Soil Temperatures and Pre-Emergent Timing

Summer weeds like crabgrass need several consecutive days above 55°F to germinate. Surface seeds warm quickly; deeper seeds take weeks.

To know if it's too late for pre-emergent, check recent soil temperatures. Use an indoor/outdoor thermometer with bulb 1 inch deep, or the Georgia Environmental Monitoring Network for accurate data.

Example: In Duluth (April), 2-inch soil temps hovered in low 50s. Some crabgrass germinated, but many seeds haven't. Applying pre-emergent today and watering it in still provides good control. Monitor your local soil temps to time applications perfectly.