The Popular Crabgrass Weed Killer That May Do Your Lawn More Harm Than Good

If you happen to have crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) in your lawn, you've undoubtedly been fighting a rather frustrating battle to try to get rid of it. As it's a member of the grass family, you can't just grab a broadleaf herbicide to control it because that won't work. Trying to dig it out can be a challenge, and more often than not, you might leave some roots behind, which will grow into new plants. For this reason, you've probably been to your local hardware store or garden center to find the best crabgrass weed killer products, and come across a popular one known as Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer. Unfortunately, if you use this on or near your lawn, it's definitely going to do more harm than good.

While Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer lists crabgrass as one of the weeds it can kill, you need to be aware that this product is a non-selective herbicide and will kill not just the weeds but also the grass that makes up your lawn, as well as any other plants it might inadvertently come into contact with. You'll even find that the usage instructions say that you should avoid spraying Spectracide on lawn grasses and other desirable plants. Spectracide also has another product known as Weed Stop, which is designed to be used on lawns, but you will find that any overspray is still going to affect the surrounding grass as well.

Even if you plan to use Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer to get rid of the crabgrass that's coming up in your driveway or through the cracks in your paving, which is what the product is designed for, it's not that easy to prevent overspray, and a fine mist could quickly settle on your nearby lawn. You'll find that the slightest breeze could pick up a drift of the spray and deposit it on your turf. The other problem is that this product is rainproof, which means that even if you try to hose it off affected areas, it's likely not to wash away completely, thus killing any of the grass that it lands on.

One of the easiest ways to remove crabgrass from your lawn is to prevent the seeds from germinating in the first place. You can do this by using a pre-emergent herbicide in spring or by looking for a natural alternative that contains corn gluten meal. This will also help to fertilize your turf at the same time. In fact, the healthier and more lush your lawn is, the fewer problems you're going to have with crabgrass. However, if you do happen to spot a few of the weeds appearing, the best way to get rid of them is to just pull them up by hand, ensuring you get all the roots. You could also dab the plant with a post-emergence herbicide, but you'll have to be careful not to get the product on your desirable lawn grass. Finally, remember that you could be making crabgrass even worse if you cut your lawn too low.