Taking care of your lawn throughout the year is the key to achieving that lush, green turf you’ve always dreamed of. A truly beautiful lawn, the kind that resembles a manicured golf course, requires dedication and a well-structured approach. Timing is critical to maximize the effectiveness of your lawn care efforts and products. Applying fertilizers and weed control, especially pre-emergent herbicides, needs to be strategically planned, not just done whenever it’s convenient. Creating a Yearly Lawn Care Program is the best way to manage all the necessary tasks and stay on schedule for a healthy, vibrant lawn.
The specific timing for treatments and applications will depend on your local climate and the type of grass you have. Understanding your grass type is the first step. If you’re unsure, resources like this guide can help you identify the best grass for your region. For even more tailored advice, your local university extension service is an excellent resource for identifying your turfgrass and getting localized recommendations.
Grass types are generally categorized as either cool-season or warm-season varieties. Warm-season grasses thrive in the heat, with their peak growth period typically from May to mid-September. Cool-season grasses, on the other hand, flourish in cooler temperatures, with active growth periods from December to early February, avoiding frozen ground.
This comprehensive guide will break down each step of a seasonal lawn care program, providing you with year-round lawn care tips to ensure you are well-prepared for every season ahead.
1. Spring Lawn Care: Revitalize Your Lawn After Winter
Before starting any spring lawn care tasks, make sure the ground is no longer frozen. The ground should be firm, and you should see the first hints of green in your grass, signaling that your lawn is emerging from winter dormancy.
February, March, April, May: The Spring Awakening
During winter, your lawn likely entered a period of dormancy to survive the cold. Spring, starting in March, is a critical transition as your grass begins to green up and resume active growth. Spring is often the busiest part of your yearly lawn care program, and it’s a crucial time to rejuvenate grass that has endured the winter months. Establishing a solid lawn care routine in the spring will lay the foundation for preventing problems later in the year and ensuring strong, healthy turf.
February: Pre-Emergent Herbicide Application
The first step in your yearly lawn care program should be applying a pre-emergent herbicide, ideally around mid-February. Pre-emergents are a type of weed control that works by preventing weed seeds from germinating and establishing themselves in your lawn.
For effective pre-emergent weed control, consider Prodiamine .38% with Fertilizer 0-0-7. This granular product is easy to apply, won’t harm your existing grass, and provides the added benefit of 7% potassium, an essential nutrient for healthy grass growth. For application guidance, you can find helpful videos online.
Related Article: Top Weed Control Products That Won’t Harm Your Grass
March: Spring Clean-up and Dethatching
Over the fall and winter months, your lawn accumulates natural debris like fallen leaves and dead grass. Your initial task in spring is to clear your yard of this organic matter to prepare for subsequent lawn care steps.
After cleaning, it’s time to dethatch. Thatch is a layer of both living and dead organic material that develops between the soil and the actively growing grass. A thin layer is beneficial, helping to protect roots, retain moisture, and improve traffic tolerance.
However, when thatch exceeds half an inch, it can become detrimental, preventing air, water, and nutrients from reaching the grass roots. Excessive thatch can also harbor pests and fungal diseases. Use a dethatching rake to remove excess thatch. Verticutting, slicing into the turf, is another excellent method to encourage new, thicker growth.
You can also use a lawn mower to dethatch, a process known as scalping. More information can be found in articles discussing lawn scalping in early spring.
March: Soil Testing for Optimal Lawn Health
Nutrient-rich soil with a balanced pH is fundamental for a golf course-quality lawn. Spring is the ideal season for lawn fertilization, as detailed in articles about the best times to fertilize. However, to choose the right fertilizer, you need to understand your soil’s nutrient profile.
Soil testing kits are crucial for identifying nutrient deficiencies and pH imbalances, ultimately saving you money in the long run by preventing over-fertilization and minimizing environmental runoff.
Invest in a soil test kit to determine your soil’s nutrient levels and pH. Comprehensive kits, like the starter soil test kit from MySoil, provide detailed results, including fertilizer and biostimulant recommendations tailored to your lawn’s specific needs.
Here’s an example of soil test results:
Depending on your soil test results, you might need pH adjustment products to raise or lower your soil’s pH. For micronutrient deficiencies, consider using a liquid micronutrient fertilizer.
March: Core Aeration for Soil Improvement
Aeration is another essential task for your yearly lawn care program and your lawn’s long-term health. Aeration alleviates soil compaction, which can lead to waterlogging. It also enhances the circulation of nutrients, water, and air within the soil, improving fertilizer uptake and overall water quality.
Aerating involves removing small plugs of soil from your lawn using an aerating tool or spiked tools. These soil plugs decompose on the surface, returning valuable nutrients to the soil.
