In that we have a crappy front lawn, anyway, but the problem is the tall crabgrass that is growing up at the foot of our cement step, and around the stockade fence. I’ve clipped it by hand and (weedwhacked when I had a weedwhacker), but I’m getting tired of it up against my cement step. i don’t know how the neighbors do it, their lawns run right up to THEIR steps and fences, there is no tall crabgrass that needs weekwhacking that I ever see them do. Any suggestions as to what to do about the crabgrass there? I’m thinking, dig that strip out and fill with new soil and replant with grass seed. Does this sound like a solution?
Use roundup on it to kill it dead, then reseed. Digging it up might work, but any seeds that the grass has dropped will come back later, so a good weed and crabgrass killer might be necessary even into next season.
If you dig it up, just be careful to try and minimize the number of seeds that fall off (if it has gone to seed yet). I have the occasional piece of crabgrass pop up in my lawn (I put down a preventer, and do what I can do encourage thick, tall grass that I actually want, so that crabgrass is minimized), and if it hasn’t gone to seed, I’ll pull it and toss it back on the lawn, to be mulched up next time I mow.
You’re going to have the same problem with seeds regardless of using something like roundup or digging it up. But ultimately it comes down to one of two strategies: whole-sale replacement either via digging or roundup, or make sure to get crabgrass preventer in that area every spring for at least a few years and wait for the desirable grass to fill in. This process can be hastened by planting grass seed in the spring, before the crabgrass germinates. (I’d say the fall, but crabgrass doesn’t really start leaving until the first frost, and at that point much of the fall grass planting and growing season is over).
“Here’s to the crabgrass, here’s to the mortgage -
In fact, here’s to suburbia …” [Allen Sherman]
Crabgrass needs to be nuked as posted above, then you watch for the shoots
and pull them up pronto. If the grass seeds, you’re in for a fight if you want rid
of it.
It’s long been my contention that perfect lawns are a sign of obsessive people.
If you mow often, the neighbours won’t notice, right?
an seanchai
You could do what I do - mow it often and convince yourself it looks like decent lawn grass. I figure if it survives the neglect I subject it to, including the heat and lack of water, it deserves to be there as much as anything else.
Thank you for the advice. I guess it won’t kill me to go out there after mowing and hack away with a pair of scissors so it doesn’t grow taller than the step (the mower can’t get that close to that clump of weed). Someday I guess we could put in a little paved path leading right up to the steps, but we have a list of 1001 more urgent things to be done before cosmetic yard work…