Lawn Care Schedule: Month-by-Month Calendar for Every Grass Type

Key takeaways

• Cool-season grasses (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, ryegrass) benefit most when the majority of nitrogen goes on from late summer through autumn, at no more than 1 lb of water-soluble N per 1,000 sq ft per application (Purdue AY-22).
• Warm-season grasses (bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, centipedegrass) get no nitrogen until soil at 4 inches is constantly 65°F and rising (UGA bermudagrass calendar), and the last feeding goes on 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost (Texas A&M EHT-144).
• Crabgrass germinates when the 24-hour mean soil temperature averages about 55°F for 3 or 4 days, so preventer goes down by the end of February in central North Carolina (NC State TurfFiles, 2024) and from mid-April to mid-May in Minnesota (UMN Extension).
• Mowing height runs 2.5 to 3.5 inches for tall fescue (3.5 in summer), 2.5 to 4 for St. Augustinegrass and 1 to 2.5 for bermudagrass, and every grass follows the one-third rule (NC State AG-367; AG-540; AG-431).
• State law overrides the calendar: Vermont bars turf fertilizer after Oct. 15 until April 1 (10 V.S.A. §1266b), New Jersey and Maryland bar nitrogen and phosphorus for homeowners after Nov. 15 until March 1 (Md. Code, Agric. §8-803.5), and three Florida counties ban both from June 1 to Sept. 30 (Pinellas County).

Which lawn care schedule fits your grass?

Pick the schedule by grass group, not by state. Cool-season grasses grow in spring and fall; warm-season grasses grow from late spring to early fall and go dormant after frost. A tall fescue lawn and a bermudagrass lawn in the same Georgia town need opposite feeding months: UGA marks May to August as no-nitrogen months for tall fescue and as the best feeding months for bermudagrass (UGA tall fescue calendar).

Mixed lawns follow the dominant grass. The University of Maryland says to base care on whatever grass is dominant, which for most Maryland lawns is tall fescue or zoysia (UMD lawn maintenance calendar). For a grass-by-grass profile of the most common cool-season lawn grass, see our guide to tall fescue.

Grass	Group	Mowing height	Nitrogen, lb per 1,000 sq ft per year	Feeding months	Source
Tall fescue	Cool	2.5 to 3.5 in (3.5 in summer)	2 to 4	Feb, Sept, Nov (NC); Sept to Nov (GA)	NC State AG-367; UGA
Kentucky bluegrass	Cool	2.5 to 3.5 in	3 to 4	Feb to Mar, Oct to Dec (GA)	UMD; UGA
Fine fescue	Cool	3 to 4 in	1.4 max (MD)	Sept; optional May	UMD
Bermudagrass	Warm	1 to 2.5 in	2 to 5	Apr or May to Aug; 0.5 lb max in Sept	NC State AG-431; UGA
Zoysiagrass	Warm	1.5 to 2.5 in	2 to 3 (4 max)	After green-up, late June, mid-Aug	UMD; NC State AG-432; UGA
St. Augustinegrass	Warm	2.5 to 4 in	2 to 5 (GA); 1 to 4 (TX)	May to Aug; none after mid-Sept	NC State AG-540; TAMU EHT-144
Centipedegrass	Warm	1 to 2 in	1 to 2	Mid-May; optional mid-Aug	NC State AG-381; UGA

1. Centipedegrass1
2. Bermudagrass1
3. Zoysiagrass1.50
4. Kentucky bluegrass2.50
5. Tall fescue2.50
6. St. Augustinegrass2.50
7. Fine fescue3

Source: NC State Extension AG-381, AG-431, AG-367, AG-540; University of Maryland Extension (zoysiagrass, Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue) Tall fescue is raised to 3.5 in from June to August (AG-367).