Applying fertilizer after core aeration accelerates lawn recovery. The more porous soil allows nutrients to penetrate directly to the root zone.
Late March is generally the best time for aeration, depending on when your grass emerges from dormancy. Core aeration creates holes 4-6 inches deep in the turf.
April: Topdressing for a Smooth Lawn Surface
To achieve a smooth, golf course-like finish, topdressing your lawn with a thin layer of compost after core aeration is beneficial. Topdressing helps level out bumps and dips in your lawn, creating a smoother surface for mowing. It also improves soil porosity, especially in dense, clay-heavy soils.
Core aeration, verticutting, and topdressing can be labor-intensive, and you might consider professional lawn care services for these tasks.
April: Insecticide and Fungicide Application for Protection
As temperatures rise, lawn pests become active and begin laying eggs in your grass. Insects like beetles, armyworms, and chinch bugs can damage your turf.
Lawns are particularly vulnerable after winter dormancy, having experienced environmental stress. Fungal diseases such as brown patch, dollar spot, and red thread thrive on weakened lawns. Applying insecticides and fungicides in the spring provides a proactive approach to prevent pest infestations and disease outbreaks.
For broad-spectrum protection, consider insecticides and fungicides from Syngenta. Acelepryn G Insecticide effectively targets many pests while being safe for pollinators and beneficial invertebrates. A single application in April or May provides season-long control.
For fungal diseases, Headway G Fungicide offers excellent control against a wide range of lawn fungi. If you prefer liquid fungicides, Pillar SC provides rapid control of 26 common lawn diseases and is easy to apply.
Related Article: Effective Fungicides for Lawn Disease Control
April: Spring Fertilization for Growth
The optimal time to fertilize your lawn depends on soil temperature. Generally, when soil temperatures consistently reach 55°F (around mid-April), it’s the right time for fertilization. Using a soil thermometer provides accurate temperature readings. Visually, you’ll notice grass growth and flowers blooming.
To jumpstart growth after winter, apply a fertilizer like Lebanon Turf’s Humic Max as early as March to enhance soil quality and provide essential nutrients.
March/April: Starting Your Mowing Schedule
The start of your mowing schedule depends on your region and grass type. Avoid mowing until temperatures consistently reach 50°F and grass is at least 2”-2.5” tall. Allow your turf to develop strong roots before the first cut. When conditions are right, mow no more than one-third of the grass blade length and mow at least twice a week to maintain healthy growth.
Related Article: When to Begin Mowing Your Lawn in Spring
May: Plant Growth Regulator Application
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are organic compounds that enhance your lawn’s physiological processes. PGRs can slow vertical grass growth, promoting denser blade growth and improved photosynthesis.
PGRs offer two primary benefits:
- Reduced mowing frequency, potentially saving you one mowing per week.
- A darker green lawn color, as older, darker green blades are retained longer.
Primo Maxx is a recommended PGR, available in a convenient 4 oz size. Apply it every 4-6 weeks, starting in early May. Using a backpack sprayer ensures even application.
2. Summer Lawn Care: Maintaining Your Lawn in the Heat
While spring is about preparation, summer focuses on maintaining your lawn’s health through warmer temperatures. Summer brings new challenges like heat stress, pest pressures, and weed control.
June, July, August: Summer Maintenance
Your summer lawn care program will be influenced by your specific climate. Summer heat and dryness can be harsh on grass, making summer care just as critical as spring. Another application of plant growth regulator in early June helps manage growth during temperature changes and keeps mowing and watering manageable.
June-August: Summer Mowing Practices
With warmer temperatures, grass growth accelerates. Raise your mower height to the second-highest or highest setting. Taller grass promotes deeper, healthier roots. Always adhere to the one-third rule, never removing more than a third of the blade length. Healthy, taller grass also better competes with summer weeds.
June-August: Watering Strategies
Aim to water your lawn 2-3 times per week to maintain golf course quality. Generally, lawns require 1”-1.5” of water weekly. Signs of dehydration include dull, graying grass, curling blades, and dry soil.
Watering in the early morning, between 4-6 am, minimizes evaporation and wind drift. This allows water to soak deeply into the soil.
To reduce watering needs by up to 50%, consider using Hydretain, a water retention product that attracts moisture from the soil to the root zone, maximizing water availability.
June-August: Summer Weed, Disease, and Pest Management
Even with preventative measures, weeds, diseases, and pests can still pose challenges. Summer is prime time for weeds and pests. Regularly inspect your lawn for signs of infestation.
For selective weed control that won’t harm your grass, consider these herbicides:
Celsius WG Broadleaf and Grassy Weed Control (Warm-Season)
celsius-wg-broadleaf-and-grassy-weed-control-for-warm-season-turf
Celsius WG Herbicide controls over 150 weed species, including summer dandelions. This broad-spectrum herbicide is safe for warm-season grasses and effective in higher temperatures.
