Why is the soil temperature in the Yard Mastery app different from Greencast or my own measurement?

It is important to note that the soil temperature reading that you are seeing in the app is a 24-hour average temperature.

In general, there are multiple data sources available in regard to soil temperatures. The data sourced by the YM app comes from a different provider than other temperature maps such as Greencast Online; therefore the readings may differ slightly. The averages that we provide in the app are sufficient for us to be able to dictate the lawn program steps inside the app. 

If you are wanting the most accurate soil temperature for your address, the best solution would be to take a digital thermometer and insert it into the ground about 3-4" or so. When you take a direct reading of your soil temperature like this, you are seeing that temperature for that specific time of the day. 

There are a few things to take into account when you are recording the temperature of the soil, such as the following: 

• Is the temp reading in a full sun area versus shade?
• Is the area you are measuring close to concrete or asphalt? 

These factors could also impact the readings for the 24-hour average.  

Remember, sources being a couple degrees off from each other is not going to affect your application recommendations. The temperature triggers we have for things such as pre-emergents are not set in stone, you can adjust the date of application a bit to fit your schedule or to hit the temperature trigger from your preferred measuring tool. 

Keywords: soil temperature, app, temperature, GreeneCast, soil temp, average, temperatures, green cast