Show the numbers

	Low end	High end
Centipedegrass	1	2
Bermudagrass	1	2.50
Zoysiagrass	1.50	2.50
Kentucky bluegrass	2.50	3.50
Tall fescue	2.50	3.50
St. Augustinegrass	2.50	4
Fine fescue	3	4

What does a month-by-month lawn care schedule look like for cool-season grass?

For tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, the year turns on September. NC State’s basic program is 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft in mid-September, 1 lb in November and 1 lb in February, with only 1/5 to 1/2 lb as needed in spring and summer (NC State AG-367). Northern calendars move everything earlier in fall and later in spring.

Month	Transition zone (NC, VA, MD)	North (MN, WI, IN, IL)	Source
January	Mow to 3 in and clear leaves; no feeding listed	Dormant; no feeding listed in Purdue’s program	AG-367; AY-22
February	1 lb N; crabgrass preventer by end of month in central NC	Nothing	AG-367; TurfFiles
March	Preventer by early March; mow 2.5 to 3.5 in	0 to 0.5 lb N mid-March onward (optional)	AG-367; AY-22 Table 2
April	0.2 to 0.5 lb N if needed; mow every 5 to 7 days by late spring	Preventer mid-April to mid-May; first mowing in the last week of April (MN)	AG-367; UMN
May	0.2 to 0.5 lb N if needed	0.5 to 0.75 lb N (May to mid-June); broadleaf weeds acceptable	AG-367; AY-22; UMN
June	Mow at 3.5 in; no herbicides June to August	No N on unirrigated lawns	AG-367; AY-22
July	Water about 1 in a week, or let established tall fescue go dormant (UMD)	Preventive grub control early to mid-July	AG-367; UMD; Purdue E-271
August	Overseed Aug. 15 to Sept. 1 in the NC mountains	Feed, aerate, dethatch and seed from early or mid-August	AG-367; UMN
September	1 lb N mid-month; overseed Sept. 1 to Oct. 1 at 6 lb seed per 1,000 sq ft; aerate	Up to 1 lb N a month; broadleaf weed control	AG-367; AY-22; UMN
October	Mow at 2.5 to 3 in	0.5 to 0.75 lb N about every 3 weeks; mowing continues to about the end of October	AG-367; AY-22; UMN
November	1 lb N while grass is green but not growing (check state blackout dates)	Late-season N continues to early December	AG-367; AY-22
December	Mow to 3 in; clear leaves	Purdue’s autumn window closes in early December	AG-367; AY-22

How much nitrogen does a cool-season lawn need in each season?

Purdue sets the total at 1 to 5 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft a year, split by how the lawn is kept. An unirrigated lawn with clippings returned gets 2 to 4 lb, none in summer; a watered lawn with clippings bagged gets 3 to 5 lb, up to 1 lb in summer (Purdue AY-22, Table 2). Any season total above 1 lb is split into two or more applications.

1. Mid-March to April0.75
2. May to mid-June0.75
3. Mid-June to August0
4. Late Aug. to Sept.1
5. Oct. to early Dec.2

Source: Purdue Extension AY-22-W, Table 2 (Aug. 2013) Upper value of each range; seasonal totals over 1 lb are split into two or more applications.

Show the numbers

	Moderate, not irrigated	Highest, irrigated, clippings removed
Mid-March to April	0.75	0.50
May to mid-June	0.75	1
Mid-June to August	0	1
Late Aug. to Sept.	1	2
Oct. to early Dec.	2	2

Maintenance level	Year total	Mid-March to April	May to mid-June	Mid-June to August	Late Aug. to Sept.	Oct. to early Dec.
Lowest: clippings returned, not irrigated	1 to 3	0 to 0.5	0 to 0.5	0	0.5 to 1	0 to 1
Moderate: clippings returned, not irrigated	2 to 4	0 to 0.75	0.5 to 0.75	0	0.5 to 1	1 to 2
Moderate plus regular irrigation	2 to 4	0 to 0.5	0.5 to 1	0 to 0.75	0.5 to 1	1 to 2
Highest: irrigated, clippings removed	3 to 5	0 to 0.5	0.5 to 1	0.5 to 1	1 to 2	1 to 2

Minnesota’s table lands in the same place by a different route. A lawn with some watering and clippings returned on medium organic-matter soil gets 1.5 lb a year in two feedings, September and May to June; a watered lawn with clippings removed gets 3.5 lb in four feedings, August, September, early October and May to June (UMN Extension, Fertilizing lawns).

