Herbert Miller
Do you know how exactly crabgrass preventer works? Think back to those unpleasant, messy grass weeds that hindered the sequence of the impressive lawn. Yes, those spiky-type grass you saw all over the lawn, are called crabgrass. Crabgrass wastes the hard work and time you dedicate to make the lawn appear beautiful.
By the end of summer, you can see the crabgrass germinates and spreads. Usually, people think of using crabgrass preventer in early spring, but unfortunately, there is no scheduled time as it grows whenever they get a suitable temperature. To get rid of these unappealing grasses, use good quality crabgrass preventer to stop popping of these spiky weeds.
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Best Overall
GreenView 2129267 Crabgrass Preventer
- Covers 5000 square feet
- Acts as a crabgrass preventer and lawn food
- Maintains green color of the lawn
- Accelerates the growth of the roots by boosting nutrients absorption
Premium Pic
Scotts Halts Crabgrass Preventer
- Covers 5000 square feet
- It contains an exclusive edge guard and hand-held technologies
- A sufficient amount of nitrogen covers the lawn green
Best Budget
Ortho 9994110 Crabgrass Preventer
- Ergonomic handle for effortless spraying
- Kills 200 variety of weeds
- Occupies 5000 square feet
- Comes in a handy spray bottle
1. GreenView 2129267 Crabgrass Preventer
When it comes to maintaining health and a pleasant appearance of your lawn, GreenView crabgrass preventer will exactly serve your purpose. Though, it is a bit on the higher price side, it justifies the performance.
It has the potential to kill above 200 different kinds of weeds, including crabgrass, dandelions, and poison ivy. So, it acts as a 3-in-1 combination like weed killer, crabgrass preventer, and even as a lawn feeder.
Since this product is of a slow-release formula, so it will slowly show effect within 12 weeks. Therefore, do not expect an immediate result after application. If you want to get the best result, then you must spread this preventer sooner than the first dandelion arises on the lawn. Apply this when your lawn is wet and mow after three days to create barriers in the growth of crabgrass before sprout.
A bag of 18 lbs, it can cover around 5,000 sq. ft areas. However, this best product is available in California, Alabama, or Hawaii.
Pros
- Kills above 200 types of weeds
- Acts as a crabgrass preventer, lawn food, dandelion killer
- Can feed your lawn for 12 weeks
Cons
- High price
2. Scotts Halts Crabgrass Preventer
The Scotts Halts Crabgrass Preventer plus Wizz Hand-Held Spreader can control crabgrass before it can cover your lawn. This crabgrass preventer comes with the exclusive Scotts edge guard and hand-held technologies.
Sprinkle in your lawn every spring to get the most beautiful looking green lawn. It is useful to act as a lawn food and crabgrass controller for an area of 5,000 square feet. You can notice positive changes in the lawn and that too within a couple of weeks.
Since it contains a satisfactory amount of nitrogen, the crabgrass preventer will make your lawn look greener like never before. Also, this crabgrass preventer will show its potential by restricting the return of crabgrass and weeds in the lawn for a longer time.
If protecting all, then this is one of the best crabgrass preventers.
Pros
- Covers 5000 square feet
- It contains an exclusive edge guard and hand-held technologies.
- A sufficient amount of nitrogen covers the lawn green.
Cons
- Does not work as a post-emergent
3. Ortho 9994110 Weed B Gon plus Crabgrass Control
Ortho Weed B Gon plus Crabgrass control comes in a 32-ounce spray ready bottle that directly attaches to the hose. It is great to spread the crabgrass control effortlessly and lawn watering.
All you need to do is attach your adapter to the hose, shift, and sprinkle it over your lawn. With your convenience, spread the product over the whole lawn or just focus on the places where the crabgrass and weeds germinate.
Ortho spray crabgrass preventer is ideal for killing above 200 variations of weed, including crabgrass, dandelion, Bermuda, and zoysia, without harming your lawn. The good thing is that the hose handle is ergonomic, which means it will not leave a strain on your hand while applying this to vaster lawns. As this is a selective unpleasant weed killer, it will target and kill the weeds and not cause harm to the lawn.
This 32-ounce spray bottle is sufficient to cover a 5000 square feet lawn. Moreover, you can see immediate results after its application.
Pros
- Ergonomic handle for effortless spraying
- Kills 200 variety of weeds
- Occupies 5000 square feet
Cons
- Since it is a selective crabgrass killer, it misses out on some weeds.
