sorry to hear it, Melissa. I've done it with Roundup... a couple in particular that I watched survived - but the damage seemed to continue for a couple of years and they actually dwindled until I pulled them out... So sorry... can happen to the best of us! I have some "cobblestone" paths that fill up with weeds and grass in the cracks, so I try to Roundup them once or twice a year. I can attest to the difficulty of getting a day in Minnesota that is still enough to spray. More than once I've gone out early in the morning and by the time I've got the spray mixed, there is just enough breeze to discourage me from any spraying. Thanks for the reminder.. :-(

Crab Grass is an annual "weedy" grass that germinates from seed when the soil temperatures and moisture levels are just right. A pre emergent, such as Corn Gluten Meal, can help prevent seeds from rooting and plants from growing, if applied right (enough at the right time). Those seeds can lay there waiting and can germinate anytime not just in early summer, so new plants can appear anytime during the growing season. A lawn, growing nice and thick, in a good and healthy condition is the best defense because a good thick turf will shade the soil and keep that soil temperature lower then what the Crab Grass needs to germinate. Not all options for killing Crab Grass are acceptable to organic growers since some are quite harmful to the environment, much more so then having Crab Grass in the lawn or garden. Mechanical removal is the least environmentally destructive and most efficient and if done before the plants set seed allow composting of the plants which is even more environmentally acceptable. While vinegar, by itself, will kill Crab Grass even that can be an environmentally unsound practice and there is no good reason to add other materials to the vinegar.

How well Corn Gluten Meal works as a pre emergent depends on when it is applied. Many people, after applying it at the wrong time (too late in the spring, during the summer, in the fall) will tell you it does not work. If applied about 6 weeks before the "weeds" it is supposed to control start to germinate CGM works quite well, but if applied after the "weeds" start to germinate, or much longer than those 6 weeks, it will not be very effective. If you can keep the crabgrass you now have from producing seeds you will have less (depending on how many birds fly over after eating crabgrass seeds) crabgrass next summer. Most of us have the species of crabgrass that is an annual and since it needs soils of a fairly warm temperature with the right amount of moisture to germinate working on getting your grass to grow in thick to help keep the soil cooler will help keep that from happening.

Thank you, Henry for that link. Very good info. from Dr. Kuska's link: "Dr. Kremer further shared his thoughts on the big claim of the biotech industry that we need GMOs to feed the world. He also discussed their claim of decreased use of pesticides. There has been a 527 million pound increase in pesticide use since the introduction of transgenic crops." More info. from Dr. Kremer, a soil microbiology professor: " They noticed that every time that they checked this GMO crop that the roots were loaded up with the fungus, Fusarium. Fusarium is a fungus that can be potentially pathogenic. He said his concern was that here we have this new release of crops that are tolerant to Glyphosate yet their root system are piled up with this fungi. He has evaluated several GMO crops over the past 17 years and continues to see increased fungi on their roots." I wish people would quit messing up nature, or what God has created. I find out that I'm allergic to the oil-wax used to coat citrus fruits (esp. lemons). When I use ORGANIC lemons without the oily wax, I have no problems. I find out that they also use cottonseed oil and fungicides to wax lemons. I have a history of being allergic to preservatives such as fungicides Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate in foods. To be safe, I no longer dunk lemons into water like I used to. Here's an excerpt from below link: " There are 21 fruits and vegetables that may be waxed: apples, avocados, bell peppers, cantaloupes, cucumbers, eggplants, grapefruits, lemons, limes, melons, oranges, parsnips, passion fruits, peaches, rutabagas, tomatoes and turnips. The waxes sometimes contain fungicides. Both the waxes and the fungicides are used to prevent spoilage, the former to retard moisture loss and prevent shriveling, the latter to prevent mold. Any fungicide allowed on the produce as it is grown may also be applied after harvesting, whether under the wax, in combination with it or alone. Seven fungicides are approved for use on food crops after harvesting. Of those only one, benomyl, has undergone a complete review by the EPA. Others are: thiabendazole, ortho-phenylphenol, sodium ortho-phenyl phenate, imazalil, dicloran and sodium borate. The EPA has classified benomyl a possible human carcinogen. In test animals, the chemical has caused birth defects, low sperm counts and mutations. Benomyl is registered for post-harvest use on apples, apricots, bananas, cherries, citrus fruits, mushrooms, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapples and plums, either with wax or alone." http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/32358/does-wax-on-citrus-fruit-make-the-zest-unsafe-to-eat-or-compromise-its-flavor Another excerpt from above link to solve the problem with wax on citrus fruits, which impart a bitter taste to the citrus zest. "I've always just used warm (not hot) water, dish soap, and a soft brush to de-wax before zesting, and I've always been happy with the results. However, this question made me curious; in addition to beeswax, apparently carnauba (familiar from the carwash) and shellac are allowed."