Get matched with top weed maintenance pros in Snyderville, UT

No, definitely not. Pulling weeds by hand is the single most effective way to remove them because you're eliminating the entire plant—roots and all—so it won’t have a chance to grow or spread. Setting time aside a few times per week to pull weeds can keep them at bay. If the number of weeds gets overwhelming, then you can resort to other methods.

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.

Vinegar is known to be a contact herbicide, which means it kills the foliage it comes in contact with. Because of the high acetic acid concentration, horticultural vinegar kills weeds and grass more effectively. However, keep in mind that high amounts and multiple applications can affect the soil by lowering the pH levels.

It usually takes between two weeks and a month for weeds to fully die off after you spray them with herbicide, but they will start to wilt within the first week. Different weed sprays produce different results, with some working more quickly and effectively than others. Similarly, some weeds are killed more easily than others. Consult your weed removal pro for an exact timeline based on their weed removal method.