Crabgrass control in a perennial garden?

Question

I have 2 huge cottage gardens in my front yard that I spend hours in every day after work...sometimes until 10:30 at night. Yes, most of my garden consists of high maintenance plants (about 35 roses, 25 delphiniums, a few hollyhocks, tons of snapdragons (the really tall ones) and an assortment of many other things. The majority of my work is usually staking, pruning, and watering which is normal but the stupid crabgrass never ends. I pull it almost everyday and a lot of it and just when I think I am done...."what the h**l"? I have often wondered jokingly (kind of) if my neighbor that has a little compitition garden wise, (mine looks way better) has thrown crabgrass seed in my garden when I am not home. The thing is all of my neighbors have just about everything in there yards weed wise except for crabgrass. We are the only ones that "weed & feed". I've heard of Preen but I am cautious because of use of Osmocote and Disease & Insect Spray if it will counter react.

Answer 1

There are herbicides out there that are crabgrass specific.

You can ask at your local ag supplier for Trugreen Products, or visit their website online at:

http://www.trugreen.com/tg/offers/fourte...

Answer 2

I use (((("Preen"))) in my vegetable garden along with osmocote for the vegetable garden and miracle grow for the melons....

Water and cantaloupe.

For the insects though unless I have a major problem I use extreme caution for fear of killing more bees.

Some stores carry a soap called Fels Naptha...Link Below

http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetai...

Insect Control: Prepare Fels Naptha Solution first. (Solution - shave 1 inch of Fels Naptha bar in a nylon stocking and place it into a gallon of boiling water along with 4 oz. liquid dish soap(Ivory). Store as needed and shake well before use. It will have a gel-like consistency.) Mix 1 cup of Fels Naptha Solution with 1 cup antiseptic mouthwash (mint flavored if nematodes are a problem) and 1 cup chewing tobacco juice. Spray with a 20-gal hose-end sprayer with a golf ball in it to keep mixture mixed.

BELOW I DO NOT USE.  If the mixture doesn't minimize the insects then I just let them eat.

Follow-up with an application of Dursban or Diazinon, if needed.

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I will use Weed B Gon it's kills crabgrass but never where it would harm the pollinators only useit  on the lawn.

Won't use it for dandelions though because dandelions attract ladybugs and they eat aphids.