How to Kill Goose Grass

Goose grass, also called silver crabgrass, is very pesky because it is more of a weed than actual grass. It grows much faster than regular grass, it takes away the water and soil nutrients that the real grass needs and its appearance becomes an eyesore for those who want their lawn to look nice. Goose grass, which grows in the summer, can take multiple years to eventually kill off and prevent from coming back.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Herbicides, pre- and post-emergent
• Grass seed
• Fertilizer spreader

1. Wait for the winter if you live in a climate with a high chance of frost. You'll have to wait a while, but the frost should kill off the goose grass in your lawn. You can then take steps to help prevent it from coming back in the spring.

2. Apply a post-emergence herbicide to the lawn once you detect small weeds to kill them off; these herbicides are usually applied in aerosol form. You'll need to pull out larger patches by hand, which will leave bare patches in the lawn. or wait for them to die out in the winter.

3. Use a pre-emergent herbicide on your lawn before March 15---March 1 is the best date---before the grass germinates. Pre-emergent herbicides are applied like fertilizer, using a cart-like fertilizer spreader. Do this every spring to kill off all the grass and prevent it from growing again.

4. Over-seed the lawn with your grass seed at the same time that you apply the pre-emergent herbicide. This will increase the chance of your regular grass taking up the soil where the goose grass would grow.

Tips & Warnings

• Team pro can be used as both a pre- and post-emergent herbicide. Apply three to five times the recommended amount, and it should kill off the existing goose grass while preventing more from emerging for up to six months.
• Some herbicides, like Illoxan, might cause side effects on your actual grass, like causing it to yellow.

References

• Turfgrass Forums
• University of Illinois
• Walter Reeves