How to Plant Crab Grass

Crab grass is a weed commonly found throughout the United States. Its broad, spiky blades and occasional purple blooms are not popular in lawns, and most gardeners prefer to remove it. If you like the appearance of crab grass, it's an easy plant to cultivate during warm weather. The root system is invasive and often crowds out other grasses and flowers.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Crab grass seeds
• Seed spreader
• Fertilizer (without herbicide additives)
• Lawn roller
• Sprinklers

1. Seed your lawn with crab grass in the spring after temperatures have averaged above 60 degrees Fahrenheit for at least a week. Choose a fertilizer without herbicides or weed agents. Use the fertilizer on top of your existing lawn. Water the lawn thoroughly.

2. Place crab grass seed in the container on a seed spreader. Scatter the seeds evenly over the entire lawn surface. Roll a lawn roller across sections of the lawn to press seeds into the soil.

3. Use a misting hose pipe or sprinkler system to maintain a damp lawn for one month. Mist the seeded area without allowing pools and runoff to destroy the seeds as they germinate.

4. Keep competing grasses in your lawn short with frequent mowing. Crab grass needs abundant sunshine to stay healthy. Cut competing grasses short so they do not shade out crab grass.

5. Continue to water the crab grass throughout the heat of summer. Use automatic sprinklers or a spraying hose pipe to soak the ground frequently.

Tips & Warnings

• Crab grass is an annual plant; it needs to be re-seeded each spring for the most healthy lawn. To remove crab grass, you must pull out the entire root system for each individual plant.
• Crab grass is very difficult to get rid of once it gets established. Planting crab grass in your lawn is considered unhealthy and may harm the eventual re-sale of your home.

References

• Robert Alvey, Lowe's Garden Center, Jackson, Tenn.
• Four Seasons Nurser and Garden Center, Jackson, Tenn.