Grass seed on a lawn with crabgrass
 

Hello all
Zone 5 - Rhode Island - not coastal.

This spring, I replanted my front lawn (3000 sq ft). I realize the spring
is not the best time to plant, but I had to do it. I top-dressed with a
loam-compost mix. I didn't use Tupersan when planting. Now, in some
sections of the lawn, there are large clumps of crabgrass. There is too
much to kill it with a crabgrass killer. I would like to over-seed the
front lawn again this fall with a high-quality seed. What do I do with the
crabgrass? Should I just kill it will Round-up and start over, or can I
just use the slit-seeder, basically cutting through the crabgrass.

Thanks for your time.

Grass seed on a lawn with crabgrass
 

On Sep 4, 8:34*am, "Jack" wrote:
Hello all
Zone 5 - Rhode Island - not coastal.

This spring, I replanted my front lawn (3000 sq ft). *I realize the spring
is not the best time to plant, but I had to do it. *I top-dressed with a
loam-compost mix. *I didn't use Tupersan when planting. *Now, in some
sections of the lawn, there are large clumps of crabgrass. *There is too
much to kill it with a crabgrass killer. *I would like to over-seed the
front lawn again this fall with a high-quality seed. *What do I do with the
crabgrass? *Should I just kill it will Round-up and start over, or can I
just use the slit-seeder, basically cutting through the crabgrass.

Thanks for your time.



Killing it would seem to be an extreme solution, unless there are more
weeds and undesirable grass than there is new grass. If most of it
is good and salvagable except for the crabgrass, I would not start all
over. In the Fall you have a window starting from maybe last week of
summer and extending out about six weeks. Normally, I'd do the
seeding as early in the period as practical, factoring in weather.
However, with the crabgrass, I'd push it out until later in the window
when the crabgrass will be done growing and declining. Probably late
Sept in your area. You still have a couple months for the new grass
to grow.

Cut it short and when you go over it with the slit seeder it will tear
it up enough that it won't recover and be a factor. Here in coastal
NJ I've seeded as late as first half of Oct with excellent results.

For future reference, the crabgrass should have been addressed when
the plants were still small and relatively easy to kill.

Grass seed on a lawn with crabgrass
 

On Sep 4, 8:34*am, "Jack" wrote:
Hello all
Zone 5 - Rhode Island - not coastal.

This spring, I replanted my front lawn (3000 sq ft). *I realize the spring
is not the best time to plant, but I had to do it. *I top-dressed with a
loam-compost mix. *I didn't use Tupersan when planting. *Now, in some
sections of the lawn, there are large clumps of crabgrass. *There is too
much to kill it with a crabgrass killer. *I would like to over-seed the
front lawn again this fall with a high-quality seed. *What do I do with the
crabgrass? *Should I just kill it will Round-up and start over, or can I
just use the slit-seeder, basically cutting through the crabgrass.

Thanks for your time.

Crabgrass will die in the winter but it has done it's damage by
leaving seeds for the next generation. You should address this in the
spring with a premerg. Make sure you get it down early which for me
has always been before Forsythias bloom. Slit seeding now seems like a
good idea.