# Mid-late season selective herbicide for crabgrass?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-late-season-selective-herbicide-for-crabgrass/789948>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 26, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-late-season-selective-herbicide-for-crabgrass/789948 "2017-06-26T23:44:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2017, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-late-season-selective-herbicide-for-crabgrass/789948/1 "2017-06-26T23:44:39Z")

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Any of the typical lawn care broadleaf herbicides that I have investigated are not effective on crabgrass. The herbicides that I’ve found that do kill crabgrass are not recommended for lawn application. Too late for a pre-emergent around here (Summer in Ohio, USA).

Any one know of a selective herbicide intended for lawns that is toxic to crabgrass, yet may be used this late in the season?

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**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-late-season-selective-herbicide-for-crabgrass/789948/2 "2017-06-27T00:38:56Z")

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Back before I moved the the desert and ditched all the lawn care worries I had good luck with [Weed B Gone Plus Crabgrass Control](https://www.ortho.com/smg/goprod/ortho-weed-b-gon-plus-crabgrass-control-hose-sprayer/prod10001?locale=en_US).

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**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-late-season-selective-herbicide-for-crabgrass/789948/3 "2017-06-27T09:52:46Z")

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Thank you, I’ll give it a try.

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**Author:** ![RememberMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@RememberMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RememberMe)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-late-season-selective-herbicide-for-crabgrass/789948/4 "2017-06-27T12:34:44Z")

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Stay away from the big box offerings. I have heard good things about the product Drive XLR8.  
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-late-season-selective-herbicide-for-crabgrass/789948/5 "2017-06-27T17:51:53Z")

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I have had very good results with both [Drive XLR8 and Tenacity.](http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/post-emergents-c-59_787_789_478_494.html)

They seem expensive, but keep in mind that these are very concentrated products and mix up large amounts of herbicide; they will last a long time.

For just crabgrass, Drive XLR8 is great. If you have other difficult weeds, Tenacity takes care of more of them. One note on Tenacity – the weeds turn white while dying – not tan or beige or cream, they turn white … looks a little weird for a couple of weeks, but you know for sure it is working.

If you decide to go with the Weed B Gon Plus Crabgrass, look for the bottle of concentrate rather than the premixed bottle; it is much less expensive that way but the concentrate can be hard to find.

The website in the above link also has several other professional strength crabgrass killers that will certainly be better than the Ortho or Bayer stuff you find in the big box stores.