How to Remove Crabgrass

with Landscape contractor Roger Cook, This Old House television

Shopping List

Supplies You Will Need

1. Compost

2. Grass seed

3. Starter fertilizer

4. Pre-emergent crabgrass control

5. Post-emergent crabgrass control

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Tools List
Tools You Will Need
- Lawnmower with collector bag
- Power rake,
  used to prepare soil for grass seed
- Wheelbarrow
- Shovel
- Drop spreader,
  used to dispense fertilizer and grass seed
- Garden rake,
  used to smooth compost
- Plastic rake,
  used to work grass seed into compost
- Pump sprayer,
  for applying post-emergent crabgrass control to large lawns
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In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook explains how to remove crabgrass.

Steps:

1 Adjust cutting depth of lawnmower to lowest setting and mow lawn; use bag to collect and discard all clippings.
2 Scrape the soil of all vegetation using a straight-edge shovel. 3 Use power rake to cut grooves into soil.
4 Spread ½-inch-deep layer of compost over soil; smooth with garden rake.
5 Apply starter fertilizer to compost using a drop spreader.
6 Use drop spreader to dispense grass seed onto compost.
7 Gently work grass seed into the compost with a plastic rake turned upside down.
8 Water the area lightly once or twice a day.
9 Next spring apply pre-emergent crabgrass control to the new lawn using drop spreader.
10 If some crabgrass returns, pull out individual plants by hand.
11 For larger lawns, use a pump sprayer to apply a post-emergent
crabgrass control directly to the weeds.
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