What does the lawn care schedule look like for warm-season grass?

Warm-season lawns are fed only while they grow. NC State’s calendars list no fertilizer at all from December through February for bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass, and Texas A&M says the first nitrogen waits until the lawn has been mowed 2 to 3 times (Texas A&M ESC-042).

Month	Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, St. Augustinegrass, centipedegrass	Source
January	No fertilizer on any of the four grasses	AG-431; AG-432; AG-381; AG-540
February	Crabgrass preventer mid-February to early March (bermudagrass, zoysiagrass); mid to late February (St. Augustinegrass)	AG-431; AG-432; AG-540
March	Preventer on centipedegrass by March 1; first bermudagrass mowing at green-up, set as low as possible without scalping	AG-381; AG-431
April	Bermudagrass: 0.5 to 1 lb N several weeks after full green-up (early April to May). Zoysiagrass: 0.5 lb about 3 weeks after green-up	AG-431; AG-432
May	Centipedegrass: 1 lb N mid-May, never earlier. St. Augustinegrass: 0.5 lb. Dethatch bermudagrass or centipedegrass if thatch tops 1/2 in	AG-381; AG-540; AG-431
June	Bermudagrass: 1 lb N every 4 to 6 weeks. St. Augustinegrass: 0.5 lb. Zoysiagrass: 0.5 to 1 lb late June. Aerate (UGA best May to August)	AG-431; AG-540; AG-432; UGA
July	St. Augustinegrass: 1 lb N. Dethatch bermudagrass or zoysiagrass (UGA best June to July)	AG-540; UGA
August	St. Augustinegrass: 0.5 lb N. Zoysiagrass: repeat mid-August. Centipedegrass: optional 1 lb mid-August	AG-540; AG-432; AG-381
September	Bermudagrass: no more than 0.5 lb N. St. Augustinegrass: 0.5 lb or less, nothing after mid-month. Zoysiagrass: no N. 1 lb potash 4 to 6 weeks before frost	AG-431; AG-540; AG-432
October	Overseed bermudagrass with ryegrass at 5 to 10 lb per 1,000 sq ft (UGA best month). Last N by Oct. 1 in Dallas, Oct. 15 in Austin and Houston	UGA; TAMU SCS-2005-15
November	Last N by Nov. 1 in College Station, Laredo and Victoria; none elsewhere	TAMU SCS-2005-15
December	No fertilizer	AG-431; AG-381; AG-540

Texas turns the frost rule into dates. Texas A&M’s fertilizer bulletin puts the first nitrogen after April 15 in Austin, San Antonio and Waco, after May 1 in Dallas and El Paso and after June 1 in Amarillo, and the last nitrogen by Sept. 15 in Amarillo (Texas A&M SCS-2005-15, Tables 3 and 4).

How do the monthly nitrogen programs compare?

Four of NC State’s calendars give month-specific rates, which makes the difference between grasses easy to see. Tall fescue is fed in the cool months, St. Augustinegrass spreads 3 lb over May to September, and centipedegrass, the lowest-input grass of the group, gets 1 lb in mid-May and an optional 1 lb in mid-August.

