Lawn Care Calendar: A Month-by-Month Lawn Treatment Guide. Schedule for lawn maintenance

Your Complete Maryland Lawn Care Schedule. Tips for The Perfect Lawn

Keeping up with all of your lawn’s needs during the year is not always easy.

You want to do the best for your yard, but by the time you realize what month it is, you’re seeing weeds or your grass color looks sketchy. This makes you think that maybe you should have done something months ago to prevent these issues. And when was the last time you fertilized?

Also, your lawn is something all the neighbors see when they pass your Maryland home. So, it’s not like you can hide the blemishes when it’s not looking good.

But maybe a guide showing you what you need to do to your lawn season-by-season could help? Here is a lawn care calendar you can use to stay on track.

Lawn Care Calendar and Gardening Tips

Your Complete Lawn Care Schedule for Maryland

While you might think lawn care is a one time thing, there is actually something important to do during each season when it comes to adhering to a lawn maintenance schedule.

We want to help you understand what’s involved and why it helps your lawn thrive.

Winter Lawn Care

Think there’s nothing you need to do for your lawn in the winter? Just sit back with your warm coffee and stay by the cozy fireplace without a worry?

Think again. As long as the ground isn’t frozen in January and February, there are some things you can add to your lawn care calendar to make it better for the upcoming season.

For instance, you can use a root growth stimulator, which is like a probiotic for your lawn. While this can be done at any time of year, it’s best done during cooler months because that’s when the roots are really expanding and developing. These applications are great for lawns that have been planted on poor soil, such those that went through recent home construction.

Lime applications can also happen at this time of the year. If after a soil test, you find out your lawn soil is too acidic, then lime can help balance this out. No matter what the weather does, Maryland does have blackout dates when you cannot put down any fertilizer. This lasts from December 1 to March 1. These state rules are in place to help protect the Chesapeake Bay.

Early Spring Lawn Care

This is a great time of year to get some things ready for the busy spring season ahead. And these necessities on your Maryland lawn care schedule can’t be ignored or it may put you behind once that growing season kicks into full gear.

Start by cleaning up your yard. Lightly rake up dead leaves and debris. You don’t want to be too aggressive and pull out chunks of lawn, but you do want to clear the lawn so it can prepare to grow, receiving the sunlight, air, water, and other nutrients it needs.

Next, prep your mower for the busy times ahead. This includes sharpening those mower blades, filling the tires with air, changing the oil, and making sure everything works properly. These are things you’ll want to continue checking a few more times through the growing season. Once March 1 hits, you’re able to fertilize for the first time. This ensures your lawn has the nutrients available when the plants begin adding top growth, as well as maintains turf vigor and density.

And while you’re fertilizing, this is a great time of year to put down a pre-emergent herbicide to get ahead of crabgrass and other annual grassy weeds before they pop up.

Keep your eyes open for bare spots or areas where your lawn seems impacted by snow mold, salt, or snow plow damage. You may want to flag these areas for seeding and repair later.

Late Spring Lawn Care

As you get solidly into spring, remember to continue mowing your grass approximately weekly. It should be 3 to 4 inches tall after you mow it, and you should never remove more than one-third of the lawn at any one time.

This is also the time on your lawn maintenance calendar for a second fertilization treatment, as well as a second pre-emergent herbicide application. Pre-emergent herbicides are commonly applied half earlier in the spring and half later to help control those sneaky weeds that aren’t operating on your schedule. It provides an extended period of control, acting as a safety blanket of sorts.

Early Summer Lawn Care

Your lawn should look pretty good right now after all the work you’ve done following your Maryland lawn care schedule earlier in the year.

Mowing is usually at its peak during spring and then again in fall. So mowing may start to slow down a bit during the hotter summer months.

Next, you’ll be applying a third fertilization treatment.- a nice slow-release blend. You’ll also want to switch to a post-emergent herbicide application when necessary to tackle stubborn weeds that escaped your pre-emergent control or broke through on bare lawn areas that are less healthy.

Now you’ll also want to start watching for any insect pests or diseases or other lawn problems that can erupt. Surface and subsurface insects can appear now; we’re talking about chinch bugs, cutworms, and sod webworms. If you have a grub problem, preventing them now before they hatch and cause lawn damage is crucial.

Late Summer Lawn Care

Don’t forget your mowing. At this point, growth may start to increase again as summer temperatures cool. Typically, you should be mowing every five days in spring and fall and every 10 days in early spring, summer, and late fall.

Have you been watering your lawn? You may have received enough water from rain during the spring and early summer, but once summer settles in, you should be watering one to two times weekly for approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Think of providing a good soaking less frequently.

This is another time on your lawn care calendar for a slow-release fertilizer application to prepare your lawn for fall growth.

Fall Lawn Care

It’s fall! Now it’s time for fall fertilization on your Maryland lawn care schedule.

But all these nutrients need to reach your lawn roots to give you your goal of thicker, greener grass. From traffic and just normal compaction, lawns absorb fewer nutrients. This is the perfect time of year for aeration to break up the soil and give your lawn a chance to breathe. If you noticed any barren patches or areas where your lawn needs filled in, aeration creates that perfect environment for overseeding. The temperatures are also great for growing a lawn so seeding at this time is ideal.

Fall is also the final time to do a comprehensive weed control using a post-emergent herbicide for cool-season weeds.

