Best way to kill Crabgrass?

[Nickshu]

It's been a wet year in Colorado. I have a few small 12x12" areas of Crabgrass that have emerged in my front yard. I have a zero weed tolerance policy, aerate in the spring/fall, have a lawn service that fertilizes 4-5 times per year. I have tried 2-4D with no effect (usually my weed killer of choice, mixed from concentrate). I dug up one of the patches and wouldn't you know it, it came back.

Anyone have a magic formula for getting rid of crabgrass patches? Google has not provided much help either...

[wdfifteen]

12"x12" areas? Just pull it out. Cheaper, faster, more effective.

[Mike80911]

If you pull it out it will only grow back and spread you need to kill the crabgrass before pulling it out. As soon as I see any I spray it first with Ortho crabgrass killer before cutting the grass so the lawnmower does not spread it. Once it dies I pull it out and reseed with top soil and starter fertilizer. This always seems to work for me.

[john70t]

Neighborhood kids/hr.
Price of perfection and a good cause.

[gamin]

Propane torch.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

12"x12" areas? Just pull it out. Cheaper, faster, more effective.

+1. Small areas like that I would just cut out. Do it quickly - the stuff grows like crazy and once past a certain point, 3' square, will be impossible to get rid of.

[p911dad]

I have been fighting that pest for years. The only way to really get rid of it is multiple applications of a pre-emergent herbicide in the early spring. Normally, the actual plant is killed off by the first freeze. The plants of course leave seeds waiting to germinate in the spring. The pre-emergent prevents the seeds from germinating (also any grass seeds you have put down). Once it is up and growing it is near impossible to kill off, normal herbicides don't touch it. Roundup is a little extreme, as it will kill everything else as well.
This past spring I really hit it hard with Scott's Halts, and no crabgrass this year. I have other weird weeds but no crabgrass.

[cashman]

I just hit mine with Weed Be Gon plus crabgrass control. It died in 2 days. I couldn't believe it.

[mattdavis11]

Second the torch. There's a reason why golf courses implement such a method.

[ninelevenick]

Erect a barricade/fence around the area. Then, adopt a couple of rabbits from your nearest animal shelter and place them inside the barricade. All the grass will be eaten within a week, and nothing will grow in that area for at least two years!

[djantlive]

I used this concentrated solution that came in a bottle around 12oz or so. The solution is clear and you mix with gallons or water. To my surprise, it actually works. Forgot the name of it or brand. But some nursery has it.

[Nickshu]

Thanks guys. I'll try the spray first. I have tried digging it up, but it just came back again. I already have plenty of rabbit problems elsewhere, but that's another story. Tough stuff!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by p911dad

I have been fighting that pest for years. The only way to really get rid of it is multiple applications of a pre-emergent herbicide in the early spring. Normally, the actual plant is killed off by the first freeze. The plants of course leave seeds waiting to germinate in the spring. The pre-emergent prevents the seeds from germinating (also any grass seeds you have put down). Once it is up and growing it is near impossible to kill off, normal herbicides don't touch it. Roundup is a little extreme, as it will kill everything else as well.
This past spring I really hit it hard with Scott's Halts, and no crabgrass this year. I have other weird weeds but no crabgrass.

+1
Some of the behavior being talked about here doesn't sound like crab grass to me. Once I pull a crabgrass plant out, it's dead. Crabgrass grows primarily from seed and spreads very little by rhizomes. But one plant can put out thousands of seeds.
We have some variety of creeping bent grass in the midwest that spreads through rhizomes that is nearly impossible to get rid of. It starts off as a plant or two and soon it's a spreading mat of weedy grass. The only way to get rid of it is Roundup in August and replant in Sept.