Here are our tips for preventing crabgrass on your sod.
One of the worst types of weeds on the East Coast is crabgrass. This weed exists just about everywhere. It starts to grow as the soil warms in spring. The summer heat makes this weed grow quickly and strongly. In the fall, it drops seeds, and the weed grows back again next spring. As soon as your sod is laid, you must keep an eye out for weeds like crabgrass. Here are our tips for preventing crabgrass on your sod.
Prepare the Soil
If you plan to do the ground preparation work yourself, then make sure you thoroughly rid the land of existing weeds. At this point, you can use weed killers and a tiller to kill and aerate the soil. If you don’t want to use chemicals, then you can use a plastic sheet to cover the bare ground and smother the weeds and their seeds. The organic route can take weeks to accomplish.
Pull the Weeds
If your sod is brand new, wait before walking on it and pull out the crabgrass. If possible, try to pull the weeds along the edges of the sod while standing on the side. The edges are often where crabgrass begins to set up, anyway. After you pull, repair any bare patches with new grass seed. Failure to patch up the lawn could allow for crabgrass or other weeds to return.
Mow Your Lawn High
You cannot mow new sod right away. If you do, then you could damage it. Let your grass grow for a few weeks before mowing it for the first time. When you do decide to mow, keep the grass height above three inches. Crabgrass prefers shorter grass because it allows more light and water to reach its leaves and roots. Taller grass chokes this weed. If you cut your lawn that short, then you create a perfect environment for crabgrass to take hold.
Use Fertilizers
Make sure you follow your grass type’s fertilizer schedule with the proper amounts and frequency. Lawns that grow thick are less likely to let weeds take hold. Also, fertilizers help reduce the stress of sod placement. Make sure you give your lawn the proper amount of water to help your sod attach. Water is especially important in the summer months. The hot season is when lawns get stressed, and crabgrass flourishes.
Get Your Yard Ready for Spring!
Since our inception from a humble 30-acre field to over 4,500 acres of turf grasses, Quantico Creek Sod Farm is now the LARGEST SOD FARM IN THE TRI-STATE AREA. Our service areas cover Pennsylvania, Maryland, DC Delaware, Virginia and Northern North Carolina. Order early and order often to ensure the best service possible. Contact us through our online page. Please find us at 27616 Little Lane, Salisbury, Maryland 21801. Our phone number is 410-726-6103, and our fax number is 410-742-6550. Speak to Jason Anderson for Turf Grass Sales. Reach him by email at jason@quanticocreeksod.com. Finally, follow us on social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, and our blog.