Embrace the Schedule for a Great Lawn

Tending to your lawn is time consuming. To succeed, you should know which grass species you have, and maintain proper mowing, watering, fertilizing, weed control, and other treatments to ensure lawn vigor and success. And we hope following this lawn care schedule helps you stay on top of the chore.

This process can certainly be daunting, and it’s easy to get confused. We completely understand. Who wants to waste their time, especially if they aren’t sure whether or not what they’re doing is working.

Want your weekend time back? We’re happy to take this job off of your hands. You can choose from our different lawn care programs based on the results you’re after and your budget.

Want to learn more about how to get a great lawn in Central and Southern Maryland? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can make a great choice. Then you can just sit back and enjoy your lawn.

Lawn Care Calendar: A Month-by-Month Lawn Treatment Guide

In this article, I’m going to outline the lawn care calendar that I work by every year.

To help you as best I can, I’ve broken down this lawn treatment schedule month by month so you know exactly what to do and when.

However, like everything when it comes to lawn maintenance, there’s a caveat to everything…

This lawn calendar is meant to be a guide only.

Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather so you’ll have to use your best judgement when it comes to the timing of individual tasks.

Some years, if the weather is on our side, we can start certain tasks a little earlier than normal. Sometimes though, you might have to wait a little longer.

So don’t stick to this like glue just because it’s in black and white on a computer screen.

Take a look at what the weather is doing and plan your jobs around that.

Quick Summary

This table is just a quick summary of the jobs you can do for each month. Check out more details below.

Month Tasks

January	No tasks
February	No tasks
March	First lawn mow (top only), apply moss killer, clean lawn edges
April	Raking and scarifying, remove moss killer, overseeding
May	Increase mowing frequency reduce height, apply weed killer
June	Raise height of mower, keep watered, add lawn feed
July	Keep height, cut less frequently, keep watered, kill weeds
August	Keep mowing, watering, apply summer fertiliser
September	Start repairs, overseed, apply autumn fertiliser
October	Raise mowing height, apply autumn fertiliser
November	Brush worm casts off, remove leaves, last cut of the year
December	Keep leaves off lawn

Spring Lawn Care Calendar

Spring is the season to help your lawn recover after the stresses of winter. It’s also about preparing it for the different kinds of stresses that summer brings.

Jobs For March

March is when the lawn care calendar generally kicks off.

As soon as the grass starts to grow and the ground conditions are favourable, give the lawn its first cut of the year.

You should only take the top off the grass, don’t mow it too short. If you do, you’ll risk stressing the grass and stunting its growth.

If winter has brought about an onset of moss. March is also a good time to apply a moss killer. Even the smallest amount of moss will spore and spread quickly under the right conditions so apply your preferred moss killer to get it under control. Any infected areas will start to blacken as it dies.

Also, while the ground is soft, neaten up the edges of your lawn with a half-moon edging iron if needed.

Jobs For April

If you applied a moss killer in March then now is the time to remove it with either a springbok rake or a powered lawn rake.

If you scarify heavily, make sure you keep on top of any weeds over the next few weeks.

Aeration via spiking is a good as it will all air, water and nutrients into the soil.

Spring is also the time for overseeding (especially after raking or scarifying) with an appropriate grass seed to fill in any bare patches.

Perfectionists will also want to top-dress their lawns.

Give your lawn its first feed with a spring/summer fertiliser.

Grass growth will start to increase in April so you might need to mow a little more frequently. As growth speeds up you can start to lower the mower by a setting each cut.

Jobs For May

Grass growth should be in full swing by the time May rolls around so increase your cutting frequency to every 5-7 days.

Keep lowering the cutting height of your lawn mower if you like a closer cut. Only lower the height of the mower by one setting each time you mow to avoid cutting off too much.

In most cases, May is the best time to apply a selective weedkiller to the whole lawn. Especially if you raked or scarified in April.

Apply your weed killer on a fine, still and dry day. You don’t want it blowing into beds and borders.

The soil should still be fairly moist in May so there should be no need for watering.

Summer Lawn Care Calendar

Summer lawn maintenance is about keeping on top of the work you did during spring and is really a time to enjoy the longer days in your garden as you relax, with friends and family.

Jobs For June

If your jobs in the spring went well, your lawn should look pretty good heading into the summer.

Keep mowing the lawn but if the weather starts to dry, raise the height of the mower and mow a little less frequently. If you can, leave the clippings on the lawn. They will degrade and put the goodness and moisture back onto the soil.

You might also choose to water your lawn in prolonged periods of dry weather. Keep on top of any weeds by treating them with a selective spot spray weed killer.

If your lawn is lacking vibrancy, give it a boost of nutrients and colour with a fast-acting, liquid lawn feed.

Jobs For July

Grass growth should have slowed down by now so keep the mower a little higher and cut a little less frequently. Again, leave the clippings on the grass.

Also, keep your spot spray weed killer on hand to blast any weeds that make an appearance.

It can sometimes be dry during July so water the lawn if necessary. If you do choose to water, do it once a week, early in the mornings to a depth of around an inch.

If your lawn looks a little lacklustre give it a feeding with a dose of liquid lawn fertiliser to boost colour.

However, if you’ve chosen not to water in prolonged periods of dry weather, don’t apply a liquid fertiliser as you could risk scorching the grass.

If you water weekly you’ll have no issues applying a liquid feed.

Jobs For August

August is very similar to July in terms of the jobs that need doing.

