It’s Too Early for Crabgrass! Here’s What’s Really in Your Yard | Lawn Care Madison

Every spring at American Landscape & Lawn Science, our phones start ringing with Madison homeowners concerned about “early crabgrass” popping up in their lawns. With over 41 years of experience doing lawn care in Madison and all across eastern Connecticut, I’ve seen this confusion time and again. What many people think is crabgrass in early spring is actually something completely different – and knowing the difference can save you from unnecessary treatments and frustration.

As a company that works directly with the University of Connecticut soil testing labs (we’re their biggest customer, in fact), we’re committed to using science-backed approaches rather than guesswork. Today, I want to share some insights on what you’re actually seeing in your Madison lawn this spring and how to address it properly.

What You’re Seeing Is Probably Orchard Grass, Not Crabgrass

The first thing to understand about crabgrass is the timing. Crabgrass is a warm-season annual weed that can’t germinate until soil temperatures consistently reach 55-60°F. In Madison and across our Connecticut service areas, this typically doesn’t happen until late April or May.

So when homeowners call us in March or early April concerned about crabgrass, what they’re almost certainly seeing is orchard grass (also called field grass). As a cool-season grass, orchard grass thrives in early spring temperatures around 50°F and grows much faster than your bluegrass or ryegrass lawn.

How to Tell the Difference

Our lawn technicians – many with 20+ years of experience – can spot the difference instantly, but here’s how you can tell them apart:

• Timing: If it’s early spring and soil temperatures are still cool, it’s almost certainly orchard grass, not crabgrass
• Color: Orchard grass has a distinctly lighter, more vibrant green color
• Growth rate: Orchard grass shoots up rapidly, often growing twice as fast as your regular lawn

With our water-based, eco-friendly approach to lawn care, we always make sure we’re treating the right problem at the right time. There’s no point applying crabgrass control products to orchard grass – they simply won’t work, and you’ll waste both product and money.

Why Orchard Grass Appears in Madison Lawns

Madison’s proximity to both wooded areas and open spaces makes it particularly susceptible to orchard grass introduction. This grass can find its way into your lawn through several natural means:

• Wind dispersal: Seeds blow in from nearby fields or natural areas
• Water runoff: Heavy spring rains in Madison can wash seeds into your yard
• Birds: Local bird populations often carry and drop seeds

Living and working in the Madison community, we see firsthand how these local conditions contribute to lawn challenges that are specific to our area.

Should You Treat Orchard Grass? Probably Not.

Unlike crabgrass, which can quickly take over a lawn and cause lasting damage, orchard grass is generally not harmful. In fact, one of the reasons we’ve maintained a 90% program retention rate is our honesty about what treatments are actually necessary.

The truth about orchard grass is:

• It’s temporary: By summer, when temperatures rise, orchard grass usually becomes less noticeable as your regular lawn grasses catch up
• Treatment options are limited: There’s no selective herbicide that targets orchard grass without harming your lawn
• It’s not harmful: Unlike crabgrass, orchard grass doesn’t typically create bare spots or damage

At American Landscape & Lawn Science, we’re committed to using the safest products available for our crabgrass treatments – water-based, not petroleum-based – with immediate re-entry once dry. We won’t recommend unnecessary treatments that might expose your family, pets, or the environment to chemicals needlessly.

When to Actually Worry About Crabgrass in Madison

While orchard grass isn’t a major concern, crabgrass certainly is. With our All-American lawn care program (chosen by 65% of our 3,000+ customers), we apply two precise crabgrass control treatments:

1. Early spring application: Prevents initial crabgrass germination
2. Late spring application: Controls summer crabgrass that emerges with warmer temperatures

This two-application approach is why less than 3% of our customers experience crabgrass issues, compared to the much higher rates we see with competitors who only apply a single treatment.

The key timing here in Madison is the “crabgrass deadline” – which falls around the end of April or early May. If you don’t have crabgrass control down by then, you’re likely to see crabgrass invade your lawn once summer temperatures arrive.

How to Keep Your Madison Lawn Healthy All Season

Beyond understanding the difference between orchard grass and crabgrass, here are some Madison-specific tips for maintaining a healthy lawn throughout the season:

• Apply crabgrass control before the crabgrass deadline in late April
• Keep your lawn dense and healthy with regular fertilization using our compost-based lawn fertilizer that builds the soil
• Water deeply but infrequently to encourage deep root growth, especially important in Madison’s sandy loam soil
• Mow at 3.5 inches to shade out weed seedlings

With our liquid organic aeration that penetrates 7-10 inches deep (3x more effective than traditional core aeration), we help Madison homeowners develop lawns that naturally resist weed invasions by strengthening the soil and root systems.

The Bottom Line for Madison Homeowners

When you spot fast-growing patches of lighter green grass this spring, don’t panic and don’t rush to treat it. With soil temperatures still cool, it’s almost certainly orchard grass, not crabgrass. By summer, your regular lawn will likely catch up and the orchard grass will become less noticeable.

Save your energy (and money) for proper crabgrass prevention at the right time. Our precision application approach, performed by technicians with decades of experience, ensures you get exactly what your lawn needs, exactly when it needs it.

For more information or to schedule a free lawn evaluation for your Madison property, contact us at (860) 669-1880 or visit our Madison location at 4 New Rd, Madison, CT 06443. With over 100 five-star reviews and a team that truly knows the local conditions, we’re ready to help your lawn thrive this season.