Q: Does dead crabgrass look like white dead clumps dotted around the lawn? If so, should one dig each one up and fill in with fescue seed, fertilizer, and dirt?
A: At this time of year, all dead annual and many dormant perennial grasses look like white dead clumps. If the good grass in your lawn has some signs of green and there are scattered dead grass plants, then you could reseed those spots. If the dead grasses are annual grasses, such as crabgrass, they died with the frosts in the fall and, at this time, are acting as mulch on the bare spots and don’t need to be removed. The problem with reseeding is that the good grass seeds will need the same weather conditions as the new crabgrass seeds, so they may both come up at the same time. If the dead areas are large, using sod may be better. If the areas are smaller than a dinner plate, it would be better to apply crabgrass preventer to stop all grass seeds from growing (including any seeds you plant). Then, take good care of the existing good grass with water and fertilizer to cause the good grass to spread into the bare spots.
