Most of us with lawns recognize crabgrass when we see it. It’s that ugly, rapidly growing, coarse-textured light green growth that infests our beautiful green turf in the late spring. This crabby stuff contains splayed-out shoots, with leaves up to one-half inch wide and over one inch in length, and it crowds out our wonderful carpet of green. Crabgrass can rapidly take control of our lawn if we aren’t careful about eliminating it.

Another grass that can be a pest is Bermuda grass. It is not as familiar to us as a pest grass, but we often come across it. It’s a creeping grass that will root wherever it touches the ground. It has three- to fifteen-inch-long stems with short, rough-edged blades extending from the ends of the stems.

Crabgrass is native to Europe and Asia and was brought to the U.S. in 1849 as a potential forage crop. In this country, it now occurs almost everywhere grasses are found. It is a summer annual, a member of the grass family and among the most troublesome weeds in most lawns. It reproduces from seeds and grows rapidly by a branching process known as tillering. One plant can produce as many as 700 branches and 150,000 seeds. Lowering the mower height doesn’t usually control it because it can produce seeds at heights as low as one-half inch.

Crabgrass seeds germinate in the spring when the soil temperature reaches approximately 60°F. They continue sprouting through late spring and into the summer. The grass tolerates both dry seasons and heat. At the end of summer, growth slows and the plants begin to generate seeds from purplish seed heads that develop until frost kills the plants in the fall.

The best way to control crabgrass is with pre-emergent or post-emergent herbicides, available at any garden center. These products work best when applied in April or early May, and proper timing is important to prevent the seeds from germinating. Use caution if you have a newly seeded lawn because many pre-emergents prevent all types of seeds from germinating. Some topical sprays can control crabgrass but won’t eradicate it. Consult with your garden center experts about which product is best for your situation. Essentially the only other eradication method is digging up the plants as they develop.

Bermuda grass is a major turf grass used for sports fields, parks and golf courses. It is also a highly nutritious feed crop for cattle and sheep in the southern U.S. But it is a serious pest in our area. No herbicides will eradicate it, but a few topical sprays can help control it.

Introduced to the U. S. from Bermuda, it can rapidly invade crops in high-rainfall or irrigated regions. It is one of the three most troublesome weeds in many vineyards and can also be invasive in lawns. It is difficult to get rid of due to its prolific seed production and deep, rapidly spreading rhizomes. The development of cold-tolerant turf varieties has caused concern for the ability to control Bermuda grass in our area.

Bermuda grass grows in a wide variety of soils, from heavy clay to deep sand. Most of the roots are within 24 inches of the surface, but they can be as deep as five feet in drought situations. This characteristic can be beneficial in preventing erosion. Seeds develop within three months after the plants begin to grow. The seeds germinate at temperatures above 68°F and begin to grow within two weeks. A single plant can cover an area up to 10 square feet if left uncontrolled.

Now is the time to either initiate preventive treatment or to be on the lookout for these troublesome grasses in your lawn. A little effort now will pay great dividends later.