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The best time to fight crabgrass with pre-emergent herbicide is when forsythias tend to bloom. In the mid-Atlantic region, this is usually between April and May. Even if you're late to apply the herbicide, it’s effective as long as the crabgrass plant has fewer than five leaves.

There are organic herbicide options that will kill grass but not flowers, including white vinegar or a dish soap solution. Commercial selective herbicides can also target grass over other plants, but read the instructions carefully to avoid damaging your garden. Herbicides that kill grass but not flowers usually include ingredients like clethodim and sethoxydim. Otherwise, your best bet will be to weed by hand.

Yes, Johnsongrass is a hard weed to kill. It has the ability to grow fast and spread even quicker, so it requires a detailed plan and thorough application to eliminate it. The best plan of action is to kill Johnsongrass while the weed is establishing itself by hiring a lawn care professional or following the steps above. 

The main problem with crabgrass is that it produces thousands of seeds that can remain dormant until the following season. To get rid of it, you have to remove existing plants before they have a chance to spread seeds and stop old seeds from germinating.