Do You Have Brown Spots In Your Yard?
The fall and the winter months is when grass naturally begins to die back a little. It’s not getting drenched continuously as it does with the summer rains. You may, however, notice some predominant spots of brown in your yard. It may freak you out a little and you may think your grass is dying. Relax, we have some good news and some bad news.
The Brown Spots Are Weeds Known As Crab Grass
The good news is that your grass is not dying. The bad news is, you have weeds. Digitaria is the scientific name. Some of the common names in Florida are carpet grass, bermuda grass and CRAB GRASS! Crab grass grows in warm, tropical climates. In the good watering months it cleverly disguises itself as part of your lawn. It’s actually a weed. It’s much weaker than the normal Floratam, Bahia or Zoysia grass and therefore dies out faster in the fall and winter months when our sods are naturally weakened.
Where Does Crab Grass Come From?
Crab grass is a weed that gets distributed naturally through breezes, animals and foot traffic. It thrives best in lawns that are under watered, under fertilized, yards whose sod isn’t very thick and yards that don’t drain very well. It’s considered invasive, it’s never intentionally planted and it’s a pain the rear end to get rid of.
How Do You Get Rid Of Crab Grass?
The only way to effectively get rid of crab grass is to have it treated by a professionally licensed pest control company. They have to spray it with a carefully mixed, carefully applied herbicide mixture. Once the crab grass dies back you can scrape it out or let it die back naturally. You can choose to:
1. Lay new sod if it’s a large enough area
2. You can choose to use sod plugs to encourage growth in the area
3. You can let the real grass naturally take over the spot.
Preventing Crab Grass
There is no sure way to prevent crab grass but there are some preventative measures you can take to try to keep it at bay. You need to have your property treated for weeds and properly fertilized YEAR ROUND by a professional pest control company. Feel free to contact R & R Sprinkler and Landscape for referrals on pest control companies in the area that we use and trust to do good business.
