While many lawn owners worry about crabgrass once it appears, the best time to take care of the problem is before it starts. Once crabgrass starts to appear, getting rid of it can become a labor-intensive project.

Why is crabgrass an issue? Crabgrass prevents other grasses from growing, eventually spreading and taking over and thinning out desirable lawn grasses.

One crabgrass plant can produce over 500,000 seeds. Those seeds will remain in place over the winter and germinate when soil temperatures reach 60 degrees or more.

In order for crabgrass to grow, it must also have full light. A natural way to control crabgrass is keeping the length of your desired grass between 2.5 and 3 inches. This will shade the soil surface and discourage the growth of any crabgrass.

Getting prepared for treating crabgrass yourself or through a service is important. If you apply a pre-emergence herbicide in the spring or before soil temperatures reach 60 degrees it will go a long way toward taking care of the crabgrass problem.

When choosing a service company make sure you schedule your treatment in February so crabgrass does not take hold and create a costly problem.