Top 5 Reasons it’s an Epic Crabgrass Year

Dr. Kevin W. Frank & Aaron Hathaway
Michigan State University

I was recently asked by a lawn care operator to reply via email with 1000 words or less of why it’s an epic crabgrass year, well maybe he didn’t say epic but you get the idea.  I accepted this challenge heartily but decided in the spirit of today’s world of texting and twittering to do it in less than 100 words.

1. Record heat and stress in 2012 resulted in bumper crabgrass crop, plenty of seed, and thinned turf for more opportunities for crabgrass to invade this year.

2. Cold, long spring delayed crabgrass germination, may have escaped early spring preemergence applications.

3. Soil moisture increases soil biological activity, in turn, increasing herbicide degradation. 

4.  Plentiful precipitation in June when young crabgrass was geminating helped with root development.

5. High temperatures in July were perfectly timed for crabgrass to really start competing.  

Crabgrass infested boulevard.