Key Takeaways
- Proper care leads to healthy, attractive lawn. Each season do these simple tasks and your lawn should be lush and green.
- Spring: Revive lawn, mow, prevent weeds, repair damage, fertilize, aerate
- Summer: Mow regularly, water deeply, fertilize, control pests, test soil pH
- Fall: Prepare for winter, aerate, fertilize, remove leaves, sow cool-season grass
- Winter: Prevent damage, final mow, maintain equipment, plan for spring
Table of Contents
As a homeowner, taking good care of my lawn feels like a lot of work at times. But when I see that lush, green carpet of grass, it makes it all worth it.
In this post, we’ll go into the the things I do to care for my lawn.
Related post: Different Types of Grass Lawn to Plant
Seasonal Lawn Care Tips for Each Season
Spring Lawn Care
The Spring is a key period for lawn care. There are must do’s and if you have time can do’s. No matter what type of grass you have here is a list of tasks you should do.
Must Do in Spring
- Cleaning any debris from the winter: Rake to remove the dead grass, grass clippings, winter debris, and the remnants of grassy weeds like goosegrass, barnyard grass, and crabgrass.
- Spring mowing: Next, you should mow your lawn. Always make sure to use sharp mower blades for mowing
Herbicide or Weed Killer
After mowing, use a pre-emergent herbicide or weed killer to eliminate any dormant weeds that may start growing.
Spraying can be a good option to apply herbicides. This way, you can avoid damaging the grassroots.
Overseed
We also suggest you sow warm-season grasses in late spring and cool-season grasses in early spring.
There are hundreds of products in the market that can make the lawn denser by combining grass seed, fertilizers, and other soil amendments such as compost, peat, or high-quality topsoil.
Fertilizer
Fertilizing is a must during early spring. Since grasses have been dormant during the winter, they need all the nutrients to start up again.
Overview
- Mow your lawn
- Use pre-emergent herbicide before weeds start growing
- Repair dead patches or bare spots
- Sow grass seed
- Fertilize and aerate your lawn
Summer Lawn Care
During the summer, the temperature starts rising, and there is also less rainfall. Cool-season grass becomes dormant, while warm-season grasses thrive during the summer months.
Watering
Given it’s warmer, you’ll need to increase the frequency of watering your lawn. Water your grass 2 to 3 times a week.
If you can help it, the best time to water your lawn is in the morning and preferably before 10 am.
Try your best not to water your grass at night. This will eventually lead to fungus growth in your lawn.
Other factors such as the weather, evaporation rate, and temperature all play a role in how much water you need to give to your lawn.
Still, you’ll be able to gauge how much water your grass needs by sticking a screwdriver into the soil. If you cannot push it in, then you need more water.
Fertilizer
Fertilize the warm-season grasses every six weeks. Fertilize the warm-season grasses once after six weeks to maximize their growth.
A sprinkler irrigation system is considered the best method to supply water to the grassroots.
But if you don’t have a sprinkler system, check out our best recommendations on the new style oscillating sprinklers that cover more area than ever before.
The best oscillating sprinkler we think of is this particular lawn sprinkler. It has all the features of covering large areas and also has a built-in timer to stop watering.
- 20 Precision rubber nozzles provide maximum coverage of a large lawn or...
- Built in mechanical timer lets you set how long you want to water, up to 2...
- Infinity turbo drive provides a smooth operation for even watering and...
Mowing
Mow the grass every week using sharp mower blades because it will maintain the lawn’s nice appearance.
Don’t cut too short because you want to leave a good portion of the grass blades. For cool-season lawns, there is no need to mow as often.
Do not use dull mower blades to cut the grass because it can damage the grass in the summer heat.
Pest and Insects
During the early summer, gardeners should be aware of lawn diseases and pests.
For example, grub worms can feed on the grassroots in warm weather, which can cause significant grass damage.
Testing Soil pH
Also, don’t forget to test the soil’s pH during the growing season. There is a variation of pH levels that any particular grass type thrives in.
In general, if you keep the soil’s pH in the range of between 6.5 to 7, in most cases, it should be fine. If your soil is healthy, your lawn will be too.
Are you looking for a pH meter? We have tested several mineral and pH test kits and can highly recommend this pH and mineral test kit to test your soil. It’s economical and outputs a pretty accurate reading for pH and other minerals in the soil.
- Quick, at home results for Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphrous and Potash
- Innovative and inexpensive soil test kit features an easy-to-use capsule...
- Contains all components needed for 40 tests. 10 for each of pH, N, P and K
Overview
- Adopt an irrigation system to provide water
- Use treatments to remove pest attacks from your healthy turf
- Test the pH of the soil
- Fertilize the warm-season grasses
Autumn/Fall Lawn Care
According to the meteorological calendar, autumn arrives in September. This time is ideal for cool-season lawns to grow. They start taking up nutrients that boost their growth.
Mowing
During autumn, you can use a lawnmower to cut the grass without harming it. Professional landscapers do this work very effectively and efficiently.
Watering
It would be best to reduce the watering frequency in this period because the temperature starts falling in early fall, and water will now evaporate and soak in as fast.
If there is too much water, this can cause fungal growth in your lawn.
Related post: When to Stop Watering Grass in the fall
Fertilizer and Aerate Your Lawn
Warm-season grass begins to enter its winter dormancy. It would be best to fertilize during the early fall for both cool and warm-season types of grass.
Mid-October is an excellent time to fertilize the lawn. Temperatures start to fall dramatically during this time, and the colder temperatures discourage the growth of grass.
Furthermore, it would be best if you reduced soil compaction to aerate the lawn.
Clean up
Also, remove the dead grass to give your yard a lush appearance.
Lawn care during this period must be done with care because without proper seasonal lawn care during this time. Your grass may die once the frost arrives.
Overview
- Sow cool-season grass seeds
- Fertilize your cool-season lawn early
- Remove broadleaf weeds using a broad spectrum weedkiller
- Use organic soil amendments such as compost, peat, or high-quality topsoil
- Rake the fallen leaves and other debris off your lawn
Winter Lawn Care
Lawn care during winter becomes quite hard because of frost. But do not sit idly because winter is a fantastic time for preparation.
Try Not to Walk on the Grass
Winter arrives in November, and during this time, you need to limit foot traffic. Also, do not park any vehicles on the lawn.
It will be good to give your lawn a final mow, which will help prevent snow mold.
If you de-ice using sodium chloride (rock salt), remember that excessive sodium and chloride ions can damage the root systems.
Preparation for Spring
It is better to make necessary preparations to start working on the lawn as soon as spring arrives.
During this period, you can sharpen mower blades to get them ready for spring.
We have a great guide on how to remove your lawnmower blade and how to sharpen them.
You can also prepare pre-emergent herbicides to use in the spring to suppress weed growth.
Overview
- Clean and sharpen mower blades
- Prep pre-emergent herbicide to use in the Spring
- Clear the debris, rotting foliage, and little stones that may have been left on your lawn from road deicing
FAQ
How should I prepare a schedule for my lawn care?
To prepare a complete schedule for the entire year, you need to plan everything during the winter because this is when you will have enough time to think and make notes.
How can I take care of my lawn throughout the year?
There are a few things to remember about lawn care, such as when to mow, water and fertilize, and control weeds and pests.
These are the most basic and critical elements of lawn care.
When should I treat my lawn in winter?
You do not have to treat the lawn in the winter. It would help if you prepared for the next season. As soon as the frost is gone, you can start working.
Conclusions
To sum up, different seasons have different requirements for lawn care. Though it seems complicated, the situation can become very easy if you plan everything early.
Taking care of your seasonal lawn care needs and proper maintenance can help you obtain a beautiful green lawn.
Plus, well-taken lawn care has several positive effects on the environment, including carbon sequestration [2].
When in doubt, however, you can always consult professionals for your lawn care services if you feel lost so you can kick up your feet and enjoy your beautiful lawn.
References
- [1] Sewell, Mccallister, D.L., Gaussoin, R.E. and Wortmann C. (2008). Lawn management practices and perceptions of residents in 14 sandpit lakes of Nebraska. Journal of Extension, 48(2)
- [2] Qian, Y., Follett, R.F., & Kimble, J.M. (2010). Soil Organic Carbon Input from Urban Turfgrasses. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 74(2), 366-371
- University of Minnesota Yard and Garden Extension. (2018). Lawn Care Calendar. University of Minnesota, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Kansas State University Research and Extension Lawn Care Seasonal Guide.
Lindsey Hyland grew up in Arizona where she studied at the University of Arizona’s Controlled Environment Agriculture Center. She continued her gardening education by working on organic farms in both rural and urban settings. She started UrbanOrganicYield.com to share gardening tips and tactics. She’s happy to talk about succulents and houseplants or vegetables and herbs – or just about anything in a backyard garden or hydroponics garden.
