Post-Emergent Control of Crabgrass and Goosegrass
This time of year, many lawns become home to some unwanted visitors: crabgrass and goosegrass. Both are annual weeds that germinate in the spring and thrive in the heat of summer. They do best in sparse lawns that are mowed short, giving them plenty of room to grow and soak up the sun. The two weeds are similar, but there are some distinct differences in their appearance. Crabgrass is light green in color, while goosegrass is darker green with a white center.
Cultural practices and pre-emergent herbicides can help minimize these weeds, but this point in the season calls for curative solutions. The good news is that there are many post-emergent options, and some control both crabgrass and goosegrass.
If you need to treat both crabgrass and goosegrass at the same time, consider Pylex. You can use Pylex to treat crabgrass and goosegrass in some warm-season turfgrasses in addition to cool-season turfgrasses. Whatever you choose, expect it to take multiple applications to see results. Another multi-use option is Acclaim Extra, which is formulated exclusively for crabgrass and goosegrass.
There are other post-emergent herbicide options if you only need to control a crabgrass invasion. Active ingredients that kill crabgrass include Quinclorac (such as Drive XLR8) and Mesotrione. Quinclorac works well on mature crabgrass and is specific to cool-season lawns, while Mesotrione can treat crabgrass in warm- and cool-season turfgrasses. Either herbicide should be applied with an adjuvant to maximize impact. Consider the following combinations:
- Q4 Plus or Drive XLR8 + Microyl
- Trione + Chem-Stik or Chem-Stik LpH
When crabgrass is the only weed you are targeting in a warm-season lawn full of centipedegrass, try Dismiss NXT at the 15 oz./ acre rate. There are not many other products labeled for centipede lawns, so reach for Dismiss NXT.
It’s not too late to get a crabgrass or goosegrass invasion under control. With this arsenal of post-emergent herbicides, you can reclaim any lawn from the summer weeds that infest it. Contact your Advanced Turf Solutions representative today to discuss control options.
