I'm about to replace a my girlfriend's lawn that's heavily infested
with crabgrass.

What's the best approach to doing this? Some of the different
suggestions I've received are as follows:

- Spray the lawn as it is (without digging it up first) with
preemergent and then cover it with a tarp for several weeks before
digging it up
- Remove the top layer of grass before spraying it
- Not spraying it at all

I guess I have two basic questions - do I really need to take off the
top layer of dead grass before spraying it and do I really need to tarp
it after spraying it? Any and all suggestions will be helpful.

Christopher

P.S. I live in Northern California if that makes a difference.

wrote:
I'm about to replace a my girlfriend's lawn that's heavily infested
with crabgrass.

What's the best approach to doing this? Some of the different
suggestions I've received are as follows:

- Spray the lawn as it is (without digging it up first) with
preemergent and then cover it with a tarp for several weeks before
digging it up
- Remove the top layer of grass before spraying it
- Not spraying it at all

I guess I have two basic questions - do I really need to take off the
top layer of dead grass before spraying it and do I really need to tarp
it after spraying it? Any and all suggestions will be helpful.

Christopher

P.S. I live in Northern California if that makes a difference.



Crabgrass is an annual. Just keep it mowed this year and put up with
it. Next spring, apply a preemergent herbicide to kill the seedlings.
(I've never used a preemerge herbicide before, but I have one little
strip of lawn next to my driveway where I'm going to try it next year.)

If the crabgrass has totally taken over, that's a sign that the lawn is
not healthy. You may be cutting it too short or not watering properly, etc.

Best regards,
Bob

On 27 Aug 2006 10:26:11 -0700, "
wrote:

I'm about to replace a my girlfriend's lawn that's heavily infested
with crabgrass.

What's the best approach to doing this? Some of the different
suggestions I've received are as follows:

- Spray the lawn as it is (without digging it up first) with
preemergent and then cover it with a tarp for several weeks before
digging it up
- Remove the top layer of grass before spraying it
- Not spraying it at all

I guess I have two basic questions - do I really need to take off the
top layer of dead grass before spraying it and do I really need to tarp
it after spraying it? Any and all suggestions will be helpful.


Seed needs to be in direct contact with soil for it to sprout. The
seed will not sprout if you apply a preemergence. You can use RoundUp
to kill the grass, then remove the dead grass. Use a lot of seed to
get to get a thick lawn which crabgrass won't grow well. Apply a
starter fertilizer at the time of seeding. Protect the seeds with
straw and keep the ground moist.

Christopher

P.S. I live in Northern California if that makes a difference.

On 2006-08-27 13:51:35 -0400, zxcvbob said:

wrote:
I'm about to replace a my girlfriend's lawn that's heavily infested
with crabgrass.

What's the best approach to doing this? Some of the different
suggestions I've received are as follows:

- Spray the lawn as it is (without digging it up first) with
preemergent and then cover it with a tarp for several weeks before
digging it up
- Remove the top layer of grass before spraying it
- Not spraying it at all

I guess I have two basic questions - do I really need to take off the
top layer of dead grass before spraying it and do I really need to tarp
it after spraying it? Any and all suggestions will be helpful.

Christopher

P.S. I live in Northern California if that makes a difference.



Crabgrass is an annual. Just keep it mowed this year and put up with
it. Next spring, apply a preemergent herbicide to kill the seedlings.
(I've never used a preemerge herbicide before, but I have one little
strip of lawn next to my driveway where I'm going to try it next year.)


I agree, put it down when the forsythias are in bloom. I did it this
past spring and what a difference!
I used Scott's with Halt's for crabgrass.

"Follow lable directions" as Ralph Snodsmith always says!

Johnny Borborigmi wrote:
On 2006-08-27 13:51:35 -0400, zxcvbob said:

wrote:
I'm about to replace a my girlfriend's lawn that's heavily infested
with crabgrass.

What's the best approach to doing this? Some of the different
suggestions I've received are as follows:

- Spray the lawn as it is (without digging it up first) with
preemergent and then cover it with a tarp for several weeks before
digging it up
- Remove the top layer of grass before spraying it
- Not spraying it at all

I guess I have two basic questions - do I really need to take off the
top layer of dead grass before spraying it and do I really need to tarp
it after spraying it? Any and all suggestions will be helpful.

Christopher

P.S. I live in Northern California if that makes a difference.



Crabgrass is an annual. Just keep it mowed this year and put up with
it. Next spring, apply a preemergent herbicide to kill the seedlings.
(I've never used a preemerge herbicide before, but I have one little
strip of lawn next to my driveway where I'm going to try it next year.)


I agree, put it down when the forsythias are in bloom. I did it this
past spring and what a difference!
I used Scott's with Halt's for crabgrass.

