Crabgrass: Identification and Treatment in Georgia
Crabgrass is the most common summer weed in Middle Georgia. Learn how to identify it, prevent it, and eliminate it from your lawn for good.
Weed profile
What Is Crabgrass?
Crabgrass is the most common summer annual weed in Middle Georgia lawns. It germinates when soil temperatures reach 55°F and spreads flat across thin areas, producing thousands of seeds before dying with the first frost.
Identification
How to Identify Crabgrass
Light green color that stands out against darker turf
Grows in a flat, spreading star pattern from a central point
Wide, coarse blades with a distinctive fold at the midrib
Seed heads appear as finger-like spikes in late summer
Thrives in full sun and thin or bare spots in the lawn
Commonly Confused With
Goosegrass
Goosegrass grows flatter to the ground with a distinctive white/silver center. Crabgrass grows more upright and has a lighter green color.
Learn moreBermuda Grass
Young bermuda stolons can look similar, but bermuda has finer blades and doesn’t grow from a central clump.
Treatment
How to Get Rid of Crabgrass
Prevention
Pre-emergent herbicide applied before soil reaches 55°F (typically mid-February in Middle Georgia)
Maintain thick, healthy turf that leaves no bare spots for germination
Mow at the proper height for your grass type to shade the soil surface
Avoid disturbing soil in spring, which exposes buried seeds to sunlight
Professional Treatment
Pre-emergent is the primary defense. Once crabgrass is actively growing, post-emergent herbicides like quinclorac can control it, but results are best when plants are young (before tillering). Mature crabgrass is harder to kill and will drop seeds even as it dies.
DIY vs pro
Why Professional Treatment Works Better
Hardware store crabgrass killers often contain non-selective herbicides that damage your lawn. Professional-grade selective herbicides target crabgrass without harming warm-season turf. Timing is also critical — most homeowners apply pre-emergent too late.
Affected grasses
Grass Types Crabgrass Invades
Why Attaboy
Professional Crabgrass Treatment from Attaboy
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Crabgrass
When should I apply pre-emergent for crabgrass in Georgia?
In Middle Georgia, apply pre-emergent when soil temperatures consistently reach 55°F, typically mid-February to early March. A second application in late spring extends protection through summer.
Why does crabgrass keep coming back every year?
A single crabgrass plant produces up to 150,000 seeds. Those seeds survive in the soil for years. Pre-emergent herbicide prevents germination, but it must be applied every year before soil warms up.
Can I kill crabgrass without killing my lawn?
Yes. Professional selective herbicides target crabgrass without damaging warm-season grasses like bermuda and zoysia. However, centipede grass is more sensitive — product selection matters.
Is it too late to treat crabgrass in summer?
Post-emergent herbicides can still kill young crabgrass plants in early summer. By mid-summer, mature crabgrass is harder to control and may have already dropped seeds for next year.
Related weeds
Other Weeds Active in the Same Season
Take action
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