Month	Tall fescue	St. Augustinegrass	Centipedegrass	Zoysiagrass
February	1	0	0	0
April or May	0.2 to 0.5 if needed	0.5 (May)	1 (mid-May)	0.5 (about 3 weeks after green-up)
June	0.2 to 0.5 if needed	0.5	0	0.5 to 1 (late June or early July)
July	0.2 to 0.5 if needed	1	0	see June
August	0.2 to 0.5 if needed	0.5	1 (optional)	0.5 to 1 (mid-August)
September	1 (mid-month)	0.5 or less	0	0
November	1	0	0	0

1. Feb1
2. May0
3. Jun0
4. Jul0
5. Aug0
6. Sep1
7. Nov1

Source: NC State Extension AG-367, AG-540, AG-381 Tall fescue may also get 0.2 to 0.5 lb as needed in spring and summer; St. Augustinegrass September rate is a maximum.

Show the numbers

	Tall fescue (basic program)	St. Augustinegrass	Centipedegrass (Aug optional)
Feb	1	0	0
May	0	0.50	1
Jun	0	0.50	0
Jul	0	1	0
Aug	0	0.50	1
Sep	1	0.50	0
Nov	1	0	0

When should crabgrass preventer go down in your region?

Apply preemergent herbicide before crabgrass germinates, which happens when the 24-hour mean soil temperature averages about 55°F for 3 or 4 days (NC State TurfFiles). Penn State aims 10 to 14 days ahead of the earliest expected germination, when the upper inch of soil reaches 55 to 58°F at daybreak for 4 to 5 days (Penn State Extension). Calendar dates below are the regional translations.

Region	Apply by	Trigger or note	Source
South Texas	Before mid-February	Germination typically mid-February	Texas A&M ESC-042
North and Central Texas	Before early March	Germination early March; Panhandle mid-March	Texas A&M ESC-042
Georgia	February to March (April possible)	UGA calendar marks Feb. and March as best	UGA CAES
Central North Carolina	End of February	Mid-February east of Raleigh; very early March in the western piedmont	NC State TurfFiles, 2024
Maryland	When soil holds 53 to 55°F for 5 days	Forsythia bloom is a rough guide only	UMD Extension
Southeastern Pennsylvania	March 15 to April 15	Other PA areas April 1 to May 1; northern tier April 20 to May 10	Penn State Extension
Wisconsin	When forsythia is past full bloom	Germination usually not until May or June	UW-Madison Extension
Minnesota	Mid-April to mid-May	Do not use crabgrass preventer in fall	UMN Extension

Two conflicts to plan around: many preemergent products block grass seed too, so the University of Maryland notes you often cannot reseed in the same season (UMD), and products sold for crabgrass are pesticides whose label is the law. Product choice and split applications are covered in our crabgrass control guide.

How many pounds of fertilizer go on per application?

Divide the nitrogen you want by the nitrogen percentage on the bag. Illinois Extension’s worked example: for 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft from a 15-0-10 fertilizer on a 7,000 sq ft lawn, 1 ÷ 0.15 = 6.7 lb per 1,000 sq ft, and 6.7 × 7 = about 47 lb of product (Illinois Extension).

To compare named bags by what each pound of nitrogen costs, see our lawn fertilizer guide to labels, rates and price per pound of N.

The phosphorus and potassium side of that math starts with a lawn soil test, which also sets any lime rate.

Formula: pounds of product per 1,000 sq ft = target lb of N ÷ (first number on the bag ÷ 100). The worked example below applies Purdue’s moderate, unirrigated program to a 5,000 sq ft cool-season lawn using a 24-0-12 fertilizer, the grade the University of Minnesota’s turf program calls appropriate for most lawns (UMN Turfgrass Science, Sept. 2023).

Application	Window	lb N per 1,000 sq ft	lb of 24-0-12 per 1,000 sq ft	lb of 24-0-12 for 5,000 sq ft
1	May to mid-June	0.75	0.75 ÷ 0.24 = 3.13	15.6
2	Late August to September	1.0	1.0 ÷ 0.24 = 4.17	20.8
3	October	0.75	3.13	15.6
4	November (where legal)	0.75	3.13	15.6
Year		3.25 (inside Purdue’s 2 to 4)	13.54	67.7

Two caps limit the per-application number. Purdue allows no more than 1.0 lb of water-soluble nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft in a single application, or up to 2.0 lb when more than half the nitrogen is slow-release, and no more than 2.0 lb a year on shaded turf (Purdue AY-22). Maryland law limits homeowners to 0.7 lb of water-soluble and 0.9 lb of total nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per application, at least 20 percent of it slow-release (Md. Code, Agric. §8-803.5), so the 1.0 lb rows above become 0.9 lb there.