4. GreenView Crabgrass Control + Lawn Food
Who wouldn’t want to get variants from a pro-grade brand that offers pro-grade products? This product is excellent crabgrass preventer for all the season. Along with this, it also acts as a lawn fertilizer to provide outstanding performance. Consequently, it gives the lawn what it requires to improve and thrive with vitality.
When you fertilize the lawn with this GreenView Crabgrass Control + Lawn Food, you can notice the betterment of your lawn. Yes, the lawn will then tolerate the extreme heat and retain water to prevent drought. Also, they will be able to preserve their luscious green color for a long time and show up the greenery quicker.
This comes in a package of 6.75 lbs and effectively covers 2,500 square feet to maintain the health consistency of the lawn. You should apply this GreenView Crabgrass Control + Lawn Food at the time of spring for gaining better results.
Pros
- Acts as a crabgrass preventer and lawn food
- Maintains green color of the lawn
- Retains water to prevent drought
- Withstands extreme heat
- Accelerates the growth of the roots by boosting nutrients absorption
Cons
- The feeding period is up to 8 weeks
5. Jonathan Green 10456 5M 22-0-3 Crabgrass Preventer
Next on the list, we bring you a crabgrass preventer product that uses modern technology to make. Unlike the other preventer, this package is such a great preventer which you can apply till the 4th week. It is an ideal package to prevent the crabgrass germination and control after it grows. Since there is no schedule for the crabgrass to grow, you can use this crabgrass controller throughout the year long.
Furthermore, this crabgrass preventer can prevent chickweed, bitter creases, and several other peaky grassroots and broadleaf weeds. It has come with a non-staining process and provides adequate nutritional foods that your thick, green, and beautiful lawns require to develop.
Jonathan Green crabgrass preventer can successfully slow-release25% nitrogen and has zero. This can cover 5,000 square feet.
Pros
- Prevents crabgrass before and after its germination
- Provides adequate foods for maintaining the thick and green beauty of the lawn
- Clear and non-stain product
- Along with crabgrass, controls several other peaky grassroots and broadleaf weeds.
- Covers 5000 square feet
Cons
- The preventer is not an organic product
6. Preen 2464064 Lawn Crabgrass Control
Preen crabgrass control is one of the best crabgrass preventers. This Preen crabgrass control comes in a bag of 15 lbs and can effectively provide coverage to 5,000 square feet.
This product is just the perfect mix of two features. Yes, we are talking about the killing of the crabgrass, both pre-emergent and post-emergent their germination. Apply this and get rid of the crabgrass for almost four months. Also, this happens to kill small crabgrass for four weeks.
Hence, it minimizes the budget and saves time for buying two variant crabgrass products. Additionally, this high-quality product is excellent for killing nearly 40 different lawn weeds, including crabgrass, broadleaf weeds, etc. It is ideal for targeting and covering the whole lawn or just a spot.
Apply this on both the warm and cool-season peaky weeds as it is compatible with both these types of grasses. If you apply it at the end of spring, the product can give complete season control to tough weeds as well.
Pros
- Both kill and prevent weeds.
- Works well to resist crabgrass up to 4 months and kills four weeks old crabgrass
- Kills 40 unusual weed types
Cons
- Shows slow result
7. Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer Concentrate
Spectracide weed and grass killer contain a powerful formula to kill all these unwanted weeds. Since this is a non-selective product, it has the potential to destroy both turf and weeds.
The in-built swift formula is excellent to show up the visible result within just 3 hours. Hence, it allows killing the weeds and replacing them with fresh flowers, plants, and trees on the same weekend. Most importantly, the product becomes water-resistant within 15 minutes, and so, it will remain beneficial if it rains after the application.
As this is a concentrate, you need to mix this with the precise amount of water and pour it into the tank sprayer for application. Try to spray over the entire weeds to ensure the killing of grasses and weeds down to their roots.
However, secure the preferable plants with cardboard or plastic to prevent harming them. But, if by accident you spray on them, wash the plants with water immediately. To get the best results, apply the product during sunny weather.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Waterproof within 15 minutes of application
- Shows up result within three hours
Cons
- A wrong ratio of the mixture can harm the lawn
8. Roundup Weed & Grass Killer Concentrate Plus
If you feel tired of the toughest and stubborn weeds and grasses, then this product can solve your problem from the roots. Just like the previous product, Roundup Weed and grass killer is an economical and effective concentrate that you can use to control your lawn. This concentrate is relatively easy to make and apply. It is just perfect concentrate plus for applications on trees, shrubs, flowers, walkways, patios, driveways. You can also apply this product over the edging, fences, and society.