Keep the mower on a higher setting and mow at the same frequency. Ideally, you should keep the clippings on the lawn and let them disintegrate back into the turf, keeping the moisture and goodness where it needs to be.

Keep watering the lawn if needed. Again, once a week, in the early morning to an inch depth.

This is the last month to apply a high-nitrogen, summer liquid fertiliser (if needed).

If you’re planning on re-turfing or sowing a new lawn in the Autumn, start to prepare the ground now.

Autumn Lawn Care Calendar

Autumn is often the busiest time in the lawn care calendar as you help your lawn recover from the heat of summer and prepare it for the extremes of winter.

It’s also the best time to carry out invasive repairs.

Jobs For September

The rains will return which improves grass growth so you’ll need to increase your mowing frequency again. If you like a nice, close cut then gradually lower the mowing height.

You might see a pick up in worm activity again so keep the lawn free of leaves and brush any worm casts back into the lawn.

If your lawn is in good shape, apply a granular autumn/winter fertiliser.

If you need to make repairs do them first. September is the best time for heavy scarifying to remove lawn thatch with deep scarification, intensive raking and relieving compaction through hollow tine aerating.

Make sure you employ a good recovery program after scarifying.

You should also overseed to fill in bare patches left by these invasive treatments. Serious gardeners should top dress their lawns.

Also, if you want to sow a new lawn or lay turf, now is the time.

Jobs For October

Regular mowing comes to an end in October so raise the height of the mower for the last cut or two.

If needed, trim the edges of the lawn so it’s tidy for the winter.

Worm casts will still be an issue you need to deal with, especially now as the leaves fall off the trees.

It’s too late now to sow a new lawn but you can still lay turf.

Jobs For November

November marks the winding down of the lawn care calendar.

Keep on top of worm casts by brushing them back into the lawn and removing fallen leaves to reduce their surface activity.

If the weather is still good (neither frosty or wet) then set the lawn mower high and give your lawn its last cut of the year.

Winter Lawn Care Calendar

The winter months are a quiet time in the lawn care calendar and for the most part, you can keep tucked up nice and warm.

That said, there are still a few jobs to do.

Jobs For December

Avoid working on the lawn if it’s frozen.

If there’s no frost, keep brushing the leaves off the lawn to avoid the onset of disease.

Jobs For January

There is very little work to do in January apart from collecting fallen leaves and other debris that might have blown in.

In terms of the grass, there’s nothing you can do to aid growth in the cold and often wet weather.

That said, if it’s been a mild winter you might want to take the top off the grass to keep it tidy. However, only do this if the ground is firm and keep the mower set high.

DO NOT mow the lawn when it’s frosty!

While it’s damp and cool, treat your lawn with a dose of iron sulphate to keep the moss at bay and give the lawn a nice boost of green colour.

However, keep off the lawn if it’s frosty or overly wet. Walking on it now could damage the grass leaves.

Right now is a good time to get your mower serviced and make sure your other lawn care tools are ready for use in spring.

Jobs For February

Like January, February is a pretty uneventful month in the lawn care calendar.

With the weather becoming milder you might notice worm casts appearing again. So deal with those and keep any leaves and debris off your lawn.

Wrapping Up

Your lawn takes up more time than any other plant in your garden. So much time in fact, that many people are put off by the workload.

By breaking that workload down into a lawn treatment schedule it becomes much less intimidating.

Follow this lawn care calendar and you can have a beautiful looking lawn all year round.

Like I said at the beginning though, and like anything we do in the garden, this lawn calendar is weather dependant.

Base your work around the weather forecast and work with the weather, not against it.

About Tim Stephens

I’m a professional gardener with degrees in Horticulture Landscape Gardening. I want to help you create the garden of your dreams. I want your garden to look like it’s maintained by a professional. As if I was there doing it all for you!

3 thoughts on “Lawn Care Calendar: A Month-by-Month Lawn Treatment Guide”

Hi Tim, I live in Aberdeen and proud of my lawn. I fed it Autumn/Spring feed in early autumn, should I feed it more now before the end of winter? Reply

I’m looking for specifics such as fertilizers to use and when; how many times should a lawn be mowed depending upon the season; caring for sodded lawns. I live in the Sacramento, California region. Reply

Hi Tim, I wanted to thank you for a detailed and yet, detailed Lawn care calendar! I see so many different lawn care articles and find them so very confusing. Yours is perfect and spot on – I’ve printed it out! I’m very appreciative. Thank you Anna Reply

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Minnesota Lawn Care Schedule: All You Need to Know

Minnesota businesses looking to keep their lawns looking green and lush throughout the summer have the perfect weapon at their disposal, and that’s our teams of local lawn care and landscaping experts throughout Minneapolis.

At Earth Development, we use teams of local professionals with years of experience and great local reputations to provide the most comprehensive landscaping services in St Paul and throughout Minneapolis. We also aim to provide useful lawn care tips right here on our website, and today we’ll explore some summer lawn care tips broken down into steps for early, mid, and late summer.

Minnesota Lawn Care Calendar

There are tired-and-true lawn care practices for the winter, spring, summer, and fall seasons. Based on the University of Minnesota Extension, the best practices for your lawn are broken down in the table below to help determine your Minnesota lawn care calendar.

