Importance of Soil Temperature For Spring Lawn Care

The Importance of Soil Temperature For Spring Lawn Care

When should we start this season’s lawn care program? What Week? What Date? This is a question we get a lot in early spring, when the calendar flips over to March and April.

But, here’s the thing - “There ain’t a blade of grass out there that can read a calendar.” The driving force behind almost everything that happens in lawn care is soil temperature, not the calendar! Crabgrass will not germinate and grass plants do not begin their ‘spring wake-up’ until soil temperatures (not air temps) reach and sustain 55 degrees for up to three days. So, if 55 degrees is the targeted temperature, we need to be applying our first application of fertilizer with crabgrass control, or straight fertilizer, when soil temperatures reach around 50 Degrees for a day or two. This will give the fertilizer/weed control products ample time to set up in the soil before germination and growth begin. Subsequent applications of fertilizer with or without control products will be made at 5 to 6 week intervals during the growing season.

Essex County Co-Op stocks both Scott’s and GreenView’s four and five step programs to promote a thicker, greener, healthier lawn throughout the year. These programs include bags sized for treating both large and smaller lawns. (5,000 to 15,000 Square Feet)

How do I find out my Soil Temperature?

There are two ways of determining soil temperature, the first is to use a soil thermometer.  Essex Co-Op carries the Rapitest Digital Soil Thermometer. Stick the probe into the soil about three inches. Choose an area of the lawn that is partially shade and partially sun. Check on it daily to know when it’s getting close to 50 degrees.

The second tool we can use is the website: www.greencastonline.com. This is a free website where you enter your zip code and it will provide the daily soil temperature in your town.