The best way to control crabgrass
and what's (not) blooming in my garden
Hi, guys!
After telling you about my lackluster garden production last week, I have big news to report: A handful of green beans and a small, rescued 8-ball zucchini. I say “rescued” because the entire vine dried up and died, so I had to pick it early. Photographic evidence of my “haul,” above.
I’m going to pull up the beets this week (wish me luck) and plant some more echinacea in the blank spots in the front yard where my from-seed zinnias died in the blistering heat.
Aside from the hydrangeas — especially the paniculatas — and the dahlias, most of the perennials are taking a break from blooming, as is typical around here in August.
It’s important to consider that the garden will wax and wane throughout the season and plan so that you have something pretty to look at during the slow spells.
I’m really appreciating the Heuchera (coral bells), Japanese hakone grass and Brunnera, which are carrying the garden, especially the shady parts, with their interesting foliage.
Annuals are also workhorses during these dog days, so it’s always good to include some of those, as well, especially at the front of perennial borders.
And the green flowers of the sedums (Autumn joy), are just starting to take on a pinkish hue that will darken to maroon as we get into fall.
For everything, there really is a season…
📬 Ask Jessica
DEAR JESSICA: We have a large sod lawn, and crabgrass is a common invader. I’m interested in suggestions on how to eliminate it without damaging the sod. — Michael Norris, Palos Verdes Estates, California
DEAR MICHAEL: Crabgrass is an annual weed that dies at the end of each year, so you don’t have to worry about last year’s weeds re-emerging. It does drop seeds, however, which remain viable on the soil until conditions are favorable for a new generation to germinate and sprout.
You don’t say how severe the problem is. For a mild infestation, I recommend hand pulling (using a tool like Grampa’s Weeder, one of my “Favorite Things,” would make easy work of the task). Watering the lawn well a day before weed removal will make the job easier.
Then, spread grass seed over the bare spots left behind and water lightly every day — to keep the seeds from drying out — until they sprout and reach a mature height.
If the problem is severe, you can opt for a pre-emergent crabgrass control product. In Southern California, this should be applied in late February.
Corn gluten meal is a good organic option that is generally effective. It works by inhibiting the root formation of germinated seeds.
Synthetic pre-emergents with active ingredients such as bensulide, pendimethalin, trifluralin, etc., work by preventing seed germination.
Either way, read the warning labels, follow instructions carefully and avoid using the products simultaneously to applying grass seed because they will affect all seeds and seedlings. Keep this in mind, too, if planning to use in beds where you’ve planted seeds or want dropped seeds to grow.
Crabgrass takes advantage of bare soil patches and stressed grass, so to prevent further infestations, keep the lawn healthy by watering regularly, fertilizing appropriately and mowing to the recommended height for your specific grass species.
Good luck!
Got a gardening question? Ask it here.
👏 Sunday shoutout
Bill Ugenti of Centereach, New York, said his giant sunflowers were “planted by finches dropping seeds every year while feasting.” Here they are towering over his lovely daughter Kristina Ugenti.
Send in your photo, and you could be featured next (bonus points if you’re in the picture!)
💡 If you do one thing this week…
Clear beds of fallen fruit, leaves and other plant debris to avoid pest and disease problems.
📰This week in my Associated Press gardening column
I write a weekly gardening column for the AP, so you might have seen my byline in your local paper (or news website) — wherever in the world you happen to be. In case you miss it, I’ll post the most recent here every week.
THIS WEEK: How to tell when your garden veggies are ripe for harvesting
LAST WEEK: How to humanely deal with pests without using cruel traps or harmful chemicals
BEFORE THAT: Let kids create their own garden, and other tips for instilling a love for growing things
ONE MORE: Annuals are the forgotten native plants. Here are 7 worth adding to the garden
You can read all my AP gardening columns here.
📚📺🎵 Random things I enjoyed this week
🎥 I saw a screening of “Boys go to Jupiter” at the Independent Film Center with my daughter, her husband and a dear friend. The animated film is about a teenage boy whose goal to earn $5,000 as a food-delivery gig worker gets derailed by an alien. Along the way, a weird juice factory and its owner get in his way, too. It was cute, funny, surreal, bizarre and, oddly, relaxing to watch — and I loved it. Afterward, we went for pizza and had great pastries at a small Italian cafe that has a booth bench that was owned by the Medici family. We also enjoyed music in Washington Square Park. All in all, a great day!
📺 I started watching Killing Eve (I’m very late to the party, I know), and I like it! The British spy thriller centers on a security operative whose investigation of a psychopathic killer-for-hire turns into a cat-and-mouse game.
📖 I’m reading Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, finally! It’s been on my list for years.
⚕️Got my annual physical. Did you?
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📧 How’m I doing?
I welcome your comments and suggestions, so please send them along — as well as any topics you’d like to see covered and questions you’d like answered in the Ask Jessica section.