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Smooth Crabgrass |
Large/Southern Crabgrass |
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Smooth Crabgrass |
Large/Southern Crabgrass |
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| IDENTIFICATION: | Smooth Crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum)
Large/Southern Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis) |
| APPEARANCE: | Crabgrass grows low to the ground, spreading and rooting where it
touches the soil. The seed head has two to six 'finger-like' branches. Smooth crabgrass has smooth leaves on both surfaces and smooth stems. Large/Southern crabgrass is hairy on both leaf surfaces, leaf blades being longer that 2 inches. Stems are hairy and rough to the touch. |
| HABITAT: | Any open ground that is sunny, in turf, flowerbeds, etc. |
| SEASON: | Sprouts up in March (as the soil warms up) and grows through to frost (October or November). |
| DAMAGE: | Can overtake unhealthy turf, open space in vegetable gardens or unmanaged open ground. |
| IPM: | Crabgrass can be controlled with applications of pre-emergent (seed germination control). When pre-emergent is applied in February, this stops seed germination in March. If some seed germinate, spot treatment with post-emergent (controls weed plants) will kill out the growing plant. Call the Extension Office for the chemical product that will work for your situation. |
| COMMENT(S): | If one crabgrass plant is allowed to grow and develop
seed, it can produce up to 53,000 seeds! |
Sources:
Article written by Nina Eckberg (former Agriculture Agent)
Murphy, Dr. Tim R., coordinating Author, 1997. Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses.
Pgs. 36, 38. Publ. by UGA
Cooperative Extension Service, Athens, GA. Pictures of crabgrass
from the UGA Extension web site: http://www.pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/C867-7.htm
Murphy, Dr. Tim R., 1989. Master Gardener Weed Slide Set. Developed by UGA
Cooperative Extension
Service, Athens, GA.
The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.