• Best time to do it: To tackle crabgrass pre-emergence, it’s best to treat this grass from mid-April to mid-May before it comes up from the ground.
• Okay time to do it: Crabgrass can also be treated post-emergence from mid-May to early July.
• Best time to do it: Sodding is best used in early May through June, as well as mid-August to late October.
• Okay time to do it: Sodding can also be used in late June through the second week of August.
• Best time to do it: Seed your grasses early August through September and mid-November.
• Okay time to do it: Can seed from May through early June, too.
• Best time to do it: Use lawn fertilizer or natural fertilizers from early August through mid-October.
• Okay time to do it: Can use fertilizer from May through late June.
• Best time to do it: It’s best to aerate from mid-August through mid-October.
• Okay time to do it: Aerating can alternatively be done from late April through May.
• Best time to do it: Broadleaf weed control is most effective from September through the end of October.
• Okay time to do it: This weed control can be effective from May through late June.

Understanding Minnesota Grass Growth Cycle

With tumultuous winter seasons, healthy lawns in Minnesota are their most beautiful in the warmer seasons, offering the ideal time for the grass to thrive.

Specifically in Minnesota, due to seasonal changes, cool-season grasses are ideal in the Twin Cities. The best types of cool-season grasses include fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and turf-type tall fescue grass.

There are some reasons it’s best to plant this type of grass in your lawn, but most importantly, these cool-season grasses are best suited for the four seasons and cold winters that Minnesota endures.

With seasonal changes in mind, Minnesota lawns with cool-season grasses can bear the stress of harsh winter. With this in mind, these types of grasses grow most rapidly in the spring and fall when temperatures are cool, and tend to become inactive in the heat and drought of the summer. With the right lawn care routine, you can best support this cycle of this grass.

For cool-season grass, early spring brings long roots rich with nutrients. With this build-up of nutrients, the shoots can store energy for growth.

In the summer, the leaf and root growth slows down, allowing plants to rest during the heat. Then, when fall comes around, the shoots grow once again, storing nutrients in anticipation of the winter.

Spring Lawn Care Minnesota

To better understand your Minnesota lawn care schedule, there are some specific checklists for your lawn during the Spring months that will be a benefit to your grass. Let’s break it down.

Early Spring Lawn Checklist (March. Early April)

For Spring lawn care, Minnesota only has a few tasks to do. March and early April are typically months when your yard is still dormant. For this reason, it’s all about preparation, with tasks including:

• Sharpening your mower blades.
• Clean or replace your air filter.
• Change your spark plug.
• Grease any fitting on your mower.
• Replace old fuel.

Late Spring Lawn Checklist (mid-April. May)

Late April through May is when the Minnesota lawn care begins. The checklist includes:

• When the lawn and soil are relatively dry, begin to rake and dispose of dead grass and snow mold.
• Apply an early layer of fertilizer to more high-maintenance lawns, like Kentucky Bluegrass.
• Apply fertilizer at half the recommended amount for more low-maintenance lawns.
• Apply crabgrass pre-emergent before it begins to grow.
• Mow as needed to keep a lawn depth of 2″ or more.

Summer Lawn Care in Minnesota

Early Summer Lawn Care Tips

Your lawn care should be determined based on the kind of grass you have and the exact time of year. Let’s first explore late spring/early summer lawn care.

If you have warm-season grass, expect it to grow best in temperatures in the 70s (F). Any higher than that and your lawn will need additional care and potentially more shade to help avoid major damage.

In the early summer, May and June, be sure to apply fertilizer as early into the season as you can. This helps your lawn defend itself against high temperatures and makes it more drought resistant. Use too much, however, and you risk burning your lawn.

Spread your fertilizer evenly and cautiously, and use a specific summer grass fertilizer formula. Or, hire Earth Development for expert lawn fertilizer services.

People often ask “can you fertilize in the summer with cool-season grass?” and the answer is no. If you have cool-season grass, don’t fertilize the grass at all in the summer. Save that for the cool seasons.

Mow Your Lawn High

Remember to mow your lawn high in the early summer, too. The idea here is to encourage stronger root growth in your grass and to allow it to tolerate the heat more easily. When your grass is taller, it creates more shade on the soil. It protects the grass from the sun but also prevents weeds from germinating quite as easily.

Take a look at a lawn mowed too short in the summer, and you’ll probably notice that it looks unhealthy and weeds poke through the blades of grass more often.

For warm-season grasses, keep it between two and three inches tall. For cool-season grasses, try and keep it between three and four inches. Never cut more than one-third of your grass blade every time you mow.

Integrate Pest Control

Summer is the time when pests come out, and they can wreak havoc with your lawn. Whether they’re June bugs, beetles, grubs, or even European chafers, you can expect these pests to eat your grass and weaken its resilience to drought and high heat.

Use high-quality pesticides designed to kill bugs and pests without hurting your grass and apply them in the late spring or early summer.

Control Weeds

Early summer is also the perfect time for weed control. At this time of the year, you can more effectively kill weeds before they have a chance to grow, bloom, and then spread their seeds. It protects you this summer and even next summer because you are preventing the problem before it begins.

Many herbicides are designed to target weeds and not grass…but it’s not a perfect science. Use too much and you can still cause harm to your lawn, which is why we advise Minnesota businesses to entrust this process with our teams of local experts.

Mid-Summer Lawn Care Tips

Once you enter mid-summer, your lawn care should change slightly. There are two important tips to remember when it comes to mid-summer lawn care.

