Fargo
Treat broadleaf50°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 22
North Dakota Weed Watch · updated Nov 3, 1:18 AM CT
When to apply pre-emergent in North Dakota
Live soil temperatures for Fargo, Bismarck and Grand Forks, updated every three hours. Weeds sprout by soil temperature, not by the calendar, so the right week moves from year to year.
In North Dakota, 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 May 5 – May 13
Stops crabgrass and other summer weeds before they sprout.
Fall: no pre-emergentThis season
Treat broadleaf weeds Sep 1 – Oct 22
Fall is seeding season here, and pre-emergent would stop grass seed too.
Right now · fall (seeding season)
Treat broadleaf weeds now: Fargo and Bismarck. Broadleaf season over: Grand Forks
Soil is 47–50°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.
Bismarck
Treat broadleaf48°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 21
Grand Forks
Done for now47°F↓ cooling
Done for this year. Spot-treat on a mild day, or wait for spring.
Broadleaf window Sep 1 – Oct 12
North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo | May 7 – May 12 | None (seeding season) · treat broadleaf Sep 1 – Oct 22 |
| Bismarck | May 5 – May 13 | None (seeding season) · treat broadleaf Sep 1 – Oct 21 |
| Grand Forks | May 7 – May 12 | None (seeding season) · treat broadleaf Sep 1 – Oct 12 |
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 North Dakota are identifying
We record the state each identification comes from. North Dakota'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 North Dakota this fall
Questions about North Dakota
When should I apply crabgrass pre-emergent in North Dakota?
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 May 7 – May 12 in Fargo; May 5 – May 13 in Bismarck; May 7 – May 12 in Grand Forks.
Should I put down pre-emergent in the fall in North Dakota?
Usually not. Fall is the best time to seed a cool-season lawn in North Dakota, 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 North Dakota right now?
As of Nov 3, 1:18 AM CT: Fargo 50°F, Bismarck 48°F, Grand Forks 47°F (5-day average, about 2.4 inches down). Treat broadleaf weeds now: Fargo and Bismarck. Broadleaf season over: Grand Forks.
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.