As this is a concentrate, you can also make your lawn or garden plot productive by spreading it. Remember, a perfect balance of this concentrate plus and water is necessary to show up the desired result. Likewise, take the concentrate in the quantity of 6 fl. oz. and add this to a gallon of water. Mix it in their premium sprayer.
Pros
- Easy to use around trees, flowers, shrubs, driveways, walkways, etc
- FastAct Technology shows its impact within 12 hours.
- Kill grasses and weeds from their roots
Cons
- It takes 30 minutes to rainproof, which is more than the other products on this list
9. Roundup Ready-to-Use Weed & Grass Killer III with Comfort Wand
Next is the RoundUp ready-to-use weed and grass killer that comes with the beneficial wand. This combination allows application without the need of mixing it.
One bottle of this grass killer can occupy around 400 square feet. However, it depends on the concentration level you are using. Again, the comfort wand works as your hand’s extension. Now you do not require to lean forward to spray.
Use this grass killer almost anywhere, but it does an excellent job in road cracks, herb gardens, and also in the mulch beds. Not only that, but it is also suitable for spraying on the fences, patios, and flower beds.
Moreover, this superfast product needs only 10 minutes to rainproof after you apply and start noticing visible effects within three hours. Since this kills and destroys root play, you will not see the return of them for that season.
Pros
- No-mixing formula
- Use around flower beds, tree rings, vegetable gardens, mulched beds.
- Sprinkle on the road cracks
- Rainproof within just 10 minutes
- Shows up its effect only in 3 hours
Cons
- The spray may not work well if you use it incorrectly
10. Southern Ag Amine 2,4-D WEED KILLER
Last but not least, is the Southern Ag Amine 2,4-D weed killer, which offers a selective compound. Hence, it can target and kill broadleaf weeds only on the lawn. Use this to attack and kill crabgrass that often grows in fences, grasses, ditches, and other places.
This product also offers you to connect with a hose. Make sure to use a low-pressure spray with a fan nozzle because it will help to distribute the chemical in the lawn evenly.
It is ideal for spreading in pastures, rangeland, turf, lawn, golf course, parks, etc. Another advantage is that it is both a pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide.
Besides, it can cover around 1,000 square feet area with three spoons mixture in five gallons of water. Remember, this is a selective killer formula, and so you need to be cautious while using it on the plants.
Pros
- Ideal for spreading in pastures, rangeland, turf, lawn, golf course, parks, etc.
- Attack and kill large crabgrass
- With low-pressure spray, it evenly distributes the chemical.
- Controls growing of woody plants and broadleaf weeds
Cons
- A mistake while spraying can turn your favorite plants or green lawn pale and eventually kill them.
Crabgrass Preventers Buying Guide
Here are some buying tips for you-
Type of Chemical
There are two types of chemical formula available- crabgrass preventer that is a pre-emergent, and crabgrass killer, which act as a spot treatment.
- Crabgrass Preventer
Crabgrass preventer helps in keeping that unpleasant crabgrass from germination. The chemical formula effectively kills different types of crabgrass. Also, it will not cause any harm to your lawn and keep the grasses alive. Some of these products come with fertilizer that further boosts the nourishment of the lawn.
- Crabgrass Killer
Usually, Crabgrass killers come in liquid formation and help in spot treatment. So, in these types of products, you need to spray them on the crabgrass or weed patches, and it immediately starts to work. However, excess spraying of these products can even kill the grasses.
Coverage
Crabgrass preventers allow specific square feet coverage. So, choose the one which can cover your lawn area conveniently.
Common Ingredients
Some common ingredients like 2,4-D can attack broadleaf weeds; Quinclorac is ideal for attacking crabgrass, whereas Dicamba resists the return of the weeds for a long time.
Final Thoughts
Spiky crabgrass can create an unappealing look to any lawn and send your hard work in vain. There are different types of preventers available to attack crabgrass and weeds. However, you need to be cautious while using them. Yes, they can serve your purpose when you apply the concentrate in the right proportion. Otherwise, it can harm your beautiful lawn. So, choose any of these best products with the help of the buying guide and make your lawn beautiful for a longer time.
