Crabgrass dies with frost, but reseeds itself. Photo from Weeds of the Northeast

A common and pesky lawn weed is crabgrass.  You'll start to see commercials for applying crabgrass preventor now, but is April a good time to lay down preventor in Minnesota?

In order for the seed to germinate, it needs warm air and soil, typically germinating around early June. That's if Minnesota has a "normal" spring. A rule-of-thumb is to apply a pre-emergent around mid-May for best results. A crabgrass pre-emergent can last 8-12 weeks, but can lose effectiveness if applied too early or won't work if applied too late (the seed has already germinated.) A cue to apply a pre-emergent is to watch the areas around the driveway or patio, areas where soil warms more quickly, and look for weed growth.  When you see the bright green sprouts, that's your indicator to apply a pre-emergent to the entire lawn.

For a more organic approach, crabgrass can easily be pulled by hand and this may be a great option for removing a few plants, especially if the plant can be removed before going "to seed". It is easier to pull the plants after a heavy rain.

Corn gluten can also be applied in early spring as an organic pre-emergent. This product suppresses crabgrass seed germination.

Crabgrass is a warm season annual grass that grows low to the ground. It dies with the first hard frost, but seeds persist through the winter.  Because it's a low grower, its seedheads are not removed by mowing. It can turn purplish in color in the fall.  It grows best in the heat of midsummer when desirable lawn grasses are often semi-dormant and offer little or no competition. If the same patch appears in the same location year after year, you probably have a patch of quackgrass which is a perennial weed. It is best to use a product like Round-up to kill quackgrass. 

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 Weed Control In the Lawn

Helleborus blooms April - May and enjoys shade.

Looking for a tried and true perennial that isn't widely used? My eyes were opened to Helleborus orientalis, commonly known as lenten rose at a seminar I attended last year.

A unique perennial that blooms in late winter and early spring; flowers range from white to lavender, purple, red, burgundy to near black, very showy plant is excellent for borders where protected from winter winds.

It will grow to an average height of 15 inches tall by 18 inches wide.  Lenten rose will grow best in partial shade to shade, and in average to evenly moist soil conditions. It will not tolerate standing water.

Plant Helleborus with other shade-loving plants like Fritillaria meleagris, Epimedium, and Euonymus fortunei 'Albo-marginata.

Use barrels to capture rain to water your pots.

Many communities are offering rain barrel and compost bin sales in April and into early May. Recycling Association of Minnesota (RAM) has information about these products along with a list of communities where you can pre-order and pick up a barrel or bin.

Don't see your community?  Do a search on your city or county website for rain barrel sales.

Cleaning out the garage and have a box of unwanted holiday lights?  Recycle them through RAM's Recycle Your Holidays.  Light cords can be dropped off and recycled throughout the year at various sites throughout Minnesota.  Check out Recycle Your Holidays. 

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