: spreader
• Application season: all seasons
• Delivery system: granules

2. GreenView Fairway Formula

Apply this formula from GreenView four months before the germination and your lawn will be from weeds and crabgrass. It can prevent the growth of 40 different types of weeds. Not only this formula will control the weed germination but also it acts as a fertilizer. It contains all the immediate and controlled release nutrients that are required for the healthy growth of plants. It also helps in the protection of the waterways, as it contains zero phosphate and 63% slow-release nitrogen. This isn’t any grass specific. It is suitable for all kinds of grasses.

Specifications:

• Product Dimensions: 24.5 x 12 x 2 inches
• Item Weight: 17 pounds
• Manufacturer: Lebanon Seaboard Corporation
• Item model number: 2129829
• Delivery system: Granules
• Maximum Coverage Area (Sq. Feet): 5000

3. Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action

Scott Turf Builder can be used on a number of grass types, like Kentucky Bluegrass, centipede grass, Perennial Ryegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, etc. It not only prevents crabgrass and common lawn weeds but it is powerful enough to destroy strong weeds like Dandelion, Chickweeds, Broadleaves weed and Clover. And apart from these weeds, it also prevents a number of other plantings from growing.

It is a 3-in-1 product that not only prevents and kills the weed but also has the ability to feed your grass and make it healthy-looking.

Specifications:

• Product Dimensions: 24 x 6.8 x 15.5 inches
• Item Weight: 50.2 pounds
• Style: standard
• Series Name: Turf Builder Triple Action
• Delivery System: Granules
• Maximum Coverage Area (Sq. Feet): 4000
• Waiting Period to Seed: 16 weeks

4. Scotts Turf Builder Halts Crabgrass Preventer

This Scott Turf Builder will prevent the crabgrass from growing in your lawn all season long. And also, it is a great lawn fertilizer feeder to help our grass in becoming thick and healthy. Best time for its application is in early spring, as you can avoid the germination of crabgrass, broadleaves weeds like Poa Annua, chickweeds etc. Rain, snow or even freezing weather will not affect the performance of this product

To get effective results, make sure that your lawn will receive ¼ to ½ inch of water within the two days of application, either by rainfall or manual watering

Specifications:

• Series Name: Turf Builder with Halts Crabgrass Preventer
• Delivery System: Granules
• Maximum Coverage Area (Sq. Feet): 15000
• Product Dimensions: 15.5 x 12 x 3 inches
• Item Weight: 1 pound

5. Quali-Pro Prodiamine 65 WDG

Quali-Pro-Prodiamine provides a flexible range for the application. You can apply this herbicide in both spring and fall and enjoy weed-free lawn for all season long. This herbicide deals with pre-emergent crabgrass and weeds and prevents their growth even before it invades your lawn. Its active ingredient is Prodiamine 65% which is highly effective against Poa Annua, Henbit, Chickweed, Spurge, Foxtail, Goosegrass and Knotweed. Apart from lawns, it has versatile other range of application, like a golf course, trees, turf, landscape and nursery.

Specifications:

• Product Dimensions: 4.7 x 7 x 10.5 inches
• Item Weight: 5 pounds
• Department: weed killers
• Manufacturer: Control Solutions Inc
• Size: 5LB

Buying Guide: Crabgrass Preventer

To assist you in winning the battle against this persistent invader and to regain your lush landscape we have compiled this informative guide.

1. Identify the problem

First and foremost for eliminating crabgrass you need to identify them properly. As there are some grades that resemble crabgrass so at first glance you might get mistaken. To make sure that you don’t miss any spots while spraying you need to be able to identify crabgrass.

Crabgrass tends to have tips like spades on the leafy part. This portion grows at a horizontal angle (i.e. perpendicular to the ground).

2. Not to destroy the lawn

Some weed killers are mixed with strong ingredients that make the product effective yet destructive. Such weed killers will eliminate virtually anything they touch. So, it’s better to opt for crabgrass preventers which rely on a more natural method to kill.

The best crabgrass preventer will be able to eat away all that isn’t required while preserving the seasonal growth.

If you plan to only target crabgrass then stick to products that will solely target those.

3. Timely usage

Use the product when you see crabgrass growing. This will happen usually during April and May.

These two months are ideal for spraying. Thou the products that we have mentioned will work throughout the year but it’s recommended that you treat spraying before the temperature of the ground rises more than 55 degrees.

4. Checking the results

You should always double-check if your product is working or not because different products take different amounts of time to work. Most of the weed will be killed within two weeks. Though some products might take longer than four to five weeks.

