Garden

[Allegheny]

Two years ago, we had two large islands landscaped into our sloping yard to eliminate mowing on the hillside.  They were heavily mulched to keep the weeds at bay.  Well time marched on and this year, and due to the rainy weather, then tremendous heat and my laziness the islands got over run with crab grass.  I had no alternative but to spray weed killer.  

So I go out this evening and start to pull out the now dead crab grass.  I swear that stuff doesn't give up.  I pull and pull, then start to dig it out.  Two hours and it doesn't look like I made much progress.  I'm so aggrevated that tomorrow I'm going to take my flamer out there and burn that stuff. 

Shall I say, lesson learned.

[JustJazzmom]

Not sure where you live but a pre-emergent w/o fertilizer (Trade name -- Scott's Halt's) would have prevented the crab grass seeds from germinating-- in our area we do it around early May-- when the blooms of the forsythia start to fade. Check the label for the one w/o the fertilizer.

There is always next year to do this.

[Allegheny]

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@JustJazzmom wrote:

Not sure where you live but a pre-emergent w/o fertilizer (Trade name -- Scott's Halt's) would have prevented the crab grass seeds from germinating-- in our area we do it around early May-- when the blooms of the forsythia start to fade. Check the label for the one w/o the fertilizer.

There is always next year to do this.

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I hoped you would reply JustJazzmom. I am in SW Pennsylvania. So do you think the product would work on top of mulch? Is there anything that we should apply in the fall?

[ValuSkr]

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@Allegheny wrote:

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@JustJazzmom wrote:

Not sure where you live but a pre-emergent w/o fertilizer (Trade name -- Scott's Halt's) would have prevented the crab grass seeds from germinating-- in our area we do it around early May-- when the blooms of the forsythia start to fade. Check the label for the one w/o the fertilizer.

There is always next year to do this.

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I hoped you would reply JustJazzmom. I am in SW Pennsylvania. So do you think the product would work on top of mulch? Is there anything that we should apply in the fall?

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I don't think pre-emergent would work on top of mulch.  But I could be wrong.  Seems like mulch alone should have been enough to prevent most weeds.  Be careful using your flame weeder - don't want to set the mulch on fire.

[JustJazzmom]

Scott's Halt's w/o fertilizer is used in the spring as the forsythia blooms fade to lawn areas. Now for mulched areas I generally use to prevent weeds from germinating in certain areas of my garden --rose garden in particular plus newly planted areas-- Preen w/o fertilizer. It lasts about 4 months provided you do not disturb the mulch or the soil.

Fall you really cannot do too much as the crabgrass is done. The most important thing to do is remove if possible any crabgrass by hand before it goes to seed. Those seeds will remain in the soil for next year to germinate.

I have successfully used left over Halt's or that Preen mentioned over mulch and that has worked pretty well for many weeds.I sprinkle it liberally over the mulched or open bare soil areas. If its bare soil, I apply the Preen then I add the mulch over it. I did this when I planted 2 new mountain laurels. Some weeds do come through like clover or certain parts of grasses from the lawn come up.

[Allegheny]

Ladies, thank you for helping me out!

[Snoopp]

Scott's crabgrass control pre-emergent didn't work for me.  I'm looking for an alternative for next  year.

[JustJazzmom]

One lawn guru who was one of my mentors Tamson Yeh, mentioned that crabgrass preventer should be applied 1st application when forsythia blooms are fading and then again one month later for the 2nd application to catch the later germinating varieties of crabgrass.

This might have been the reason for failure! Another reason is not setting the spreader to the correct setting-- yes this does happen!! I've seen lawn crews spread crabgrass preventer using their hands and strewing it across lawns instead of using a drop spreader!!

[bonnielu]

I am having trouble with Japanese Stiltgrass.... no doubt did not spell that one right.  I just spent two days pulling it up by hand.  It invaded my flower beds and was getting a hold on my grass.  I do have a company that comes around and treats my grass but they told me this one grass cannot be eliminated.

[JustJazzmom]

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@bonnielu wrote:

I am having trouble with Japanese Stiltgrass.... no doubt did not spell that one right.  I just spent two days pulling it up by hand.  It invaded my flower beds and was getting a hold on my grass.  I do have a company that comes around and treats my grass but they told me this one grass cannot be eliminated.

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This link tells you that you should pull it after the lawn is moist from rainfall; it makes it easier to pull out the shallowly rooted grass.