Certainty Herbicide (Warm-Season)
certainty-herbicide-1-25-oz-sedge-and-poa-annua-control
Certainty Herbicide targets Poa Annua, dandelions, and nutsedge. It’s effective in spring, summer, and fall. Used in combination with Celsius, it provides comprehensive weed control.
Tenacity Herbicide (Cool-Season)
tenacity-herbicide
Tenacity Herbicide is excellent for cool-season grasses. It works as both a pre- and post-emergent herbicide, controlling over 46 broadleaf and grass weed species.
Sedgehammer® Herbicide (Cool and Warm-Season)
sedgehammer®-herbicide-nutsedge-weed-killer
Sedgehammer® is a selective herbicide safe for both cool- and warm-season grasses, effectively controlling yellow and purple nutsedge, kyllinga, and other broadleaf weeds.
Enhance herbicide, insecticide, and fungicide effectiveness with products like surfactants (e.g., Hi-Yield Spreader Sticker) and turf mark indicators. Surfactants improve product absorption and performance.
For convenience, pre-packaged herbicide kits for cool-season and warm-season grasses are available, simplifying summer lawn care.
Monitor for grubs during summer, as they can damage roots. Information on grub treatment and Acelepryn application is readily available online.
3. Fall Lawn Care: Preparing for Winter Dormancy
For cool-season grasses, fall is the time to fertilize to promote strong root development before winter. A fall lawn care checklist can guide you through preparing your lawn for cooler weather. Warm-season grasses naturally slow down and enter dormancy; preparing them for winterization is also important.
September, October: Fall Preparations
Your yearly lawn care program cycles back in the fall. Many spring tasks are repeated in the fall to give your lawn the best possible start to winter dormancy.
September: Fall Fertilization and Fungicide
Cool-season grasses require fall fertilization to build reserves for winter, but warm-season grasses can also benefit. Conduct another soil test to determine nutrient needs before winter.
Apply Lebanon Turf’s Humic Max or similar high-performance fertilizers. Golf Course Lawn Store’s Stress 12-0-24 and Mirimichi Green’s Release 901C™ are other excellent options, providing both fertilizer and biostimulants.
September is also time for a fall fungicide application. Damp fall conditions and thatch buildup can encourage lawn diseases. Headway G or Caravan® G (a combined insecticide and fungicide) are effective and safe for families and pets.
September: Fall Pre-Emergent Herbicide
As your lawn approaches dormancy, weeds can take advantage of weakened turf. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide like Dithiopyr .15% or Prodiamine 65 WDG to prevent fall and winter weeds.
September: Aeration and Overseeding
For cool-season lawns, summer heat might have thinned out areas. Fall is a good time to aerate again, especially if you missed spring aeration. Early fall and spring are ideal for reseeding thin areas with appropriate grass seed. Before seeding, remove thatch and loosen the soil, add compost or fertilizer, spread seed, and rake it in.
September-October: Leaf Management
Maintaining a clean lawn is a year-round task. Fall leaf accumulation can become problematic. While a few leaves are harmless, excessive leaf cover can smother grass, inhibit spring growth, and promote winter lawn diseases like snow mold. It also creates habitat for pests.
Two options for leaf management:
- Rake or blow leaves for composting or disposal. Mower bagging attachments can also collect leaves.
- Mulch leaves with a mower, chopping them into small pieces. Mulched leaves return valuable nutrients, including nitrogen, to the soil and can reduce weed seed germination.
4. Winter Lawn Care: Dormancy and Equipment Maintenance
November, December, January: Winter Dormancy
Most grass types enter dormancy in winter. Winter lawn care is minimal when the ground is frozen. Refer to guides on winter turf care for winterization preparation.
Minimize traffic on your lawn during winter to avoid soil compaction and grass damage. Damaged, compacted lawns recover slowly in spring.
Winter is an ideal time to maintain your lawn care equipment. Clean spreaders and sprayers, sharpen mower blades, and test your irrigation system. This preparation ensures your equipment is ready for spring.
5. Month-by-Month Lawn Care Program Breakdown
Warm-Season Lawns
Cool-Season Lawns
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
6. Achieving Seasonal Lawn Care Success
Achieving a perfect lawn requires patience, diligence, and a consistent yearly lawn care program. Following this guide provides a strong foundation, but remember to tailor your program to your specific grass type and soil conditions. Long-term planning with a yearly lawn care schedule significantly increases your chances of a healthy, thriving lawn.
For more in-depth guidance and expert advice, enroll in our golf course lawn academy course for a comprehensive breakdown of your yearly lawn care program.
