Is it Crabgrass?

If you walk out on your lawn and see some ugly grass you don't want, don't think "ah, that must be crabgrass."

Chances are, at this time of year, it isn't. Crabgrass dies every fall, and at that time it drops seeds in the soil that germinate the next year. Those seeds won't germinate until the soil reaches a certain temperature...much like your "good" grass coming out of dormancy, or spring bulbs like dafodils blooming when the temp is right.

You may have heard, as a rule of thumb crabgrass starts germinating when the forsythia blooms. Well, that just started last week in my area. My neighbors have a forsythia shrub in their front yard so I see it right out the window.

I just now applied Turf Builder with Halts, so don't think you don't have time to do it this spring. In fact, it is probably more important than a weed n feed, such as Turf Builder with Plus 2. You can always apply that one 6 weeks after you apply Turf Builder with Halts. Or, if you have the dandelions now, just spot treat them with Ortho Weed B Gon MAX.

For the area above the transition zone, crabgrass usually will germinate up through the end of May. So, you have definitely have time to put down that important first application of Turf Builder with Halts.

As for that ugly grass you see now, it's probably just tall fescue.