This Is the Ideal Soil Temperature to Start Spring Lawn Care – And What to Do When It Hits
Discover the optimum lawn temperature for feeding, overseeding, mowing, and more
You can do more harm than good if you rush your spring lawn care. Best practice is to wait until the soil reaches a specific temperature. Here, lawn professionals reveal what that is, and which seasonal maintenance tasks should be done at certain temperatures.
When lawn temperatures reach 50°F, the grass starts growing, and so do weeds. That is the level after which to start mowing, fertilizing, overseeding, and using pre-emergent treatments to combat weeds.
Going too early with your lawn care poses many risks, and you can damage the lawn. If you are planning your spring lawn care, checking the lawn temperatures ensures you don’t do anything you’ll later regret. I spoke to turf experts about lawn temperatures and how they must dictate when you perform certain maintenance tasks.
Article continues belowThe Lawn Temperature to Look For
You can do some real damage if you start doing any lawn care before the ground is ready. Even walking on frozen grass breaks the blades and compacts the ground, so you can only imagine what would happen if you tried to aerate, scarify, or mow in this scenario.
An interesting point to consider: snow doesn’t damage a lawn itself. In fact, it can insulate the grass, but human activity does do damage – so stay off your turf until it defrosts when the temperatures rise.
The best way to know when to start lawn maintenance is to monitor the soil temperature and look out for signs that the grass is starting to grow again for the new season. But what is the perfect lawn temperature to look out for that signals it may be time to start thinking about spring lawn care?
Mike Goatley, Virginia Cooperative Extension turfgrass specialist, identifies 50°F as the temperature when both grass and weeds start growing in your lawn.
‘When soil temperatures reach 50°F as we head into spring, we have a biological temperature in place that is going to result in the growth of both cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses,’ says the lawn expert.
‘Cool-season grasses will respond to the temperature first, but warm-season grasses will eventually also respond to the consistently warming temperatures and longer days.’
Once the grass starts actively growing, it is the best time to think about essential maintenance tasks like aerating, dethatching, mowing, and fertilizing your lawn in spring.
You can monitor the temperature with a lawn soil thermometer, such as this 4-in-1 soil meter from Amazon that tells you temperature, moisture levels, pH, and sunlight. Simply place it into the soil, and it reveals key information on a large LCD screen.
When it comes to cutting the grass, mowing a dormant lawn or wet winter grass is a winter lawn care mistake that risks harming the grass’s health, and you may be left with bare patches come later in the season. Don’t start mowing the lawn in spring until it is dry and actively growing, which it will do once the lawn temperature reaches 50-55°F, depending on the type of turfgrass you have.
Even if the temperatures reach the right levels, you don’t want to do any work on a waterlogged lawn. If you have puddling water and mud patches, stay off the affected area until the water drains or evaporates away, as you’ll cause more damage and make a mess if you try to repair the lawn while it is still in that condition.
Pros Reveal the Best Temperatures for Seasonal Lawn Tasks
When the ground has defrosted and the soil warms in spring, it is time to aerate and dethatch the lawn as part of any seasonal regime.
There are also three other key jobs to do promptly once the soil temperature reaches a specific level that will help you have a luscious lawn to enjoy come summer.
The Ideal Lawn Temperature for Treating a Lawn for Weeds
Once the lawn temperature hits the ideal for grass to start growing, so will weeds. If you want to use pre-emergent treatments for common lawn weeds, like crabgrass, tracking soil temperature helps you apply them at the perfect time.
‘Pre-emergent treatments should be applied just before soil temperatures reach about 55°F for several days in a row, as this is when summer weeds - like crabgrass - start germinating,’ advises Brian Feldman, Senior Director of Field Operations at TruGreen.
If you want an indicator other than lawn temperature, Mike Goatley recommends looking in your yard or others in the neighborhood for one flowering shrub. He says: ‘Homeowners should never forget one of the best predictors to watch for in the landscape is the forsythia.
‘When this plant is near full bloom, that is a strong indicator that conditions are right for crabgrass germination.’
To get rid of crabgrass, homeowners can use a pre-emergent weed killer in spring, like this one at Amazon that prevents a long list of common lawn weeds, including crabgrass, chickweed, foxtail, and more.
The Ideal Lawn Temperature for Fertilizing a Lawn
As the lawn temperature wakes the grass from its winter slumber, the window opens to fertilize the lawn. If you want a thick, green summer lawn, feeding the grass early in the year provides all the essential nutrients it needs, but you don’t want to go too early with any product.
‘As soil temperatures begin to warm, it creates the ideal conditions for applying slow-release granular fertilizers, says Jason McCausland, Technical Coordinator at Weed Man. ‘Applying fertilizer too early, before the grass is actively growing, can place unnecessary stress on the lawn and reduce its effectiveness.’
The soil temperature for fertilizer is between 50°F and 70°F. If you want to feed the lawn just once, this full-season lawn fertilizer, available at Amazon, contains nitrogen for lush growth and iron to green the lawn, which it slowly releases over four months.
The Ideal Lawn Temperature for Overseeding a Lawn
Brian Feldman adds that ‘soil temperatures should reach 50°F–65°F for optimal spring overseeding’ if you want to fill bare patches and thicken up an existing lawn.
When the soil temperature for overseeding hits, you can seed and then fertilize if you are using a starter fertilizer (such as this starter food for new grass, available at Walmart) designed for use when sowing grass seeds.
But avoid using weed-and-feed products when overseeding, as they contain ingredients that stop the seeds from germinating.
What to Shop
This mini broadcast spreader holds up to 5,000 sq. ft. of product and can be used to spread fertilizer and grass seed on small or medium-sized lawns.
This grass seed is for lawns in sun or shade and can be used to overseed or establish a new lawn. It should be sown when temperatures are between 60°F and 80°F.
Always wear gloves when handling fertilizer or pre-emergent weed killers. These gardening gloves are flexible, puncture-resistant, and scratch-resistant.
Once the lawn temperature hits 50-60°F, the window to start watering a lawn in spring also opens. Many climates get sufficient seasonal rain from Mother Nature to keep a lawn hydrated and ensure it grows healthily.
But the occasional watering in a warm spring may be required, especially if you have laid turf in spring or plant seed grass to establish a new lawn or overseed an existing one. Keep a close eye for signs of a dehydrated lawn, which may have a dull green color, and on the forecasts to assess the need to water in spring.
Meet the Experts
Jason is a Technical Coordinator at Weed Man. For more than 25 years, he has been an integral member of the Weed Man family and the green industry.
Michael Goatley is Virginia Tech's Turfgrass Extension Specialist in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. He previously served on the faculty of the Plant and Soil Sciences Department of Mississippi State for 15 years. His current responsibilities include developing turfgrass management outreach programs and research across the state.
Brian Feldman is a visionary leader with over 30 years of experience driving agronomic and horticultural excellence, customer service, and sustainable growth for TruGreen's U.S. and Canadian operations. As a degreed turfgrass agronomist and ISA certified arborist, he leads a team of scientific experts in delivering innovative turfgrass, horticultural and pest control solutions for residential and commercial clients. Passionate about advancing industry standards, Brian is committed to helping turfgrass and landscape care professionals maximize performance and profitability while achieving superior results.
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