When to apply crabgrass preventer in Kentucky?
By LawnYear editorial team · Published · Updated Windows are read from the extension publications listed under Sources; the dates are approximate.
The answer
Preemergent weed control for Kentucky bluegrass in Kentucky runs from Apr 1 to Apr 30, per University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (2014). Crabgrass and goosegrass are normally controlled with a pre-emergent herbicide applied in April, and UK does not recommend weed-and-feed products because the best time for the herbicide rarely matches the best time for fertilizer. Whole month shown.
Full calendar: Kentucky lawn care calendar · Kentucky bluegrass in other states · Lawn schedule by ZIP
Approximate dates for your state. Check with your local cooperative extension office before you act.
All Kentucky windows for Kentucky bluegrass
The Kentucky calendar on this site lists seeding Aug 15 to Sep 30 and Feb 15 to Mar 15, fertilizing Oct 1 to Nov 30 and weed control Apr 1 to Apr 30 for Kentucky bluegrass.
Where the dates come from
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service: AGR-212, Fertilizing Your Lawn (2014); nitrogen timing and rates by grass and maintenance level, and the April preemergent timing for crabgrass. Read on 2026-10-30.
What to check for Kentucky
The weed control dates for Kentucky bluegrass above (Apr 1 to Apr 30) apply to Kentucky as a whole, so the north and south of the state are not told apart. Where the source names only a month, the window runs from the first to the last day of that month.
Other grasses in Kentucky
For tall fescue, the Kentucky calendar gives Apr 1 to Apr 30 for weed control.
Weed control Kentucky bluegrass in other states
- Virginia: Mar 1 to Apr 30 and Aug 15 to Sep 15, per Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech), 2025.
- Pennsylvania: Mar 15 to May 15, per Penn State Extension.
- Ohio: Apr 1 to Apr 25, per Ohio State University Extension, Lake County (2007).
- Indiana: Apr 1 to Apr 30 and Oct 1 to Oct 31, per Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service (1998).
- New Jersey: Apr 1 to Apr 30 and Jun 1 to Jun 15, per Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), 2019.