Pesticides: Turf Crabgrass Control

Common Brand Names:

Chemical Action and Usages: There are many choices available for pre-emergence control of crabgrass as seen in this partial list of products. One of the choices is to select a product with or without fertilizer. The other choice is to select a product depending on the active ingredient used for pre-emergence control. Some of these products also control the pre-emergence of some broad leaved weeds in addition to crabgrass. The cost of the product will depend on the chemistry of the product; generally the newer formulations have a longer residual in the soil and control a wider range of grasses and weeds but do cost more. All of these products put a protective barrier on the soil and the targeted weed is killed as it begins to germinate in the soil.

Team® is one of the more cost effective pre-emergent crabgrass controls. It is a combination of Treflan (active ingredient trifluralin) and Balan (active ingredient benefin). This “team” product gives good early control with the Balan and longer acting control with the Treflan. Team is a tradition combination of a 2:1 ration of Balan to Treflan. It is available with and without fertilizer. This product has a distinctive orange/yellow color but is not as prone to staining as Pendelum.

Pendelum® (pendimethylin) is another commonly used, cost effective pre-emergent crabgrass control. It has similar chemistry to Teem. Its granules have a characteristic yellow/orange color and may produce staining on sidewalks and driveways. It is not particularly long lived in the soil. Pendimethylin also acts as a root inhibitor so it may have negative effectives on newly emerged turf grasses. This product is available with and without fertilizer.

Dimension® (dithiopyr) provides superior pre-emergent control of crabgrass and many other grassy and broadleaf weeds in turf grass and other ornamental plantings. It can be applied several weeks later than other products and still give effective control. It is less of a root inhibitor that some other products so damage to new seedlings is minimal. This product is available with and without fertilizer.

Barricade® (prodiamine) is probably the longest-lived of the chemicals listed and is sometimes even applied in the fall for pre-emergent control of crabgrass and many other grassy and broad leaved weeds. Since it has a long residual, grass seedling failure from this product is a common pitfall.

Tupersan® (siduron) is the only crabgrass pre-emergent chemistry that will allow cool season grasses to germinate. It is pricey and products with Tupersan are often hard to locate. It has a very short residual in the soil, so it must be followed up with another application or Dimension may be used for a follow-up application as long as all of the grass seed is already germinated.

Cautions/Instructions: Read the label carefully of the brand and formulation you have selected. Apply the product according to the directions on the label. Remember that application of all of these products except for Tupersan will also kill germinating turf grass seeds. Crabgrass begins to germinate after several days of soil temperatures above 50 degrees F. These products generally are best applied 2-3 weeks prior to the emergence of the targeted weed. In the St. Louis area, for crabgrass, application is usually made from mid-March to mid April depending on the product used. Application is often made at about the time of forsythia bloom drop.

Toxicity: In humans, all of these products may cause eye irritation. Inhalation of the dust may cause irritation of the respiratory system. Prolonged use may cause skin irritation. Toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms so do not apply to bodies of water or allow runoff into any lake, stream or pond. Consult each individual label for further environmental warnings.