So, after you have sprayed, wait a couple of days and check all the problematic spots. In case you see spots of purple or violet on the crabgrass stems then your selected product is working its magic. We recommend that you dig out the weeds where the spots are heavily weeded.

Make sure to check how the manufacturer has instructed to use this product as you might require to spray the product more than once a day.

5. Wet weather

In case of a low-quality product the rainwater will soak it up and all your effort will be wasted. To eliminate this problem most of the best crabgrass preventers mentioned above will stick to anything they touch. This means that you don’t have to worry about these chemicals going deep into the soil of your lawn.

We recommend that you don’t spray the product just before or during a rainstorm. You need to be patient and should wait for dry weather.

In case the area where you live is usually cold then low temperature might assist you in weeding. It’s better to start off before the temperature heats up.

6. Time duration

With crabgrass killers, you will have to wait for a couple of days before seeing some results. Thou there isn’t any need to panic in case you don’t see any progress what so ever.

For those of you that require a product that would work instantly then you should opt for a stronger formula or one that has more solution.

The more weed killer the greater the number of water you will have to mix with it. Be careful so that you don’t overdo it. Remember to use the product during the right season so that you don’t have to tackle crabgrass issues throughout the year.

7. Toxicity

Thou crabgrass preventers don’t cause any harm to other grasses but some weed killers do so you need to stay clear of such products.

You need to make sure that the product you are using isn’t toxic for other plants present in your law. Plus you also need to keep the solution away from pets and infants.

Mainly crabgrass grows around the lawn edges so it will be easier for you to spray and eliminate the grass without causing any harm to animals.

Furthermore, try not to breathe the solution while spraying. This tends to happen when one isn’t careful and isn’t using a spray nozzle.

The process of spraying is pretty easy and manufacturers usually include directions that the user should follow while using the product.

Why is crabgrass a problem?

In case you already have had experience with crabgrass then you know exactly how quickly they take over the garden and how hard it is to get rid of them but today we are going to get into why they are actually considered that bad.

Crabgrass tends to spread like wildfire and start to cover all available terrain. Thou the plant isn’t harmful but it will give a ragged look to the entire lawn and your attractive plants.

The good thing is that crabgrass dies during winter but if you aren’t a fan of how they look then you will need to prepare before the next spring. This is because crabgrass disperses seed all over your lawn and so it is easy for it to grow back next year and the next.

With crabgrass producing over 150,000 seeds per year, you need a proper product to tackle them.

Understanding the cycle

Out of all the 150,000 seeds produced quite a few will germinate the next spring and so the cycle will continue. The seeds which will not germinate instantly will remain viable and can germinate during the future years.  

Moving your lawn short will not stop crabgrass seeds from germinating. Even when crabgrass is as tall as ½ inches it can still continue to set seed. To eliminate crabgrass, you require proper and effective control.

Ways to tackle crabgrass plants

You can start off by preventing germination from happening on your lawn. For this, you will require to use products such as “pre-emergent” herbicides. These will target the germinating seeds even before they are able to shoot new stems.

Pre-emergent are actually able to constrain root development and seed germination. So, the seeds in your lawn will not be able to become plants. We have mentioned some premium products above. So, make sure to check them out.

You can also use other maintenance techniques instead of crabgrass killers to keep crabgrass at bay. These techniques will also ensure that the herbicide you have used is effective.

1. First, try changing the way you water the lawn. If you turn your sprinklers on every day for a few minutes then you are providing crabgrass more chances to germinate. So, they will grow faster and will eventually take over your entire lawn. You should try watering for longer durations so that the water is able to go deep into the soil. This way the grass will be able to have a stronger root structure.
2. Try watering the lawn for a longer duration of time. We recommend watering for 20 minutes at least twice per week.
3. Experiment by letting your lawn grow out. By letting the grass grow about four inches you can prevent sunlight from getting to shorter crabgrass. Thus, the crabgrass will choke and die. Make sure to have any bare spot on your lawn, as crabgrass will eventually spread there and all your efforts will be wasted.
4. While mowing you can leave clipping around the lawn. These will not only nurture the soil but will also prevent the light from reaching crabgrass.
5. Fertilizing your lawn is another great way to stop pests from growing. With a well-nourished soil, you can resist any kind of unwanted growth that might ruin the look of your lawn. A great technique for tackling this problem is to mix fertilizer with the herbicide.
6. In case you like to keep it organic you can use corn gluten meal.