Should I wait for crab grass to die before aerating?

Question

I am getting ready to aerate my lawn but I didn't know if I should wait until the crabgrass begins to die. I don't want to encourage the spread of the weeds.

Answer 1

The above answer is COMPLETELY wrong. Crabgrass is an ANNUAL weed . Seeds can lay dormant for 3 years. Never put in the compost pile if it has started to set seed - you will now have thousands of seeds when you use the compost around the yard.

Best method of attack is prevention with a pre emergent granular some time around the month of May. Also cut and collect clippings before it starts to set seed

Aerating and planting a new lawn should be done with consideration to soil and air temps.Not weed cycles...........i would wait until Sept and lo later than October in the South for Fescue.

Answer 2

Crabgrass will not die.   It only "digs in" for the winter.  When the crabgrass leaves die, the roots are getting bigger and more ready to produce more of the crabgrass.  So I would aerate first, and then, this will help your grass to be healthy, and as you can, weed the crabgrass.  If you have a lot of crabgrass, I would consider taking out sections of lawn by cutting squares of sod, removing them, and putting in new soil and setting sod pieces of grass you have already growing in other areas of the yard.  I have successfully filled in places where I removed squares of crabgrass, and put in grass settings from healthy grass in the yard, and believe it is an organic way to do it.  Oh, and do not forget to put the crabgrass in either a compost pile to help the soil, or to dump it.

Littlelady75

Answer 3

you can wait or you just can go ahead and do it.  either way it doesnt matter much.  and whats wrong with crabgrass.  would you hate it as much if it had a name like fairy grass