Question
I have what I assume is crab grass that sends its tentacles out everywhere!  I can't seem to keep it out of my vegetable garden or flower beds.  Pulling it out is exhausting and it keeps coming back.  It even grows up through the garden cloths/paper I put down to keep it at bay.  Is there ANYTHING I else I can do??

Answer
Cheryl, unfortunately, there are no products which can be broadcast that will kill crabgrass. The only way to control it is to prevent it from germinating in early spring. This can be accomplished by using a granular pre-emergence product which can be purchased at any garden center.

There are herbicide sprays that will work. These are direct contact sprays, but many of them will also kill the surrounding plants if you're not careful.

The good news is that crabgrass is an annual grass and will die off next winter. You will then need to apply the pre-emergence fertilizer next spring to prevent the seed from emerging next year.

An organic solution is to cover the area with black plastic. It is easier to do this in the spring and then cut X's where you want to plant a seedling. Cover the black plastic with a mulch such as straw or shredded leaves to cover it. This procedure will also sterilize the soil, killing any soilborne diseases that may be present.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike