Lawn Care Calendar

Committing one or two days in the spring and fall to lawn care will go a long way making your lawn healthier and reducing the need to use pesticides.  Follow the below actions in the order presented. 

For more information about these methods, see our Healthy Lawn Care page or our Lawn Care Illustrated feature.

Spring

• Remove weeds. You can pull by hand or use a variety of tools to make this job easier.  Remember to get as much of the root as possible.
• Aerate (if needed - click here for more information).
• Overseed with a mixture of high quality grass seed
• Add topsoil or compost to bare patches and problem areas 
• Fertilize with a slow release fertilizer.
• Sharpen your mower blades at least once per season.

Summer

• Cut your lawn at 21/2 to 3" and no shorter. Keep your mower blade sharp to avoid tearing the grass.
• Leave grass clippings on the lawn. Your lawn is the best place to compost clippings as they return valuable nutrients to the soil.
• Water to 1 inch, once a week or less. During very hot and dry periods, watering only once per month (about ¼ to ½ inch is sufficient) will keep your grass alive and allow it to green up once fall rains return
• Hand pull weeds or use helpful tools. If necessary consider spot spraying.

Fall

• Fertilize. Remember to choose a slow release fertilizer.
• Overseed and add top soil as was done in the spring.
• Dethatch your lawn. Thatch is a layer of organic matter lying between your green turf and the soil. One half inch or less is beneficial. If it is thicker than that, you should dethatch it.
• Aerate compacted soil (if necessary). If you aerate be sure to overseed.