Water Your Lawn Properly

Once you reach mid-summer, the temperatures start to rise rapidly. This is when you must water your lawn properly. Overwatering can be just as bad as underwatering, and when the temperatures are high your grass can quickly wilt and die.

Be sure to water your lawn once or twice every week, and make sure that the water penetrates four to six inches. A good way to know that the water is penetrating the soil deeply enough is to insert a screwdriver or similar tool into the soil and see how resistant you feel. If it goes in too easily, it means you are overwatering. If you feel too much resistance, you need to water more. Make sure that you can push the screwdriver into the ground with some resistance, but not too much.

Fertilize Your Grass

Lawns sometimes need mid-summer feeding, but this shouldn’t happen too frequently. Warm-season grasses are more likely to need this extra boost, but remember what we said about too much fertilizer burning your grass. Ask your local garden center or garden supplies company for the best mid-summer fertilizer and apply sparingly if necessary.

Late Summer Lawn Care Tips

Once you enter late summer, your lawn maintenance should be undertaken with next summer in mind. Here are some of our top late summer lawn care tips.

Aerate Your Lawn

Around August and September time, you should consider aerating your lawn. It’s not necessary, but it can be helpful. This is a process that involves pulling up “cores” from the soil or poking many long holes into the ground to break up any soil that has become compacted. It also makes it easier for air, water, and nutrients to penetrate more deeply into the soil.

This commonly overlooked late summer lawn care tip can be done with special aerating tools that make the job quicker and easier, or with garden forks and spikes.

Overseed Your Lawn If Needed

Overseeding in summer can have an amazing impact on your lawns’ growth next year, too. This helps fill out a lawn that has become patchy through the summer months – and you may even see some growth before the season ends. By applying additional seed across your lawn, you’ll have a healthier, more resilient, and greener turf.

Dethatch Your Grass

Finally, don’t forget to dethatch your grass! This is a process whereby dead leaves and other organic matter are raked from the grass, leaving behind fresh soil and your lawn. It removes an organic barrier between the soil and the air, making it easier to apply nutrients and water.

Knowing when to dethatch a lawn is important. When we say to dethatch in the late summer (August and September) we’re talking about cool-season grasses. For warm-season grasses, dethatch the lawn during early summer – and never dethatch your lawn when it is stressed or dormant. That means no dethatching in the mid-summer or the middle of winter!

Fall Lawn Care in Minnesota

For fall lawn maintenance, Minnesota has a few items on the checklist to ensure a healthy lawn. In this region with cool-season grasses, the fall season is when the grass thrives most, outside of Spring, calling for a full lawn care Minnesota routine. Let’s break it down.

Dethatching and Aerating

Dethatching and aerating are essential steps in the fall.

Before undergoing this process, give an inch of water to your lawn and let it soak in around 2 to 3 days in advance. When aerating, you want to take out at least a 3 to 4-inch plug, and if the soil is too dry this won’t be possible.

Typically, the best time to schedule these lawn treatments is in mid-August and the end of September.

Seeding

Fall is also a time for seeding. If you plan to oversee this fall, it’s best to do this in the last two weeks of August through the first 10 days of September. This can go on for a bit later, but not after September ends. It’s important to give the roots a chance to mature before winter to survive the harsh temperatures.

Fertilizing

If you’re wondering when to fertilize the lawn in MN, now is the time. Typically, the best time to fertilize the lawn is from mid-August through mid-September. This timing is essential to allowing your lawn to grow and recover after the summer season.

In addition, when it comes to when fertilizing lawns, Minnesota yards can also benefit from a late fall application in mid-October through mid-November.

When it comes to lawn fertilization, Minnesota residents will get many benefits, including:

• Preparing the lawn for winter.
• Improving shoot density.
• Promoting deep roots.
• Prolonging the dark green color into the early winter.
• Providing storage of carbohydrates.
• Keeping your lawn looking healthier and longer.

Leave Your Lawn Maintenance to the Experts

Need help maintaining your lawn this year? With our teams of local landscaping experts throughout Minnesota, FOCUS on running your business. We’ll handle all your landscaping needs, from lawn aeration and fertilization to regular mowing and watering.

Want a free quote, or to learn more about our commercial lawn maintenance services? Give the team a call today!

Eddy is a distinguished expert in the snow removal and landscaping industry, boasting over 20 years of experience. As an Advanced Snow Manager certified by the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA), he is dedicated to upholding the highest industry standards. His strong commitment to excellence and relentless pursuit of improvement makes him a trusted voice in the snow removal and landscaping.

The amount of snow Minnesota gets each winter fluctuates, but it’s typically safe to expect a consistent amount throughout the winter months. Last year, did you have enough space on your property to store plowed snow?

Looking to create a beautiful and inviting outdoor space for your business? Our team of landscaping experts will work with you every step of the way to bring your vision to life. Let’s get started on creating the perfect landscape for your business!

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9 Best Botanical Gardens In Wisconsin

Are you looking for some inspiration for your garden? Check out one of our favorite botanical gardens in Wisconsin.

Rejuvenating Old Shrubs: When, Why and How?

Minnesota courtyards and gardens transform in the spring and become stunning menageries of color and life, but without proper maintenance and rejuvenation pruning, that can quickly change. For this reason, business owners should either know how to cut back overgrown bushes and shrubs or entrust lawn and garden maintenance with local experts.

Common Wisconsin Weeds Identification Guide

In order to know how to effectively kill a weed, you must first know what it is. This guide will help you identify the most common Wisconsin weeds.

