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Overfertilizing can burn and kill the grass as well as upset the soil's nutrient balance, leaving your grass prone to disease and infestation. You'll know that you have overfertilized your burn when you have recently fertilized and begin to see brown and yellow patches of dead grass that need to be reseeded. 

A spot herbicide for weed control is effective at killing crabgrass and not grass, but it depends on the type of herbicide. Always check the label to ensure that your herbicide is safe for grass but tough on crabgrass. Overall, spot treatment is ideal because it puts fewer herbicides into the soil, which can damage the soil. If you’re wanting a natural remedy to crabgrass that also won’t harm surrounding grass, you can also hand-remove crabgrass or even pour boiling water or 5% vinegar over crabgrass as a spot treatment.

The best type of fertilizer depends on the type of grass and your desired end result. Generally speaking, slow-release fertilizers are best for grass, as they gradually release nutrients into your soil instead of all at once, which meets the needs of many grass types. However, the tradeoff is that slow-release fertilizers contain phosphorus, which negatively impacts local water quality. Also, some grasses require different formulations to meet the demands of the soil. Test your soil to see how acidic or alkaline it is before choosing a fertilizer. 

The best time to top dress your lawn depends on what type of grass you have and what climate you live in. Cool-season grass should be top dressed in late fall, while warm-season grass should be top dressed in late spring.