Should I Pull Crabgrass By Hand? [Crabgrass Removal 101]

Weeds, especially persistent ones, are a nightmare for every professional gardener, hobbyist, or homeowner. Weeds in the lawn can put a frown on anybody’s face, none in the least bit crabgrass! But is pulling the plant out by hand the best removal practice? Or is there a better, more efficient and long-term solution to crabgrass removal?

Unless the infestation levels are relatively high, pulling out crabgrass by hand will work as a form of control; however, it is limited in its effectiveness. The efficacy depends largely on whether or not you are able to remove the weeds before they start to seed. 

To quote Sun Tzu, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles….” Okay, a bit random, but still appropriate when it comes to weed control. The only way to get the upper hand is through knowledge of what you are dealing with. So in that “xylem,” let’s take a closer look at crabgrass and its removal.

Crabgrass Removal 101

To effectively remove crabgrass, we need a basic understanding of its life cycle and adaptability. 

Crabgrass is an invasive weed in the United States. It is a drought-resistant plant that thrives in hot conditions. Crabgrass is a summer annual, which means that it only lasts for one year. In the spring, as temperatures beginning to rise, crabgrass seeds begin to germinate (at around 55 degrees F). 

Through summer, the plants continue to grow and spread. Around the middle of summer, crabgrass will begin to bear flowers, followed shortly by seeds. It’s believed that a crabgrass plant can produce around 150 000 seeds. These seeds will then lie dormant in the ground throughout the winter period, when frost kills off the mature plant, then starts the process again in the following spring. 

In terms of adaptations, aside from the hundreds of thousands of seeds produced, crabgrass also produces anywhere from 150 to 700 stolons (tillers). 

These plants are also well adapted to mowing, even when only half-an-inch tall crabgrass can still produce seeds, meaning that mowing is not an effective form of control.

Now that we have a better understanding of how crabgrass “works,” we can attempt to control its spread and re-seeding.

When selecting a control method, a lot of the decision will pivot on the degree of the infestation, the area that is infested, the surrounding vegetation, and the season/weather. Below is a table of removal methods, their efficacy, the season of implementation, as well as the pros and cons.

Removal Method	Pros	Cons	Season to implement	Overall Effectiveness
Hand pulling	Very cost-effective. All you need are your hands and/or a hand tool. Little to no damage done to other, desirable plants. You can rehabilitate the area immediately with new seeds.	Very labor-intensive.  Catching the plant before re-seeding is vital.  Not feasible if the area is extensive/infestation is high.	Spring to early summer, before the plants begin seeding.	Very effective if infestations are low and if done before plants can re-seed.
Post-emergent herbicide	Average labor-intensive.  Able to cover much broader areas. Selective herbicides reduce the accidental killing of desirable plants while removing most weeds in a category (e.g., broadleaf).	If non-selective herbicides are used, this could harm other desirable species. Even when a selective herbicide is used, there are still “casualties.” Depending on the product, it can be expensive. The plants need to have germinated and established already in order to poison them.	Spring to early summer, before the plants begin seeding.	Very effective if the guidelines are adhered to and the plants are sprayed before re-seeding.
Pre-emergent herbicide	Average labor-intensive. Able to cover larger areas. Proactive in preventing germination of crabgrass seeds	A costly option, depending on the product used. A very high likelihood of accidentally killing desirable plants. Limited in that once plants start to germinate, the herbicide becomes ineffective.	Late winter, very early spring. A good indication of when crabgrass seeds will start to germinate is when the forsythia shrubs are fully blooming and start losing their flowers.	Very effective if applied at the right time.

Some additional control methods don’t fit into the herbicide category. These don’t, however, always have the greatest effects. Some examples include:

1. Starving the crabgrass of sunlight. All plants need the sun to grow, so you effectively starve the plant to death by blocking the sun. Removing the dead plants is an important step, followed by rehabilitating the area. This should take anywhere between four to six weeks.
2. Another method is to use boiling water. By pouring the water on the plant and around it to affect the root system, you scorch the plant to death. This does however equally damage the surrounding vegetation.
3. The use of vinegar (or vinegar herbicides). A rather controversial one. The idea is that the acid in the vinegar (5% and above) burns the plant. The application process needs to continue up until the plant withers and dies.
4. Using an organic-based herbicide or herbicide soap is another option. Once again, the effectiveness of these products does vary, but it is a different approach to the “particularly” harmful chemicals.

With all control methods, “follow up is key.” You need to push the advantage while you have it. Proper rehabilitation of the affected area and good lawn care practices are vital in ensuring the proper and completed eradication of crabgrass and weeds.

Preventing Crabgrass From Establishing

The saying “The best defense is a good offense” has its place here as well. To best combat crabgrass, we should prevent it from ever even establishing.

Part of this “prevention is better than cure” motto includes good management practices of lawns. By maintaining a healthy lawn/garden, we can prevent the incursion of invasive weeds. Similarly to having a strong immune system, if outright prevention is not feasible, then the severity of the infestation will be reduced.

Some techniques in preventing crabgrass from moving in include:

1. By maintaining grass at the height of between 2 and 3 inches, you decrease the temperature of the soil. This, in turn, prevents the germination of crabgrass. This cutting will also benefit your desirable grass species.
2. Shifting watering habits from frequent light sprays to less frequent deep watering will benefit the root systems of desirable grass while being less favorable for crabgrass.
3. Repair and re-seed areas that are damaged and bare. This prevents crabgrass and other weeds from moving in.
4. If there already is a crabgrass presence, do not use fertilizers in the summer, as this will benefit the crabgrass. If there is no crabgrass present, fertilizer your lawn frequently. This will help it stay dense and healthy. Crabgrass moves into areas that are spares and difficult for other grasses to grow in.
5. When broadcasting seed, make sure that it’s done late in the summer. That way, when the frost hits and the crabgrass dies, the other grass will be able to establish.

Crabgrass develops a vast seed bank in the soil, so one year’s worth of fighting will not necessarily be enough to eradicate the problem. By maintaining your healthy lawn, together with the use of pre-emergent herbicide, you will prevent crabgrass from establishing. 

Products On the Market That Will Help With Crabgrass Prevention And Removal

Below is a table comparing three of the various products on the market that will assist in removing crabgrass. 

Product Name	Type of Product	Example Dosage Rate (Follow Product Guidelines)	Season of Use
Scotts Halts Crabgrass and Grassy Weed Preventer	Pre-emergent	One application per season, one bag to 5000 sq. ft.	Early spring
Southern Ag 006130 Atrazine St. Augustine Weed Killer	Pre and post-emergent	Two applications per year (max), 1 Quart to 1000 sq. ft.	Early spring (most effective during the dormant phase)
Ortho Weed B Gon Plus Crabgrass Control Concentrate	Pre and post-emergent	One application, 40 fl. Oz to 6400 sq. ft.	Early spring (most effective during the dormant phase)

Wrapping Up

The war on weeds is never-ending, but what you sow is what you reap. If you put in the time and understand that you need a holistic approach to weed control, it won’t take long before you have a lush, beautiful, weed-free lawn to enjoy!