Yearly Lawn-Care Schedule: A 365-Day Timeline

Taking care of your lawn year-round gives your turf the best chance to thrive.

Commitment and discipline are required for those looking to achieve a beautifully manicured golf course lawn. Timing is everything to get the most from your lawn-care products. Applying lawn fertilizers isn’t a matter of when it’s convenient, and weed control (particularly in the case of pre-emergent herbicides ) has to be well-timed to see results. Planning your lawn-care schedule can help you stay on top of different tasks throughout the year in a manageable way.

Specific timings for product applications vary, depending on your environmental conditions and the type of turfgrass you have. This depends on where you’re based. If you’re wondering which grass type best suits your area, read this guide. Your local university extension service can provide more information on what type of turfgrass you have if you’re still unsure.

Grass types are divided into two categories: cool season and warm season. May to mid-September is when warm-season grasses tend to grow the most, in warmer temperatures. The opposite is true of cool-season turfgrasses, which prefer conditions from December to early February — aside from when the ground freezes over.

In this guide, we’ll break down each step of your seasonal lawn-care maintenance, divulge some year-round lawn-care tips, and ultimately prepare you for the year ahead.

Spring Lawn Care Schedule

Before you begin the following steps, it’s vital to ensure the ground is no longer frozen. Firm ground showing the first signs of green grass is the indication you need that your lawn is waking up.

February, March, April, May

During the winter months, your turfgrass entered a state of dormancy. The arrival of spring in March marks the beginning of a key seasonal transitional period, where grass begins to green up. Spring is likely the busiest time of your yearly lawn-care schedule and a crucial time to care for your winter-weary grass. Setting a good lawn-care precedent during the spring will help prevent future problems from weak, damaged grass.

Pre-Emergent Herbicides — February

One of the first steps in your year-long lawn care plan is applying a pre-emergent herbicide around mid-February. Pre-emergents are a type of weed control. They prevent the seedlings of weeds from becoming established while they germinate.

Our preferred pre-emergent is Prodiamine.38% with Fertilizer 0-0-7. It’s a granular pre-emergent weed and feed control product, meaning it’s easy to apply and won’t kill your grass. Plus, it contains 7% potassium, a key macronutrient to promote healthy grass growth. For application tips and tricks, watch our explanatory YouTube video below, and don’t forget to subscribe to our lawn-care channel.

Spring Clean Dethatch — March

Over fall and winter, natural debris like fallen leaves and dead grass build up on your lawn. Your first step is clearing up your yard and disposing of organic matter to prepare for the other steps.

After you’ve cleaned your lawn, it’s time for a dethatch. Thatch is a layer of living and dead organic matter which forms between soil and growing grass. A thin layer of thatch is natural and can help protect the grassroots from environmental stress, retain moisture and increase resilience to heavy traffic on your lawn.

However, more than half an inch of thatch can suffocate your lawn — preventing air, nutrients, and moisture from reaching turf roots. Too much thatch also provides pests and fungi with a warm and insulated place to live and breed. Use a dethatching rake to lift the thatch and break it down. Alternatively, verticutting is a great way to promote new growth in your lawn. Verticutting involves slicing grass into 2-3” sections to encourage healthier and thicker turf in weeks to come.

You can use your lawn mower to dethatch (also known as scalping) your lawn, which you can read about in this blog.

Soil Testing — March

A healthy golf course lawn requires nutrient-rich soil with a neutral pH. Spring is the best time for lawn fertilization, which you can read about in this article. But, to choose the right fertilizer, you’ll need to assess what your lawn needs nutrients-wise.

This is why soil testing kits are so important and can reduce your future lawn-care expenditures. Being specific about what your lawn needs means you won’t run the risk of over-fertilizing, spending unnecessary money, and letting excess fertilizer runoff disrupt nearby ecosystems.

Invest in a soil test kit to reveal the nutrients your soil is lacking and its pH level. The starter soil test kit from MySoil is incredibly comprehensive, letting you know which nutrients have a low rating. Your results will even provide fertilizer and biostimulant recommendations.

Depending on your results, you might need pH adjustment products to raise or lower the pH in your soil. For micronutrient deficiencies (nutrients your soil needs in lesser amounts than macronutrients ), we recommend using a product called NutriSolve.

Core Aeration — March

Another vital task to do in March is to aerate your lawn which is crucial to your lawn’s long-term health. Aeration reduces compaction, which can cause your lawn to become waterlogged. It can also improve nutrient, water, and air circulation within your soil, fertilizer uptake, and water quality.

Aerating your lawn is the process of pulling out plugs of soil from your lawn with an aerating tool or spiked tools like hoes or rakes to loosen the soil. Soil plugs on the surface of your lawn will eventually decompose (speed this process along by breaking up the soil plugs) and transfer valuable, quality nutrients back into the earth.

To speed up lawn recovery after core aeration and verticutting, apply fertilizer after core aeration. Your soil will be more porous, allowing important nutrients to sink down to grass root level.

Late March is the prime time to aerate your lawn, but this can depend on when your grass has come out of its winter dormancy stage. Core aeration punches 4-6 inch holes into the turf to remove plugs of soil.

