Crabgrass is your natural enemy if you wish to grow green, lush, and thick lawn because it’s hard to control and impairs the health of your grass. Therefore, you must take necessary precautions to control the invasion of this unwanted weed. Killing crabgrass with baking soda is an effective home remedy.
To kill crabgrass with baking soda:
Step 1. Wet the patch of crabgrass in your lawn.
Step 2. Pour a fair amount of baking soda over the weed.
Step 3. Allow baking soda to act on the weeds for a day or two.
Step 4. Uproot the dead crabgrass from the lawn.
Step 5. Reseed your lawn.
For the best results, act on crabgrass the moment you notice their invasion of your lawn because they are highly resilient weeds that produce numerous seeds, up to 150,000.
How to use Baking Soda to Kill Crabgrass
You must use baking soda carefully because despite being an effective natural crabgrass killer, it can kill your grass. The sodium compound in baking soda is highly saline; hence it can harm the grass surrounding the crabgrass.
Here’s how to kill crabgrass with baking soda correctly:
- Cordon off the area affected by crabgrass with pieces of wood to ensure the baking soda doesn’t fall on the grass.
- Water the cordoned area without interfering with the other areas, then sprinkle the baking soda slowly and carefully. Don’t just throw the substance of the crabgrass like the way you would sprinkle water on your lawn, but rather move closer and only apply it to the area affected by the weed.
- Make sure all the crabgrass leaves have a generous amount of baking soda.
- Let the baking soda sit on the crabgrass for a while, and watch out for the signs of dying crabgrass which are stunted growth, wilting foliage, and leaf discoloration (the leaves will begin to turn black or brown). Give the crabgrass sufficient time to die before proceeding to the next step.
- You must uproot the dead crabgrass to fully destroy the weed and provide room for reseeding the lawn. You can pull the weed by your hands or use a weed puller to make the task more efficient. This step is necessary because crabgrass is an aggressive, highly-resilient weed.
- Once you get rid of all the crabgrass, you must patch the bare spots to prevent weeds from growing back and make your lawn beautiful. Reseed the lawn using the same grass for uniformity, apply a starter fertilizer, and water appropriately.
NOTE
Wear protective gear like gloves when applying baking soda to your lawn to kill crabgrass. Furthermore, your protection is of utmost importance when handling crabgrass killer for lawns.
Does Baking Soda Kill Crabgrass Permanently?
Baking soda gets rid of crabgrass permanently and, for the best outcomes, target young crabgrass plants that are still growing actively. This homemade crabgrass killer is effective because it has phytotoxic properties.
The phytotoxic effect delays the germination of seeds or inhibits the growth of the plant, causing its death.
Read more: How to Stop Weeds From Coming Up Through New Sod
Is Baking Soda Harmful To Grass?
Yes, baking soda can be harmful to grass due to its alkaline nature, which renders it phytotoxic, even when used in low concentrated solutions. Therefore, you risk damaging your grass by applying baking soda to your lawn.
The sodium in baking soda can burn the roots, leaves, and other parts of your grass. It can also increase the PH of your soil, making it more alkaline and unsuitable for sustaining plants.
Sodium can also linger in the soil for a while, affecting your future grass. You may want to consider a different solution if you want the best crabgrass killer that won’t kill grass.
How Long Does It Take Baking Soda To Kill Crabgrass?
Mixing baking soda with vinegar will increase this recipe’s potency against crabgrass.
Other Homemade Crabgrass Killer Recipes
Baking soda isn’t the only homemade substance you can use to kill crabgrass. Below are some effective recipes:
1. Vinegar As A Natural Crabgrass Killer
This is an easy-to-use, cost-efficient homemade crabgrass killer that will kill the weed within the shortest time because of its acidic nature.
Generously spray vinegar on the areas affected by crabgrass, leave it for about an hour, and then water your lawn to ensure the acid kills the crabgrass roots.
You may need to apply vinegar repeatedly until you remove all the crabgrass. It’s more effective when applied on a sunny day since such conditions will speed up the drying of weeds.
2. Castile Soap As A Crabgrass Killer
You can kill crabgrass using castile soap, which offers an appealing recipe. It provides similar surfactant properties just like regular soap, except it uses all-natural elements, making it safer for your grass and the environment.
You can add essential oils to this recipe to aid the process of killing crabgrass.
These include:
Essential Oil | Quantity |
White vinegar | 1 ¾ cups |
Liquid Castile soap | ¼ cup |
Wintergreen essential oil | 3 drops |
Clove essential oil | 3 drops |
Cinnamon essential oil | 3 drops |
orange essential oil | 3 drops |
Clove has Eugenol, a chemical that destroys plant membranes, making it effective in controlling crabgrass. In addition, oils such as cinnamon kill seedlings before they spread because they are natural fungicides.
3. Boiling Water As A Natural Crabgrass Killer
This is a tried and tested strategy for killing nearly all weeds, and you can use it to rid your lawn of crabgrass. You can either use boiling water on its own or add 3 pounds of salt and dish soap (1/4 cup) to quicken the drying process.
Conclusion
Baking soda is an effective, environmentally friendly pre-emergent solution against crabgrass.
To Kill crabgrass with baking soda:
Step 1. Wet the patch of crabgrass in your lawn.
Step 2. Sprinkle a fair amount of baking soda over the weed.
Step 3. Allow baking soda to act on the weeds for a day or two.
Step 4. Uproot the dead crabgrass from the lawn.
Step 5. Reseed your lawn.
Controlling crabgrass growth in your lawn is critical because they spread quickly and make the soil more acidic, rendering it unconducive for your grass.
Reference
- UMass Extension Turf Program –Biology and Management of Crabgrass
- University of Maryland Extension- Crabgrass
Hey there, I’m Derek Schew, a writer for Lawnholic.com, where we cover everything and anything related to lawns. As someone who’s spent countless hours tending to my own lawn, I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge and helping others achieve the perfect yard. From lawn care tips to product reviews, I’m committed to providing our readers with the most accurate and up-to-date information available. So whether you’re a seasoned lawn enthusiast or just getting started, I invite you to join our community and discover the joys of a lush, green lawn.