CRABGRASS AND BINDWEED KILLER FOR LAWNS
Kill Crabgrass and Bindweed Without Killing the Desirable Grass
Crabgrass is a common nuisance in lawns, recognized for its rapid spread and unsightly appearance. This annual grass germinates in late May and generally becomes visible between mid-June and early July. Crabgrass thrives in warm weather and is often found in thin, stressed, or poorly maintained lawns. Its wide, sprawling growth allows it to overtake surrounding grasses, disrupting the uniform appearance of the lawn.
Crabgrass can produce thousands of seeds, which can remain viable in the soil for many years, making it challenging to control if left unchecked. To prevent crabgrass from growing in a lawn, proactive care is essential. This includes maintaining a healthy lawn by mowing the grass to a taller height (3 inches or taller), applying proper fertilization, and watering deeply but infrequently. A thick, lush lawn will naturally inhibit the growth of crabgrass. However, if crabgrass does appear, it is too late for preventative cultural practices like mowing tall and watering properly. Targeted control using a special post-emergent crabgrass killer called Drive XLR8 will quickly restore your lawn’s even appearance.
What Is Crabgrass?
Crabgrass is a troublesome annual grass that thrives in weak or damaged spots of your lawn, particularly during June. This pesky weed can stick around until after the first frost in October, causing unsightly patches and competition for nutrients. You’ll often find crabgrass on the edges of your lawn or in stressed areas, especially if the grass is mowed too short. The good news is that a thick, lush lawn acts as a natural defense against crabgrass, preventing it from germinating in the first place.
If crabgrass does manage to infiltrate your lawn, don’t worry—we have an effective solution! Our specialized crabgrass killer, Drive XLR8, works quickly to eliminate this grassy invader. After application, you can expect to see results within just 7 to 14 days as the weed dies off completely. In Boulder and Fort Collins, crabgrass can pose a challenge, but with the right care and maintenance, you can keep your lawn healthy and prevent this weed from thriving. If crabgrass is taking over—act now with an application of Drive XLR8!
The lime colored grass is crabgrass a few weeks after germination. This is what a young crabgrass plant looks like.
Click on Image to Enlarge
This is a photo of mature crabgrass. Notice the crab like leafing structure and seed production.
Bindweed Weed Killer that Kills the Roots!
Bindweed is a persistent creeping weed that often germinates in Boulder and Fort Collins lawns between May and August. Its extensive root system allows it to thrive in drought stressed lawns, producing attractive white, pink, or yellow flowers. Bindweed can quickly invade your yard or native grass areas, making it resistant to most weed control methods, even the strongest herbicides.
Addressing bindweed promptly is crucial because the problem tends to get worse every year without management. This weed typically appears in drought-stressed lawns, but it can also be found in healthy lawns too. Preventative long-term control is best accomplished with deep and infrequent lawn watering and mowing practices. For effective removal of bindweed in a lawn, we can only guarantee results only when using Drive XLR8 as a post-emergent bindweed killer which will kill both the plant and the entire root system.
Bindweed Growing In a Lawn in Fort Collins
Controlling Bindweed in a Lawn
Bindweed can be controlled anytime it is actively growing in a lawn with a special weed killer called DriveXLR8. Bindweed is typically found in a lawn from anywhere between late April and late October.
Controlling Crabgrass in a Lawn
Young crabgrass can usually be spotted sometime around the middle of June. Crabgrass quickly dies after the first frost. We tend to see Crabgrass in a lawn from June – late September / early October.
Application Season:
For Bindweed Control: Anytime that bindweed is actively growing. This can be as early as April to the end of September.
For Crabgrass Control: Anytime that crabgrass is actively growing. This can be as early as the middle of June to the middle of September.
Drive XLR8 Information
Crabgrass and Bindweed Killer Information Sheets
DRIVE XLR8 LABEL PDF DRIVE XLR8 SDS PDF EPA FACT SHEET PDF
Drive XLR8 weed and crabgrass killer is registered with the EPA by BASF, EPA reg. # 7969-272. This post-emergent crabgrass and bindweed killer is also registered with the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
How Much Does a Bindweed or Crabgrass Treatment Cost
Measure your lawn using google maps and our special tool and get an instant quote for your size lawn.