Topdressing— April

To get a smooth golf course finish on your lawn, you’ll need to topdress it with a thin layer of compost to rake over plug holes caused by core aeration. This is beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, when you mow your lawn, you’ll discover that it’s full of bumps and dips. Smooth out this uneven surface by topdressing using organic material and sand. If your lawn suffers from dense, clay-like soil, then topdressing after aeration will improve the soil porosity over time.

You might want to enlist the help of a professional for core aeration, verticutting and topdressing, as it’s pretty hard work.

Insecticide Fungicide Application — April

As the weather becomes warmer, certain lawn-damaging pests begin laying their eggs in your grass. Many beetles start laying their eggs in the spring, and other grass-eating insects like armyworms and chinch bugs.

Your grass is very vulnerable when it comes out of winter dormancy, having experienced a lot of environmental stress. Fungal diseases such as brown patch. dollar spot. and red thread take advantage of a weaker lawn. Use spring to get a headstart on preventing lawn pests and diseases with insecticides and fungicides.

To prevent lawn-damaging insects and diseases from ravaging your lawn, try an insecticide and fungicide from Syngenta. Acelepryn G Insecticide targets many pests but won’t kill useful pollinators (like bees) and invertebrates (like worms). A single application in April or May provides season-long control from grubs to billbugs.

For fungicides, we recommend Headway G. It’s a granular fungicide that provides excellent disease control against a broad range of lawn fungi, taking care of your lawn year-round.

If liquid fungicide is more your thing, Pillar SC has you covered. It quickly controls 26 common lawn diseases while being easy to mix and apply.

Fertilization — April

The best time to fertilize your lawn depends on the temperature of your soil. Generally, soil temperatures hit 55º Fahrenheit in mid-April, which is the opportune time for soil fertilization. It’s worth investing in a soil thermometer for a more precise measurement of soil temperature. Visibly, you’ll see grass beginning to grow and flowers blossoming.

To kickstart your grass’ growth after a dormant winter, you can also apply Lebanon Turf’s Humic Max fertilizer as soon as early March to improve soil quality and give your grass a well-deserved nutrient boost.

My Lawn Care Schedule. What I do, When

Mowing Your Lawn — March/April

Beginning your mowing lawn-care schedule depends entirely on your region and grass species type. Avoid your first mow until temperatures reach a consistent 50°F. Grass height should be at least 2”-2.5” tall before you mow. Your turf needs to develop strong and healthy roots. Cutting your grass too short and too soon won’t allow it to establish itself properly. When the conditions are right, ensure you’re mowing no more than a third of the grass length, and continue to mow at least twice a week.

Plant Growth Regulator — May

Plant growth regulators are organic compounds that improve your plants’ physiological processes, or in this case, your lawn. Plant growth regulation can prevent grass from growing too quickly, which lets grass blade leaves flourish first. This improves photosynthesis.

Plant growth regulators have two main benefits:

• They reduce mowing frequency as the grass isn’t growing as quickly vertically (PGR can save you about one mow a week).
• As you’re not mowing as frequently, the grass achieves a darker green color. New grass is a lighter green, whereas older leaves are dark.

Our preferred PGR (plant growth regulator) is Primo Maxx which comes in a convenient 4 oz size — ideal for those wanting to try it out without breaking the bank. You can apply it every 4-6 weeks to control growth, with your first application in early May. From May onwards, begin the month with a PGR application. Using a backpack sprayer to apply your PGR is one of the most efficient methods to support even application.

Summer Lawn Care Schedule

Spring is about setting up your lawn for the year ahead, and summer is about maintaining your hard work. Warmer temperatures introduce new tasks to keep on top of, like pest and weed control.

June, July, August

Your summer lawn-care schedule will revolve around where you live. Summer heat and dry conditions can be lethal for your grass, so it’s an equally important time to take care of your turf. The beginning of June is a good time for another plant growth regulator application to control grass growth in temperature change. That’ll help you stay up to date with mowing and watering requirements.

Summer Mowing — June-August

As your lawn enjoys warmer temperatures, grass will start growing quickly. Adjust your mower’s height to its second-highest or highest setting to cut your grass. Cutting your turf a little higher than usual will lead to taller grass which has the chance to develop deep, healthy grass roots. As always, this shouldn’t be more than the top third of each grass blade. Healthy grass will actively compete effectively with prevalent weeds at this time of year.

Watering Requirements — June-August

As a rule of thumb, you should water your lawn 2-3 times a week to achieve golf course quality. Generally, your lawn needs 1”-1.5” of water per week to thrive. Dull-colored gray grass, curling grass blades and dryness underfoot are good indicators that your lawn needs watering.

In the summer, this is especially important. If you use an irrigation system, set the sprinkling time to 4-6 am when there are lower winds and cooler temperatures. This allows moisture to sink thoroughly into the soil without being blown away or evaporated.

To reduce watering requirements by 50% or more, use Hydretain. This exceptional water retention product acts like a “water magnet”, drawing moisture from everywhere in the soil to the grassroots — making the most of all the available water in the soil that roots can’t reach.

Weed, Disease Pest Control — June-August

Even with your pre-emergent herbicide, fungicide, and insecticide applications — pests, weeds, and diseases still have the potential to disrupt your seasonal lawn maintenance.

From June through August, your main opponents will be weeds and pests. Keep an eye out for both, including signs you might have a pest invasion on your hands.

To target weeds without killing your grass, we recommend these options:

Celsius WG Broadleaf and Grassy Weed Control (Warm Season)

Celsius WG Herbicide controls over 150 varieties of weeds, particularly dandelions that enjoy the summer weather. A broad-spectrum herbicide that won’t kill your grass, Celsius can be used when temperatures become higher.

