Ohio · 39 cities · spring 2026
When to apply crabgrass preventer in Ohio
Last spring's pre-emergent window, largest Ohio 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 Ohio city
Spring 2026 dates and today's verdict.
| City | Held 50°F (2026) | Held 55°F (2026) | Soil today | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | Mar 29 | Apr 12 | 56°F | Season over |
| Cleveland, OH | Apr 12 | May 17 | 52°F | Season over |
| Cincinnati, OH | Mar 22 | Apr 11 | 58°F | Season over |
| Toledo, OH | Apr 13 | May 17 | 50°F | Season over |
| Akron, OH | Apr 13 | May 18 | 49°F | Season over |
| Dayton, OH | Mar 30 | May 17 | 52°F | Season over |
| Canton, OH | Apr 13 | May 18 | 49°F | Season over |
| Youngstown, OH | May 16 | May 19 | 48°F | Season over |
| Lorain, OH | Apr 13 | May 18 | 49°F | Season over |
| Hamilton, OH | Mar 30 | May 17 | 53°F | Season over |
| Springfield, OH | Apr 12 | May 17 | 51°F | Season over |
| Newark, OH | Apr 13 | May 18 | 50°F | Season over |
| Mentor, OH | May 17 | May 19 | 48°F | Season over |
| Mansfield, OH | Apr 13 | May 18 | 48°F | Season over |
| Findlay, OH | Apr 12 | May 17 | 50°F | Season over |
| Lancaster, OH | Apr 12 | May 18 | 52°F | Season over |
| Delaware, OH | Apr 12 | May 17 | 51°F | Season over |
| Lima, OH | Apr 12 | May 17 | 50°F | Season over |
| Marion, OH | Apr 12 | May 17 | 50°F | Season over |
| Brunswick, OH | May 16 | May 19 | 48°F | Season over |
| Bowling Green, OH | Apr 13 | May 17 | 50°F | Season over |
| Wooster, OH | May 16 | May 19 | 48°F | Season over |
| Troy, OH | Apr 12 | May 17 | 52°F | Season over |
| Zanesville, OH | Apr 13 | May 18 | 51°F | Season over |
| Sandusky, OH | Apr 13 | May 18 | 50°F | Season over |
| Athens, OH | Apr 11 | May 12 | 52°F | Season over |
| Marysville, OH | Apr 12 | May 17 | 51°F | Season over |
| Alliance, OH | May 16 | May 19 | 48°F | Season over |
| Chillicothe, OH | Apr 11 | May 13 | 53°F | Season over |
| Sidney, OH | Apr 12 | May 17 | 51°F | Season over |
| Lebanon, OH | Mar 30 | May 12 | 53°F | Season over |
| Portsmouth, OH | Mar 30 | Apr 13 | 54°F | Season over |
| Twinsburg, OH | Apr 13 | May 18 | 49°F | Season over |
| Ashtabula, OH | May 17 | Jun 4 | 48°F | Season over |
| Tiffin, OH | Apr 13 | May 17 | 50°F | Season over |
| New Philadelphia, OH | Apr 13 | May 19 | 49°F | Season over |
| Defiance, OH | Apr 13 | May 17 | 51°F | Season over |
| Mount Vernon, OH | Apr 13 | May 19 | 49°F | Season over |
| Fremont, OH | Apr 13 | May 17 | 50°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 Ohio?
- When the soil holds 50 to 55°F. Last spring that was around Apr 13 to May 17 across 39 Ohio 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 Ohio →
Data: Global Forecast System (GFS) 0.25°, soil temperature 0–10 cm (TSOIL) (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)); GeoNames gazetteer (cities15000) (GeoNames).