Florida · 48 cities · spring 2026

When to apply crabgrass preventer in Florida

Last spring the soil reached 50°F aroundFeb 6Median of 27 cities; crabgrass temperatures (55°F) followed around Feb 9. Earliest: Gainesville Jan 21; latest: Crestview Feb 10.
Today
Season over
48 of 48 cities
Window last spring
3 days
median gap from 50°F to 55°F
Soil today
76°F
median, 0–4 in
Never below 50°F
21
cities with no spring window

Last spring's pre-emergent window, largest Florida cities

Each bar runs from the day the soil held 50°F to the day it held 55°F (2026).

FebMarAprMayJacksonvilleJacksonville: Feb 6 to Feb 9OrlandoOrlando: Feb 5 to Feb 7TallahasseeTallahassee: Feb 8 to Feb 11GainesvilleGainesville: Jan 21 to Feb 11Palm BayPalm Bay: Feb 6 to Feb 8LakelandLakeland: Feb 6 to Jan 21Spring HillSpring Hill: Feb 6 to Feb 8DeltonaDeltona: Feb 7 to Jan 21Palm CoastPalm Coast: Feb 7 to Feb 10Daytona BeachDaytona Beach: Feb 7 to Feb 10KissimmeeKissimmee: Feb 6 to Feb 8OcalaOcala: Feb 7 to Feb 10
FebMarAprMayJacksonvilleJacksonville: Feb 6 to Feb 9OrlandoOrlando: Feb 5 to Feb 7TallahasseeTallahassee: Feb 8 to Feb 11GainesvilleGainesville: Jan 21 to Feb 11Palm BayPalm Bay: Feb 6 to Feb 8LakelandLakeland: Feb 6 to Jan 21Spring HillSpring Hill: Feb 6 to Feb 8DeltonaDeltona: Feb 7 to Jan 21Palm CoastPalm Coast: Feb 7 to Feb 10Daytona Bea…Daytona Beach: Feb 7 to Feb 10KissimmeeKissimmee: Feb 6 to Feb 8OcalaOcala: Feb 7 to Feb 10
Source: NOAA NCEP GFS analyses, 0–10 cm; 5-day mean held 10 days.

Every Florida city

Spring 2026 dates and today's verdict.

CityHeld 50°F (2026)Held 55°F (2026)Soil todayToday
Jacksonville, FLFeb 6Feb 974°FSeason over
Miami, FLnever belownever below84°FSeason over
Tampa, FLnever belowFeb 780°FSeason over
Orlando, FLFeb 5Feb 778°FSeason over
Tallahassee, FLFeb 8Feb 1166°FSeason over
Fort Lauderdale, FLnever belownever below84°FSeason over
Cape Coral, FLnever belowFeb 780°FSeason over
Port Saint Lucie, FLnever belowFeb 778°FSeason over
Gainesville, FLJan 21Feb 1171°FSeason over
West Palm Beach, FLnever belownever below80°FSeason over
Palm Bay, FLFeb 6Feb 874°FSeason over
Lakeland, FLFeb 6Jan 2176°FSeason over

Crabgrass seeds start to germinate once the top 2 to 4 inches of soil stay near 55°F for several days. A pre-emergent works as a barrier in the soil, so it has to be down and watered in before that: the usual advice is to apply it while the soil holds 50 to 55°F. The dates here are when the modelled soil began to hold each temperature last spring; this year's window will move with the weather, which is why each city page shows today's reading and the 7-day forecast.

Questions

When should I put down crabgrass preventer in Florida?
When the soil holds 50 to 55°F. Last spring that was around Feb 6 to Feb 9 across 27 Florida cities, earlier in the south and in cities.
Is it too late to apply pre-emergent?
Once the soil has held 55°F for a week or more, crabgrass is germinating and a pre-emergent will not stop the seedlings already up. Each city page says which side of that line it is on today.

Soil temperature today in Florida →

Data: Global Forecast System (GFS) 0.25°, soil temperature 0–10 cm (TSOIL) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)); GeoNames gazetteer (cities15000) (GeoNames).