Difference Between Crab Grass & Wire Grass

Crabgrass and wiregrass are two forms of grass that many homeowners consider a nuisance. While both are annoyances for many who want to maintain a beautiful lawn, they are very different forms of grass that look, spread and can be managed in different ways.

Identification

Crabgrass blades are wide, about 1/4 inch in width and blue-green to yellow-green in color. Wiregrass is thinner, usually about 1/8 inch, and its color is a shade of green that more closely matches regular lawn grass.

Spread

Crabgrass and wiregrass grow differently. Crabgrass grows in circular clusters. Wiregrass moves like a wire, vining its way across a lawn via underground stems. With the exception of its seeds, crabgrass dies completely in the cold fall and winter, while wiregrass survives in a dormant state.

Control

Control crabgrass by spraying lawns with special herbicides that kill grabgrass seeds without harming lawn grass. Spray these herbicides early in the summer, before the grass has a chance to grow. You can only kill wiregrass by using all-purpose weed and grass killer.

References

• "Roanoke Times": Crabgrass vs. Wiregrass