If you are reading this, you have established that crabgrass is your irritating foe, and you need to control it. But before you resort to toxic herbicides, consider the health of your garden, pets, and children. Here are a few non-toxic ways of getting rid of crabgrass.

Control your lawn’s health
Deal with crabgrass by preventing initial growth. It’s advisable to take time to cultivate a healthy lawn and select the best manure and grass seeds that suit your soil. Address trouble areas on your property and fill bald spots quickly before the crabgrass grows on them. Also, select high-quality seeds to avoid buying grass seeds mixed with crabgrass seeds.

Catch it early
If you can’t control your lawn from the word go, you’ll need to watch over the lawn and catch crabgrass early. Crabgrass is strong-headed when mature, but as young plants, you can eradicate them using an organic post-emergent weed control herbicide that is safe on other plants and turf. Apply before soil temperature exceeds 50 degrees Fahrenheit. That will kill the weeds before they grow.

Manually pull the grass out.
Use the manual method if the crabgrass has grown between flowers or vegetables. However, it would be best if you waited until the ground was soft from the rains as the crabgrass can be very stubborn. It holds on to the soil so tightly that you may pull only the upper part. The roots will remain and regrow. You can turn this into a family gardening activity and tackle wild grass together to achieve a weed-free yard.

Let your grass grow tall.
Crabgrass grows faster when exposed to light and moisture. This method may seem unpleasant as tall grass doesn’t bring the aesthetic you’re looking for in your yard. However, the tall grass will shed the crabgrass and cause it to die slowly. The grass will lose the necessary conditions to sustain growth. You can later mow the grass when it reaches approximately three inches.

Use boiling water
That is mainly used to kill crabgrass that has taken over a large part of your lawn. Be careful with boiling water as it kills other plants that grow around. Gently pour a rationed amount of water above every crabgrass to avoid spillage to other plants. Some grass types like Bermuda can survive boiling water. However, please test a small part of your lawn to see the possible damage.

Start over
Starting over is the only option if crabgrass has taken over your lawn and all the solutions you’ve tried have not worked. You will have to kill your entire lawn with an organic non-selective herbicide during the summer and wait a few days for the herbicides to work. Use that opportunity to seek high-quality seeds and probably change the grass variety. Also, ensure that you adhere to all crabgrass prevention techniques to avoid infestation.

Don’t sit back and let crabgrass infest your lawn. Take action today and reclaim your beautiful outdoor living space.