Get Ready for Crabgrass Season

March is the start of crabgrass season! Do you know how to prevent it?

Crabgrass is a warm-season annual weed that quickly takes over thin or struggling lawns, spreading from seed and forming coarse, low-growing clumps that stand out from healthy turf. It thrives in bare spots and sun-soaked areas, and once established, it can crowd out your lawn grass and make your yard look patchy and unkempt.

In this article, we’ll tell you when to look out for crabgrass, how it hurts your lawn, and how you can prevent it.

Crabgrass Season in Michigan: When It Begins

In Michigan, crabgrass control starts long before you see crabgrass in your lawn. Because crabgrass seeds germinate in the spring, expert lawn care companies begin preventive treatments in late March and early April when soil temperatures consistently reach around 50°F – just as spring begins to warm up.

While the actual sprouts often don’t become visible until May, waiting until you SEE crabgrass is too late — preventive herbicides must be in place before the seeds start to germinate.

Why Crabgrass Is Bad for Your Lawn

Crabgrass isn’t just ugly; it actively undermines healthy turf by:

Competing with your turfgrass for water, nutrients, and sunlight.
Spreading rapidly through seed production, so each plant can generate tens of thousands of new seeds to infest your lawn year after year.
Filling in bare or weak spots, leaving your lawn looking uneven and unkempt.

Left untreated, crabgrass can persist through the summer and drop seed that will hatch next spring — meaning a bigger problem next year if you don’t stop it early.

Professional Crabgrass Control: Why It Works

Precise Timing

Timing is everything with crabgrass prevention — applying a pre-emergent herbicide too early or too late reduces effectiveness. Professional lawn care companies monitor local climate conditions and soil temperatures so they can apply the right treatment at the ideal time each spring.

Expert Application

Prevention products must be applied uniformly and at the correct rate to create a barrier that stops crabgrass seeds from sprouting. Experienced technicians know how to use calibrated spreaders and proven techniques to protect your lawn.

Integrated Lawn Health

Crabgrass control works best as part of a complete lawn care plan — including:

Fertilization to strengthen turfgrass
Aeration to reduce soil compaction
Broadleaf weed control
Midseason follow-ups as needed

A thick, healthy lawn is naturally more resistant to crabgrass because dense turf shades the soil and leaves fewer bare spots for weeds to take hold.

How Our Professional Lawn Care Can Help

We’ve been helping Michigan homeowners maintain lush, crabgrass-free lawns since 1997. Our fertilization and weed control programs include crabgrass prevention applications March–April, scheduled based on weather conditions so you get maximum protection for your lawn.

Here’s what we do:

Custom-timed crabgrass control applications
Full-season fertilization to promote dense turf
Broadleaf weed control to stop other weeds from stealing nutrients
Aeration, spot treatments, and tailored follow-ups

By combining expert timing, proven products, and personalized service, we help homeowners enjoy a greener, healthier lawn with minimal hassle.

Trust Professional Howell-Based Lawn Care

Ever So Green’s professional lawn care is based in Howell, but we actually serve most of southeast Michigan! Check the bottom of our website to see if we serve a town near you—if you’re nearby, we can help! Contact us today to schedule a lawn evaluation, get a free quote, or learn more about our full lawn care services.