Month-by-Month Lawn Care Calendar for the US

Lawns are sensitive, so you have to do everything at the right time, whether mowing, applying fertilizer, or watering. Otherwise, you will end up ruining your lawn while trying to make it healthier.

Beginner gardeners and new lawn owners often struggle with what they need to do each month and in different seasons to keep their lawns green and healthy. They usually have no idea what to do with different grass types year-round.

A lawn care calendar can make their lives easier. And they will never have the guilt of missing any important step. We are here with a complete lawn care calendar covering the actions you need to take each month.

Cool-Season Grass Calendar

Cool-season grasses, such as fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass, grow better in cool temperatures. You need to pay special attention to them during spring when it starts and fall when it gets stronger.

Let's see what you need to do every month to take care of cool-season grasses.

Spring

Spring is the season when cool-season grasses grow, so you have to be prepared. You can start with cleaning the lawn and getting rid of the winter mess.

Use a rake and gather all fallen leaves, dead grass, debris, or foreign objects in your lawn. You need thorough cleaning, and for that, check out the Spring Yard Cleanup Guide.

March

Spring is also a time for the weeds to grow. Before they take over your lawn and dominate the grass, it's better to apply a pre-emergent herbicide. It will prevent crabgrass and other types of weeds from growing. Early March or before applying fertilizer, you must do it to get rid of weeds around the year.

April

It's time to fertilize the lawn to boost growth. It helps your lawn recover from winter dormancy. But before doing that, you must check the pH level. Otherwise, the lawn will not absorb nutrients from the fertilizer. Read when to fertilize your lawn in spring.

You can use a nitrogen-based fertilizer. It releases nutrients slowly and nourishes your lawn over time. As a result, you witness excellent growth. After applying the fertilizer, you must cut the grass at the best height. The ideal grass height is 2.5-3.5 inches.

You can mow your lawn using a robotic lawn mower. Just set the schedule, and it will automatically mow your lawn with perfection. Moreover, you can set the desired height, and it offers incredible accuracy due to sharp blades.

For better growth and maintaining an optimal height, you can follow the one-third rule, which means do not mow more than one-third of the grass blade's height.

Further reading: When to start mowing lawn in spring?

May

This month, you will notice some weeds like dandelions and clover. Wherever you see them, use a weed tool and clean the area. You can also use a broadleaf herbicide and spray it directly on the weed.

Keep in mind that May is the month for heavy growth. You need to mow your lawn frequently. You will have to spend more time mowing with a traditional mower, so you can opt for a robotic lawnmower like the Navimow i110. It does not require your time to mow the lawn as it can do everything automatically.

Also, sharpen the mower blades to ensure clean cuts. It's also necessary to prevent diseases.

Summer

Summer is the season for extreme sunlight, and you need to protect your lawn from that. It's necessary to prepare heat defense to help your lawn survive.

June

The first thing you need to do is let your lawn grow. Set the mower's deck height to 4 inches. You need taller grass to prevent sunlight from reaching the soil and taking all the moisture.

When the blade height is longer than usual in June, it allows the roots to grow better and helps the grass survive the extreme heat.

Keep in mind that Summer is not the growing season for cool-season grasses. They enter a dormant state. Thus, you must not fertilize, aerate, or dethatch. Let your grass rest and go through summer.

July

Your lawn also needs more water than usual to survive summer. But more doesn't mean you should let the sprinkler on for hours. It requires precise calculations.

You must know how long to water grass. Check out the detailed guide, and according to your grass type, climate, and other factors, calculate the optimal duration to water your lawn.

Deep watering is often preferred in summer. Typically, water cool-season grasses 105-115 minutes per week at a sprinkler output of 1 in/hr.

Keep an eye on the brown patches. If you see any, treat them with fungicide.

August

This is the perfect month to prepare for overseeding because you need to do it next month. For now, all you need to do is lightly rake and dethatch.

You can use a manual tool to remove dead material, especially from shaded areas. It improves the air circulation and allows the roots to breathe.

Keep in mind that the grass is still under heat stress. Maintain the recommended height and water your lawn properly.

Fall

Fall is the most critical season for cool-season grasses. It's the time when the lawn witnesses immense growth. You have to take the fall lawn care to the next level to ensure a healthy lawn year-round.

September

If the soil is experiencing compaction, early fall is the best time for lawn aeration (for cool-season grasses). It will open pores in the soil to improve air, nutrient, and water exchange. The soil will breathe better and ensure optimal growth of roots. Secondly, your lawn can easily recover from the aeration stress.

You can use a core aerator. If you have a small lawn, a manual core aerator will do the job. But for medium to large lawns, you can rent a core aerator.

After aeration, it's the best time to spread seeds. They can easily go inside the soil and germinate better. You will see exceptional results.

For better results, you can apply fertilizer. Moreover, you should pay attention to how long to water new grass seed.

October

October is the month to prepare cool-season grasses for winter. You can apply heavy fertilizer to build nutrient reserves for the upcoming season. It will improve the root growth and ensure your lawn doesn't starve in winter dormancy.

You will have too many leaves on the ground. Make sure to rake regularly. Do not let them sit on the lawn, as they can suffocate the soil. You can also turn the leaves into mulch, and that will be better for your lawn.

