LawnWeather

California Lawn Care Calendar

In California, crabgrass preventer typically goes down between Jan 25 and Mar 28: first in Fresno, last in Santa Rosa. Below are typical fertilizer, seeding and frost dates for Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Fresno, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Bakersfield, Riverside, Irvine, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa and Redding, from 2016–2025 weather data. Enter your ZIP code for this year's timing.

When to apply pre-emergent in California

Typically between Jan 25 and Mar 28, depending on where you live. The window opens first in Fresno (around Jan 25) and last in Santa Rosa (around Feb 12). Apply when soil reaches 50°F, before it stays above 55°F.

CityCrabgrass preventer window
FresnoJan 25 – Mar 6
BakersfieldJan 25 – Mar 1
San FranciscoJan 27 – Mar 1
OaklandJan 27 – Mar 2
San JoseJan 28 – Mar 3
Los AngelesJan 29 – Feb 10
RiversideJan 30 – Feb 8
San DiegoFeb 1 – Feb 15
IrvineFeb 2 – Feb 12
SacramentoFeb 3 – Mar 13
StocktonFeb 3 – Mar 14
ModestoFeb 3 – Mar 9
ReddingFeb 6 – Mar 28
Santa RosaFeb 12 – Mar 28

Cool-season lawn calendar

Lawns in Sacramento, Fresno, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Stockton, Modesto, Santa Rosa, Redding are mostly cool-season grass (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass).

CitySpring fertilizerOverseeding & seedingFall fertilizer
SacramentoMar 6 – Apr 10—from Sep 19
FresnoFeb 27 – Apr 3—from Oct 10
San JoseFeb 24 – Mar 31—from Jul 26
San FranciscoFeb 22 – Mar 29—from Jul 15
OaklandFeb 23 – Mar 30—from Jul 15
StocktonMar 7 – Apr 11Sep 23 – Nov 12from Sep 22
ModestoMar 2 – Apr 6Sep 21 – Nov 10from Sep 29
Santa RosaMar 21 – Apr 25Sep 7 – Oct 27from Jul 16
ReddingMar 21 – Apr 25Sep 14 – Nov 3from Sep 28

Warm-season lawn calendar

Lawns in Los Angeles, San Diego, Bakersfield, Riverside, Irvine are mostly warm-season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede).

CityFertilizerSeeding, sodding & pluggingFall pre-emergent (winter weeds)
Los AngelesApr 16 – Sep 24Apr 16 – Jul 1Sep 24 – Oct 15
San DiegoJun 13 – Jul 1Jun 13 – Jul 1Jul 1 – Jul 22
BakersfieldApr 23 – Oct 22Apr 23 – Sep 30Oct 8 – Oct 29
RiversideApr 10 – Oct 6Apr 10 – Jul 29Oct 6 – Oct 27
IrvineMay 2 – Sep 17May 2 – Jul 1Sep 17 – Oct 8

Frost dates in California

CityLast spring frostFirst fall frost
Los Angeles——
San Diego——
SacramentoFeb 8—
FresnoFeb 20—
San Jose——
San Francisco——
Oakland——
BakersfieldFeb 17—
Riverside——
Irvine——
StocktonFeb 13Dec 7
ModestoFeb 4Dec 5
Santa RosaMar 3Nov 21
ReddingMar 2Nov 28

Median dates, 2016–2025. A dash means frost does not occur in most years.

Frequently asked questions

When should I put down pre-emergent in California?

Typically between Jan 25 and Mar 28, depending on where you live. The window opens first in Fresno (around Jan 25) and last in Santa Rosa (around Feb 12). Apply when soil reaches 50°F, before it stays above 55°F.

When is the best time to seed grass in California?

Early fall is best for cool-season grass (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass): typically from Sep 7 to Nov 12 across California, while soil cools from 65°F toward 50°F.

What type of grass grows in California?

California spans both zones: warm-season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede) does best in the warmer parts of the state, cool-season grass (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass) in the cooler parts.

Lawn care guides

Other states