Targeting Poa Annua. dandelions, and nutsedge. you can easily apply Certainty herbicide over a broad range of temperatures. Effective in spring, summer, and fall — we recommend using this alongside Celsius for ultimate weed control.

Tenacity Herbicide (Cool Season)

Tenacity herbicide is one of the best weed killers for cool-season grass. You can use it as a pre and post-emergent herbicide for over 46 broadleaf weed and grass species.

Sedgehammer Herbicide (Cool and Warm Season)

Sedgehammer is a selective and safe weed killer on yellow and purple nutsedge, kyllinga, and other broadleaf weeds.

Certain products like surfactants and turf mark indicators can help increase the efficacy of your chosen herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Surfactants like Hi-Yield Spreader Sticker can increase the absorption, sticking, and translocation of all these products — aiding performance and yielding faster results.

Instead of buying all these products separately, you can now buy cool-season and warm-season herbicide kits from the golf course lawn store to make summer lawn-care maintenance easy.

During the summer, be on the lookout for grubs that will feed on your grassroots. You can find more information about grub treatment in this blog and how to apply Acelepryn below.

Fall Lawn Care Schedule

If you have a cool season grass type, fall is the time to fertilize to encourage strong root growth over winter. Warm-season grasses are winding down naturally as they go dormant in cold temperatures — here’s how to prepare your lawn for winterization.

September, October

Your year-round lawn care schedule comes full circle in the fall. Here, you’ll repeat many of the steps you did in spring to give your lawn the best possible boost into winter dormancy.

Fertilize Fungicide — September

Cool-season grasses require extra nutrients in the fall, but warm-season grasses can also benefit. Try another soil test to understand which nutrients your lawn is lacking before going into winter.

Supplement your grass with Lebanon Turf’s Humic Max at an application rate of 3 lb per 1k for a high-performance golf course fertilizer. Other fertilizers which will prepare your lawn for winter include Golf Course Lawn Store’s Stress 12-0-24 and Mirimichi Green’s Release 901C. which contains both fertilizer and biostimulants.

September is also when you’ll need to apply a fall fungicide. Due to damp conditions and excess thatch buildup, fall is when lawn diseases can take hold. Headway G is a broad-spectrum fungicide safe for children and pets, or use Caravan G as a combined insecticide and fungicide to keep pests in check.

Fall Pre-Emergents — September

As your lawn enters dormancy, stubborn weeds can exploit your turf’s vulnerability. To prevent weeds in the fall and winter, use a pre-emergent herbicide such as Dithiopyr.172%. which will stop invading weeds and feed your lawn simultaneously. Another great alternative is Prodiamine 65 WDG — a broad spectrum pre-emergent in easy-to-use water granule form.

Aerate Overseeding — September

For cool-season lawns, the heat of the summer and poor growing conditions might have left bare or thinning patches on your lawn. If you didn’t in the spring, it’s a good idea to aerate your lawn again before winter. Early fall and spring are the perfect time to reseed with a grass type suited to your region if you notice thinner areas. Before you lay down new grass seed, you’ll need to remove thatch and debris. Use a shovel to break up the soil, add an inch of compost or fertilizer and spread your grass seed. Work the seed with a rake, spreading it over dying or depleted patches in your lawn.

Keeping It Clean — September-October

Keeping your lawn clean should be a year-long task. In fall, dead leaves can accumulate fast. A little leaf and organic matter won’t cause any harm, but excessive amounts of leaves can cause problems such as “smothering” or “suffocating” your grass. This will inhibit growth come spring and promote the onset of diseases like snow mold. creating a cozy area for moles and other critters to hide.

You have two options when it comes to cleaning away fall leaves.

• Use a rake or leaf blower to collect the leaves and either compost or dispose of them. If your mower has a bagging attachment, you can also use this to collect your leaves.
• You can use your mower to mulch leaves (chop them into small pieces). As organic matter, dead leaves contain plenty of nutrients, including high levels of nitrogen. Fallen tree leaves have also been shown to reduce weed seed germination when used as lawn mulch.

Winter Lawn Care Schedule

November, December, January

The majority of grass types will become dormant during the winter season. This means there’s not much for you to do when the grass is frozen. To prepare for winterization, as it’s known in the lawn-care world, read our guide on winter turf care.

Try to avoid walking, parking, and leaving heavy objects on your lawn during the winter months — if you can help it. You can undo all your hard work by compressing soil and grass blades with heavy traffic. Because your lawn isn’t growing in the winter, it will take longer to recover from damage. In the spring, the lawn will also be compacted and take longer to green up.

The quiet period in your seasonal lawn-care maintenance means you can use this opportunity to look after your equipment. Clean out your broadcast spreaders and backpack sprayers. Sharpen the blades on your mower and test your irrigation system — you won’t get much time to do this at other times of the year.

Seasonal Lawn-Care Maintenance

Achieving a perfect lawn is no mean feat. Patience, diligence, and commitment are required to get your grass to the golf course standard. Following the steps in this guide will set you up for success, but remember to research your grass type and test your soil first. Long-term planning with this lawn-care schedule will increase the chances of a healthy and flourishing lawn.

Enroll on our golf course lawn academy course for a more comprehensive breakdown of your yearly lawn care schedule with specialist advice.