November

This is the month for the final mow. You need to mow the grass before it enters dormancy. Learn when to stop mowing your lawn before winter.

Mow the lawn and make sure to cut the grass slightly shorter than normal. You can still follow the one-third rule if the grass is long. The final height of the grass should be 2 inches before winter dormancy.

It's preferred for preventing snow mold and rodents.

Winter

Winter is the period when your lawn is dormant. You don't need to do anything. Only water the lawn occasionally throughout the season (December to February).

You need to take care of it in other ways. For instance, avoid walking on the lawn during winter. Limit the foot traffic. You can actually kill frozen dormant grass while walking on it. Here is a complete guide on winter lawn care.

Warm Season Grass Calendar

Warm-season grasses are different, so the lawn care calendar for them has some changes.

Spring

Spring is the season when your warm-season grass wakes up from winter dormancy. It is the season to prepare the lawn for aggressive growth in summer.

March

Get rid of the winter mess in the first place. Clean the lawn and make it ready for the action. Before the grass starts to grow, you can do dethatching.

Thatch refers to the dense layer of dead grass, roots, and clippings between the grass and soil. When this layer becomes thick, water can't penetrate in. You see water puddles around. It blocks the nutrients from the roots, halting their growth. It happens due to over-fertilization, overuse of pesticides, poor soil quality, too much watering, etc.

Lawn dethatching removes the excess thatch from your lawn. It improves water exchange in the soil and prevents faded and bare areas or uneven growth. The roots become healthier by absorbing nutrients and water, which translates to a lush, green lawn.

April

It's time to apply the first pre-emergent to prevent the growth of weeds. It is necessary to avert the germination of weeds and reduce their population. Without a pre-emergent, you will soon notice a heavy overgrowth of summer weeds.

You also need to start mowing your lawn as the growth starts and the temperature increases. Usually, grass growth starts from February to April, depending on the region, so you need to pay attention to growth rather than the month. Check out when to start mowing lawn in spring.

You can opt for Navimow i105 for small lawns and Navimow X390 for lawns up to 2.5 acres. These robotic mowers automatically mow the lawn according to the desired summer height and save you a lot of time and effort.

May

This month, you can give high-nitrogen fertilizer. Instead of fixing the month, you can check for the sign to apply fertilizer at the right time.

Check the soil temperature and pH levels. Also, read the fertilizer manufacturer's instructions. When you see the optimal condition, you can apply fertilizer.

By adding fertilizer, you can ensure aggressive growth in summer. It fuels the lawn and gets it ready for its growing season.

Also, pay attention to the brown patches and other irregularities in your turf. You need to prevent the grub activity. They make your turf like a carpet that can be pulled up. Before they do anything worse, you must use pesticides to target grubs.

Summer

Summer is the most-awaited season for the warm-season grass lawn owners. It's when they see excellent growth in their lawns.

June

During the peak growing season, you need to mow aggressively, maybe twice or thrice a week. It's difficult for lawn owners to maintain their lawns, but a robotic lawnmower can solve the issue.

Navimow X315 is an advanced robotic lawn mower for lawns up to 0.5 acres. It understands your lawn perimeter, terrain, and sections and mows them whenever you like. You only need to set the desired mowing time, and it mows the lawn, even if you're not at home.

Along with mowing, you need to provide a light and consistent amount of fertilizer to the soil. It provides the necessary nutrients your grass needs to grow.

July

Make sure you're doing deep watering this season, especially in this month. It provides an adequate amount of water your lawn needs to grow aggressively in high temperatures. You can precisely calculate how long to water grass according to your lawn.

Keep an eye on insects. In the summer season, some special heat-loving insects thrive in the lawn. If you see any in your warm-season grass, apply pesticides immediately.

August

This is the last month for growth. You still need to provide fertilizer to your lawn. But make sure the content of nitrogen is low.

A low nitrogen fertilizer offers essential nutrients to the grass. If you apply excessive nitrogen, it will delay the dormancy and weaken the grass.

Fall

Fall is the transition phase for warm-season grasses. They shift from the peak growth season to the winter dormancy through it.

September

It's time to make your grass ready for the winter. You can apply high-potassium fertilizer this month. It improves the root health and strengthens them to battle the cold weather.

The cell wall health is improved, and the roots can retain water for a longer time, which is ideal for winter dormancy.

This is also the time when you should raise the cutting height of the grass. Gradually, you need to maintain a shorter grass height.

October

You can also mow this month, but this could be the final month. To ensure, learn when to stop mowing your lawn before winter. Mow the grass to 2 to 3 inches, depending on the type of grass.

You also need to prepare to battle with the cool-season weeds. Apply pre-emergent at this stage to prevent their germination.

November

Your lawn will enter dormancy. You will witness the change in color. Just make sure to keep the lawn clean. There should be no leaves and other debris before winter.

Winter

Like cool-season grasses, the warm-season grasses also enter dormancy in the winter season. They become brown and dormant.

You don't have to do anything. Just water your lawn during the dry spells. It does not require excessive and deep watering.

Final Words

When you have a lawn care calendar, you don't need to think about what you need to do. It's a blueprint for every step you need to take, and at the right time. We have shared things you can do to take care of your lawn each month, according to cool-and warm-season grasses. It will help beginners and new lawn owners from any part of the US to take care of their lawns and ensure optimal health year-round.