Not much now since it is last. Have you had a frost yet? You can kill it but the chemicals are high price. I would use Drive 75.

There is a pre-emergent that will allow you to reseed in the Spring, but it is significantly more expensive than the standard stuff - you'll have to decide if you want to spend the extra on it (a big lawn could get expensive).

Killing it now won't avoid the Spring pre-emergent work - most of the seed for next year's crabgrass is already set and waiting.

Thanks. Since growing season is about over with now for this year, I am trying to figure out HOW I should go about rectifying my yard so that I can have a lawn of nice blades of grass next year, and not crabgrass!

I know that if I call a lawn care company they will come out and start treatments and by next summer I will have a nice looking lawn, but I was hoping to do it myself. I just don't know exactly what to do.

Miss Mary

Don't worry about it for now. Growing season is just about over. Next spring get Turfbuilder with Halt's and put it out when the forsythia are blooming. You will have no problem with crabgrass. You can seed now but your only window of opportunity is going to be perennial rye being it is getting late for seed. What grass do you currently have?

We only moved into the house recently, and I don't know what kind of grass is out there. If I were to guess, I'd guess some tall turf fescue, because that is what builders in our area were using when this house was built.

My preference is KBG.

So, that is another good question.... reseed/overseed with TTF, or KGB?

Miss Mary

Definitely go with KBG if possible. I would probably wait til next year approx Aug. 20 and roundup your TTTF and get going on the upgrade to KBG. Galaxy Blend is a good choice but you may want to do your homework on your sun and shade issues of your yard and find something that is a better fit. This is a great web site and if you just visit frequently alot of your questions will be answered.

I would not use the old forsythia blooming deal; but then you are too late. Soil temps can go over 50F for days and they do not bloom. Plus you will have issues by the driveways etc since they heat up more then the lawn area. IF she puts down Turfbuilder with Halt's in the spring there goes here overseeding. My advice is, since people love Scotts (for some reason), is use a starter fert with crabgreass prevent and then seed to. Then about 6 weeks later put another app of crabgrass killer on.

It's always better to put down grass seed in the fall. The grass seedlings have the chance to get established root systems before they have to deal with summer heat and drought. If you get a soil temp thermometer, you can determine the temperature of your soil, which is what affects grass seed germination. The seed will germinate if the soil is at least 60 degrees, regardless of air temps. Frost doesn't hurt grass seedlings.

Spring pre-emergent is when you deal with crabgrass. Prevention is easier than the cure.

Deanna