"Follow lable directions" as Ralph Snodsmith always says!




Does that have a broadleaf weed killer (2,4-d, etc) in it? I don't use
broadleaf herbicides except to occasionally spot-treat dandelions and
elm or walnut seedlings that got too big to pull. I don't use 2,4-d *at
all* in the back yard where the dogs go.

Bob

I would spray with something like roundup to kill all the "grass" first. In
about 7 days I would till the area and rake any clumps out and smooth the
soil. I would then wait a couple weeks and see if anything sprouted. If it
did, I would spray that with herbacide. I would then sow grass.
"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On 27 Aug 2006 10:26:11 -0700, "
wrote:

I'm about to replace a my girlfriend's lawn that's heavily infested
with crabgrass.

What's the best approach to doing this? Some of the different
suggestions I've received are as follows:

- Spray the lawn as it is (without digging it up first) with
preemergent and then cover it with a tarp for several weeks before
digging it up
- Remove the top layer of grass before spraying it
- Not spraying it at all

I guess I have two basic questions - do I really need to take off the
top layer of dead grass before spraying it and do I really need to tarp
it after spraying it? Any and all suggestions will be helpful.


Seed needs to be in direct contact with soil for it to sprout. The
seed will not sprout if you apply a preemergence. You can use RoundUp
to kill the grass, then remove the dead grass. Use a lot of seed to
get to get a thick lawn which crabgrass won't grow well. Apply a
starter fertilizer at the time of seeding. Protect the seeds with
straw and keep the ground moist.

Christopher

P.S. I live in Northern California if that makes a difference.

We just got thru rehabbing a horribly neglected lawn (not that I like a lawn and soon
there will be less lawn) but it is at our rental property. big bald spots and more
weeds than grass. We made a mistake in using pre-emergent. dont.
start with weed and feed, watering every day or every other day. cut the grass.
then after a couple weeks overseed with good fresh grass seed. at least up here in
zone 5 the temp is ideal right now. we just reseeded. Ingrid

zxcvbob wrote:

wrote:
I'm about to replace a my girlfriend's lawn that's heavily infested
with crabgrass.

What's the best approach to doing this? Some of the different
suggestions I've received are as follows:

- Spray the lawn as it is (without digging it up first) with
preemergent and then cover it with a tarp for several weeks before
digging it up
- Remove the top layer of grass before spraying it
- Not spraying it at all

I guess I have two basic questions - do I really need to take off the
top layer of dead grass before spraying it and do I really need to tarp
it after spraying it? Any and all suggestions will be helpful.

Christopher

P.S. I live in Northern California if that makes a difference.



Crabgrass is an annual. Just keep it mowed this year and put up with
it. Next spring, apply a preemergent herbicide to kill the seedlings.
(I've never used a preemerge herbicide before, but I have one little
strip of lawn next to my driveway where I'm going to try it next year.)

If the crabgrass has totally taken over, that's a sign that the lawn is
not healthy. You may be cutting it too short or not watering properly, etc.

Best regards,
Bob



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Christopher,

The only thing I can think of would be to till and improve the soil
over the entire lawn, ignoring what is growing there. Get it ready for
turf, compacting it, etc. THEN allow whatever wants to grow to get a
good head start. At that point it would be ready for Roundup. After
the Roundup takes effect, *without disturbing the soil* put the sod
down and water as you normally would.

This sounds like a lot of trouble and it sure would be. The only other
option would be to have someone entirely remove the top few inches of
lawn and soil and start over, but you never know what you get with
purchased topsoil.

Or you could do what I do, which is to keep turning parts of the lawn
into garden, gradually, and learn to ignore crabgrass. My philosophy
is "If it's green, it's a lawn."

Or you could do what I do, which is to keep turning parts of the lawn
into garden, gradually, and learn to ignore crabgrass.

This is the way to go! Use a long-handled weed tool to reduce the work
and strain on your back. Google 'lawn conversion native plants' and
'weed tools' for help.


Sparky Organic wrote:
Christopher,

The only thing I can think of would be to till and improve the soil
over the entire lawn, ignoring what is growing there. Get it ready for
turf, compacting it, etc. THEN allow whatever wants to grow to get a
good head start. At that point it would be ready for Roundup. After
the Roundup takes effect, *without disturbing the soil* put the sod
down and water as you normally would.

This sounds like a lot of trouble and it sure would be. The only other
option would be to have someone entirely remove the top few inches of
lawn and soil and start over, but you never know what you get with
purchased topsoil.

Or you could do what I do, which is to keep turning parts of the lawn
into garden, gradually, and learn to ignore crabgrass. My philosophy
is "If it's green, it's a lawn."