Bindweed and Crabgrass FAQ's
Why Does Crabgrass Grow in Some Lawns but Doesn’t in Other Lawns?
Crabgrass typically grows in areas of the lawn that are thin, weak, or damaged. This is because crabgrass is not very competitive and does not germinate in dense or thick turf. It is commonly found along the edges of the lawn, particularly where the grass borders the sidewalk, as the heat from the sidewalk can damage the lawn. Additionally, crabgrass can be problematic in lawns that are mowed too short or are frequently watered with shallow amounts of water.
What Time of Year Does Crabgrass Grow in a Lawn?
Crabgrass usually begins to germinate in mid to late May when soil temperatures reach 62 degrees Fahrenheit. The young seedlings typically become visible around the middle of June. Crabgrass can be easily identified by its lime green color and its growth in areas of the lawn that are thin, stressed by heat or drought, or where the grass has been mowed too short. Untreated crabgrass can be found in a lawn from the middle of June until the first frost of the year (late September or early October).
How to Kill Bindweed in a Lawn?
Bindweed often appears in lawns that are experiencing drought stress and are not being watered deeply and infrequently. It can also grow in flower beds and rock gardens. To eliminate bindweed in both grassy areas and flower beds, we use a specialized weed killer called Drive XLR8, which is the only weed killer that will damage the entire root system of bindweed.
We typically apply Drive as a spot treatment only in the problem areas that have bindweed and/or crabgrass. If a lawn is very large we may do a spray tank application to safe time.
Drive XLR8 should be applied any time these weeds or grasses are actively growing.
The label states to stay off the lawn until the application is dry. We recommend staying off treated areas for 24 hours to be extra cautious.
Drive is rain proof within 30 minutes of the application. If it does rain within 30 minutes of an application please wait 7-10 days to see if the application is going to work. If it does not work please contact our office and we will apply the product again, free of charge.
DriveXLR8 has an active ingredient called Quinclorac.
Legally we cannot answer this safety question because it is an EPA registered pesticide. We can however, tell the customer that the EPA’s signal word on Drive is Caution, which is the lowest of the three signal words. Danger is the highest toxicity, then Warning, and the lowest level of toxicity is Caution.
As a Caution-level herbicide, Drive has low toxicity to people, low toxicity to non-target animals and insects, and reduced risk of ground water contamination. We recommend reading the label of the product if you have safety concerns.
To effectively prevent crabgrass from growing in your lawn, it’s best to mow the grass at a taller height and water deeply but infrequently. Maintaining a thick lawn will help inhibit crabgrass growth.
If crabgrass does appear, DriveXLR8 can effectively eliminate it. We recommend against using pre-emergent crabgrass controls, as they are typically applied to the entire lawn, whereas crabgrass usually only affects specific areas. Instead, we suggest observing your lawn for any crabgrass issues, and if they arise, we can target the infested areas with DriveXLR8.
This strategy of applying treatments only when and where necessary aligns with Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which is the EPA’s recommended approach to managing pest problems, including weeds, while minimizing risks to people and the environment.
Yes, DriveXLR8 is available in some farm stores and specialty landscape stores.
Yes and No, DriveXLR8 will work on crabgrass, bindweed, dandelions, and clover but not on thistle. Drive will kill bindweed and crabgrass in 7-10 days but it takes 30-50 days to kill dandelions and clover so this is not out first choice of herbicide for these weeds.
We only apply DriveXLR8 to bindweed and crabgrass during our spot treatments. The other weeds are controlled easier and better with One Earth Weed Control.
Yes, however it fine to use in flower gardens, but it is not recommended for vegetable gardens.
No, DriveXLR8 is a synthetic weed control with an EPA registration.
No, DriveXLR8 can be applied to a lawn without damaging the desirable grasses.
Results can be seen within a 5-10 days, complete weed control typically achieved in 1-2 weeks.