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…

…And that’s the weather.

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 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

Raking and scarifying can start in 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 care

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 lawn care

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.

Don’t cut the grass too short.

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

If you haven’t done already apply an autumn fertiliser.

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


winter lawn care

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.

If it’s mild and the worms are still active, keep removing their casts.

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”

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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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