eglamkowski's Journal: lawn and garden help!

So, my bermuda-grass lawn is getting overwhelmed by crabgrass :(

It's entirely too late for any pre-emergent strategy, I need something that'll kill vigorously growing crab grass. I sprayed Image herbicide about 6 weeks ago and am going to spray again tomorrow, but that's not specifically a crab-grass solution, it just claims that it may eventually work with repeated sprayings. Anybody have any ideas on crab-grass specific solutions?

Also, I have this potted rose bush that I bought a month ago and it is just about done flowering. The leaves, however, are growing like crazy so I thought if this little rose bush wants so much to live and grow, I should replant it from the pot to a suitable spot outside. Anybody have any tips on planting rose bushes?

How complete do you want the killoff?

[Marxist Hacker 42]

I've done quite well with Crossbow in the spring and a thick coating of purple maple leaves in the winter.

Re:

[eglamkowski]

I'd like to kill just the crabgrass, not the bermuda, if that's at all possible. Although I'm beginning to suspect one of two options are all I have left: 1) hand it over to a professional lawn care service, or 2) just kill everything and start over from scratch.
I'd really hate to do 2 and I don't know if 1 will work on this much crabgrass. It's just such a difficult weed to control :(

Re:

[ces]

I was going to say if you insist on the putting green look your only real option is the lawn care service.

Otherwise I'd just give into whatever weeds want to grow in your lawn. Around here moss is a huge problem and you see many a lawn that has been given over to a mix of moss, dandelions, and crabgrass.

The final option is to plant something other than grass entirely.

Re:

[Marxist Hacker 42]

Don't use my method then- since it achieves #2 pretty effectively (not entirely effectively- instead of a kelly green lawn, I now have a yellow-green lawn that will never require mowing; when I killed off the grass, the moss moved in. I think it's quite beautiful).

what's the difference

[Bill Dog]

So, my bermuda-grass lawn is getting overwhelmed by crabgrass :(

Before you knock it, look at it again, it's probably beautifying your lawn. Seriously, bermuda is ugly like a weed and spreads like a weed. And it thinks we like brown lawns in the winter. Instead of lamenting how one weed is battling another, nuke 'em both and put in something nice.

Anybody have any tips on planting rose bushes?

They like air flow. Don't plant them next to a solid fence, as it will radiate the sun's heat back on the plant and ke

To quote Homer

[IamBMETammy]

There's nothing wrong with crab grass. It just has a bad name, that's all. Everyone would love it if it had a cute name like "Elf grass"

Or if you don't have too much crab grass you can dig it out by hand and then reseed with bermuda. Thick growth of regular grass will keep it from coming back. Or deal with having it for one year then treat for pre-emergence next year... Does the stuff you're using now have MSMA? That should work since it's early enough in the growing season.

Re:

[eglamkowski]

elf grass... I'm reminded of the game by Kenzer Co. called Fairy Meat [kenzerco.com] BWAHAHAHAH!! :)

About 1/3 of the lawn has little to no crabgrass and I can manage it by hand, but the other 2/3 is pretty bad, with about 10% of it being so dense that it has basically replaced the bermuda grass.

And my bermuda grass was very thick and lush last summer - it was the envy of my neighbors. Not sure where it went wrong :(
I read that the first frost of the winter is supposed to kill the crabgrass, but we never got the killer