Soil temps = 4/17

[LwnmwnMan2]

I had to run my mother in law to the airport this morning, so I checked the soil temps in the northeast metro on my way home.

In the Vadnais Heights area, on a south facing slope, right along the curb, in an area of bare soil, so the grass wasn't shading the soil, I found a 58 degree soil temp. However, the majority of the property was still just a hair below 50 degrees.

In Forest Lake area, the properties that I checked we hovering right aruond 48, and Stacy / North Branch area they were right around 47 degrees.

These are all after a night where it was 53 degrees when I got home at 6:45 this morning, meaning it didn't cool off over night like it will here shortly.

It's getting close to the window. You COULD do your pre-emergent this weekend, or any of the next two, and as long as you're using a quality material, you'll be fine.

I'm waiting until at least next week.

If the property doesn't have any irrigation or water, the chemical isn't going to break down and create the "barrier" anyways.

[Dotch]

Just out of curiosity, at what soil depth are you measuring? Thanks!

[CJH]

What is the "ideal" soil temp to put down the pre-emergent fertilizer?

[LwnmwnMan2]

Just out of curiosity, at what soil depth are you measuring? Thanks!

3", +/- .5"

Crabgrass will start to germinate when the soil reaches 55 degrees for 3 consecutive mornings.

If you get a product with Dimension as the active ingredient, then it will have SOME control over early crabgrass plants that have already germinated, opening the "ideal" window of when you need to apply the product.