Last spring's pre-emergent window, largest Maryland cities
Each bar runs from the day the soil held 50°F to the day it held 55°F (2026).
- 50°F to 55°F
Every Maryland city
Spring 2026 dates and today's verdict.
| City | Held 50°F (2026) | Held 55°F (2026) | Soil today | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, MD | Mar 23 | Apr 13 | 59°F | Season over |
| Germantown, MD | Apr 13 | May 17 | 53°F | Season over |
| Frederick, MD | Apr 14 | May 18 | 51°F | Season over |
| Waldorf, MD | Mar 30 | Apr 14 | 56°F | Season over |
| Bowie, MD | Mar 31 | May 6 | 55°F | Season over |
| Bel Air South, MD | Apr 13 | May 7 | 53°F | Season over |
| Hagerstown, MD | Apr 14 | May 18 | 50°F | Season over |
| Salisbury, MD | Mar 23 | Apr 14 | 57°F | Season over |
| Eldersburg, MD | Apr 13 | May 17 | 51°F | Season over |
| Scaggsville, MD | Mar 31 | May 6 | 55°F | Season over |
| Cumberland, MD | Apr 13 | May 27 | 50°F | Season over |
| Easton, MD | Mar 31 | May 2 | 56°F | Season 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 Maryland?
- When the soil holds 50 to 55°F. Last spring that was around Apr 7 to May 7 across 12 Maryland 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 Maryland →
Data: Global Forecast System (GFS) 0.25°, soil temperature 0–10 cm (TSOIL) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)); GeoNames gazetteer (cities15000) (GeoNames).