Banish crabgrass from your lawn in days with an easy 5-step gardening method

Plenty of gardeners ignore crabgrass despite its minor perks, such as providing a home for wildlife and acting as a quick fix for bare ground. But this pesky invader's lightning-fast spread and unsightly clumps can swiftly smother a pristine lawn; crabgrass thrives in hot, parched spots, and each plant can churn out a staggering 150,000 seeds.

Though it typically snuffs it when the frost hits, you're left with ugly bald spots that wreck your green carpet's good looks. Clint Waltz, PhD, a turf expert at the University of Georgia, has warned lawn-loving gardeners to tackle this grassy menace before it's too late.

He said: "It's a prolific seed producer. If you do nothing about it this year, expect a higher and more dense population of crabgrass next year."

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Crabgrass pops up in spring and keeps sprouting all summer long. Being an annual plant, it croaks after the first hard freeze, but those seeds hang about for years, just waiting to spring back to life, reports the Express.

Reaching for chemicals might seem like the obvious quick fix for time-pressed gardeners, but Clint cautioned that zapping crabgrass with weedkiller is a bit of a gamble.

Herbicides target specific grass types, so picking the wrong one could spell disaster for your cherished turf.

That's precisely why you need to suss out what type of grass you've got before unleashing any chemical warfare.

You might fancy trying scalding water or horticultural vinegar to see off crabgrass, but since these methods don't discriminate, they could take out your prized grass too.

How to banish crabgrass 1. Find the right herbicide

Fluazifop works on tall fescue and zoysia grass types, while Quinclorac is suitable for tall fescue, zoysia, and Kentucky blue—also known as "smooth stalked meadow grass."

2. Spot treat crabgrass patches

Once you've identified the correct product for your grass variety, target-spray the solution directly onto the crabgrass. Results typically appear within seven to 10 days, with the crabgrass yellowing and browning.

Clint explains that if crabgrass still looks vigorous after 21 days, a second treatment might be necessary.

For widespread problems, apply the appropriate herbicide across your entire lawn following the manufacturer's guidelines. This is recommended when 50 to 70% of your lawn is infested with crabgrass.

3. Mow your lawn

Several days following herbicide treatment, cut your grass to hide the discoloured patches.

4. Hand-weed strays

If you'd rather avoid herbicides, you might choose to remove crabgrass manually, though this works best with just a few scattered plants rather than widespread coverage. It's also worthwhile doing after treatment and mowing to catch any remaining weeds.

5. Prevent new growth

Like most garden pests, prevention beats cure. Your first defence is a thriving lawn that's cut to the proper height and receives adequate feeding and watering.

Additionally, Clint recommends applying a pre-emergence treatment in spring. Time this for early to mid-spring whilst soil surface temperatures remain below 12C.