Any green thumbs out there?

[Guest FIST]

I'm trying to keep my yard going and it's kicking my butt. In the last 2 weeks I have what appears to be crab grass trying to root. 1-2 days after I mow this stuff is about twice the height of my grass. I used a pre-emergent treatment earlier in the year and this is the first time it's come up. I am currently trying another product that kills the stuff and mowing twice a week. I am mowing at around 4-4 1/2" and bagging as well. I'm hoping this does it but have been thinking about putting down a fertilizer as well.

So, does anybody have a suggestion?

[peejman]

Crabgrass is really hard to fully get rid of. I've basically given up. I spray my lawn with a broad spectrum weed killer in the spring and that's it. I quit bothering with fertilizer since it just makes the weeds grow faster. If your neighbors have weeds, so will you.

If you really want it gone, hire one of the professional lawn chemical services (Trugreen, Scotts, etc.). They've got all the goodies needed to take care of it. They're not cheap, but probably more cost effective than fighting it yourself. My neighbor uses them and his yard looks like a golf course. Mine is green and it grows and that's good enough for me.

[Patton]

Do not hire one of the chain lawn care companies, they only want your money. Find a local company. You can pay them to do it for what you spend in products alone. If you put down a preM before March 25th you most likely don't have crabgrass but instead dalisgrass or maybe rough stalk blue grass. The rough stalk blue is a cool weather perennial and most likely came from cheap bird feed. The dalisgrass would have to be dug out. This is a Fescue lawn right? Describe this grassy weed some more for me.

[Patton]

Oh and you should be mulching not baging. I only recommend baging before you seed in the fall if there's heavy leaves or during summer brown patch if a fungicide has not been applied.

[Guest FIST]

I'll post pics tonight. I believe it's fescue.