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Wipe Out The Crabgrass In Your Lawn With These Must-Know Tips
By ASHLEY HANSON
Herbicides
Apply pre-emergent herbicide with a spreader in the yard to stop the crabgrass seeds before they sprout and spread. Finish by watering your grass to encourage absorption.
If you do it right away in the spring, the soil will already be protected when the seeds try to germinate once the soil hits 55 degrees F.
Baking Soda
Baking soda has a higher salinity level, which interrupts the crabgrass' natural water balance, causing it to slowly dehydrate and burn from the inside out.
To help the soda stick, wet the crabgrass spots in your garden first. Let it sit for a few hours, and avoid watering for at least 24 hours before pulling away the dead grass.
Boiling Water
Boiling water can scald the weeds as soon as it makes contact by breaking down the proteins and cellular structure, turning them brown or yellow in a day or two.
To follow this method, carefully pour the boiling water over the entire crabgrass patch, spreading 3 feet around the plant to ensure it reaches the roots.
Solarization
With solarization, you want to cover crabgrass with plastic sheets to raise the soil's temperature so the seeds and roots cook. The heat will also dehydrate any seeds.
Mow the affected area, soak the soil with water, lay your clear plastic sheets, then weigh them down with soil or rocks. Leave them for four to six weeks.
Salt Water
Use salt water on crabgrass to allow the salt to absorb their moisture and dehydrate them. As the weeds dry, they'll struggle to photosynthesize and eventually die.
Mix two cups of salt with a gallon of water, add a tablespoon of dish soap so it adheres better to the foliage, then spray the mix generously on the crabgrass.