Detroit
Treat broadleaf56°F↓ cooling
Fall is the best time to treat dandelions and clover: they pull weed killer down to their roots.
Broadleaf window Sep 8 – Oct 31
Michigan Weed Watch · updated Nov 3, 1:18 AM CT
When to apply pre-emergent in Michigan
Live soil temperatures for Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Traverse City, updated every three hours. Weeds sprout by soil temperature, not by the calendar, so the right week moves from year to year.
In Michigan, pre-emergent is a spring job: it stops crabgrass. Fall is seeding season here, so fall weed control means treating broadleaf weeds instead.
Spring pre-emergentNext season
Typically Apr 21 – May 19
Stops crabgrass and other summer weeds before they sprout.
Fall: no pre-emergentThis season
Treat broadleaf weeds Sep 1 – Oct 31
Fall is seeding season here, and pre-emergent would stop grass seed too.
Right now · fall (seeding season)
Treat broadleaf weeds now across Michigan
Soil is 54–56°F now. In fall, dandelions, clover and creeping Charlie pull sugars — and weed killer — down to their roots. Seeding this fall? Skip pre-emergent; it stops grass seed too.
Soil temperature by city
Soil 2 inches down, 5-day average: solid line = the last two weeks, dashed = the six-day forecast.
Grand Rapids
Treat broadleaf55°F↓ cooling
Fall is the best time to treat dandelions and clover: they pull weed killer down to their roots.
Broadleaf window Sep 1 – Oct 25
Lansing
Treat broadleaf54°F↓ cooling
Fall is the best time to treat dandelions and clover: they pull weed killer down to their roots.
Broadleaf window Sep 1 – Oct 25
Traverse City
Treat broadleaf54°F↓ cooling
Fall is the best time to treat dandelions and clover: they pull weed killer down to their roots.
Broadleaf window Sep 1 – Oct 26
Michigan pre-emergent calendar
Spring pre-emergent stops crabgrass. The window runs from the typical day soil warms to 50°F to the day it holds 55°F, when crabgrass starts germinating (2016–2025). In fall Michigan lawns are in seeding season, so there is no fall pre-emergent; the window shown is for treating broadleaf weeds instead, from September until two weeks after soil usually cools to 55°F.
| City | Spring pre-emergent (crabgrass) | Fall (seeding season) |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit | Apr 21 – Apr 26 | None (seeding season) · treat broadleaf Sep 8 – Oct 31 |
| Grand Rapids | Apr 21 – May 7 | None (seeding season) · treat broadleaf Sep 1 – Oct 25 |
| Lansing | Apr 22 – May 11 | None (seeding season) · treat broadleaf Sep 1 – Oct 25 |
| Traverse City | Apr 29 – May 19 | None (seeding season) · treat broadleaf Sep 1 – Oct 26 |
These are typical-year dates (the median of 2016–2025); any one year can run a couple of weeks earlier or later, which is what the live readings above are for. For your exact yard, check soil temperature by ZIP.
What people in Michigan are identifying
We record the state each identification comes from. Michigan's list appears here once it has at least 40 identifications spread over 7 or more days — so no single scan stands out. Until then, see the national list, or add yours:
Identify a weed from a photoWeeds to watch in Michigan this fall
Questions about Michigan
When should I apply crabgrass pre-emergent in Michigan?
Put crabgrass pre-emergent down as soil warms to 50°F, before it holds 55°F and crabgrass starts germinating. In a typical year (2016–2025) that window is Apr 21 – Apr 26 in Detroit; Apr 21 – May 7 in Grand Rapids; Apr 22 – May 11 in Lansing; Apr 29 – May 19 in Traverse City.
Should I put down pre-emergent in the fall in Michigan?
Usually not. Fall is the best time to seed a cool-season lawn in Michigan, and pre-emergent stops grass seed as well as weeds. Fall is the time to treat broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, clover and creeping Charlie, once the summer heat breaks and while they are still growing.
What is the soil temperature in Michigan right now?
As of Nov 3, 1:18 AM CT: Detroit 56°F, Grand Rapids 55°F, Lansing 54°F, Traverse City 54°F (5-day average, about 2.4 inches down). Treat broadleaf weeds now across Michigan.
How the readings and dates are made, and their limits: Weed Watch method. Soil data: Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0); typical dates: NASA POWER.