How does the Scotts 4 Step program line up with extension timing?

Scotts schedules its four bags from February to November: Step 1 by Easter, Step 2 near Memorial Day, Step 3 near Independence Day and Step 4 between Labor Day and mid-October (ScottsMiracle-Gro, How to start the Scotts 4 Step program). For a cool-season lawn, Step 4 matches extension timing, Steps 1 and 2 fit with caveats, and Step 3 does not.

Step	Scotts’ window and cue	Extension guidance for the same weeks (cool-season)	Source
Step 1: crabgrass preventer plus lawn food	February to April, on or before Easter, while temperatures stay below 80°F	Preventer before soil holds about 55°F; 0 to 0.5 lb N mid-March to April	Scotts; AY-22; TurfFiles
Step 2: weed control plus lawn food	April to June, 4 to 6 weeks after Step 1, near Memorial Day	0.5 to 0.75 lb N May to mid-June; broadleaf weed control acceptable May to late June, best September to late October	AY-22; UMN
Step 3: lawn food with 2% iron	June to August, near Independence Day	0 lb N mid-June to August on unirrigated lawns; UMN: do not fertilize in hot mid-summer	AY-22; UMN
Step 4: fall lawn food	August to November, Labor Day to mid-October	Majority of yearly N from late summer through autumn	AY-22

The practical difference is weighting. The program puts three of its four feedings in spring and summer, while Purdue’s moderate program puts 1.5 to 3 lb of a 2 to 4 lb year into late August through early December. A cool-season owner who uses the program can skip Step 3 on an unwatered lawn and add a second fall feeding; a pre-emergent product in Step 1 still has to be timed to soil temperature rather than to Easter, which falls anywhere from March 22 to April 25.

Which states ban lawn fertilizer at certain times of year?

Six states and several Florida counties write fertilizer dates into law. Vermont bans turf fertilizer after Oct. 15 until April 1 (10 V.S.A. §1266b); New York bans it Dec. 1 to April 1 (N.Y. ECL §17-2103); New Jersey and Maryland bar homeowners from nitrogen and phosphorus after Nov. 15 (N.J. P.L.2010, c.112; Md. Code, Agric. §8-803.5); three Florida counties ban both June 1 to Sept. 30.

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Jurisdiction	Restricted window or rule	Applies to	Nitrogen cap per application, per 1,000 sq ft	Water setback	Source
Vermont	After Oct. 15 until April 1: no fertilizer on turf; also when ground is frozen	Everyone	Turf nitrogen must be at least 15% slow-release	25 ft	10 V.S.A. §1266b
New York	Dec. 1 to April 1: no fertilizer on lawns	Everyone, including contractors	None in statute	20 ft (3 ft with deflector or drop spreader)	N.Y. ECL §17-2103
New Jersey	After Nov. 15 until March 1: no nitrogen or phosphorus (professionals: after Dec. 1); never on frozen ground	Homeowners; professionals	0.7 lb water-soluble and 0.9 lb total N, at least 20% slow-release (professionals 1.0 lb total)	25 ft (10 ft with deflector or drop spreader)	N.J. P.L.2010, c.112
Maryland	After Nov. 15 until March 1: no nitrogen or phosphorus; professionals may apply up to 0.5 lb N Nov. 16 to Dec. 1; never on frozen ground	Everyone; professionals	0.7 lb water-soluble and 0.9 lb total N, at least 20% slow-release (homeowners)	15 ft (10 ft with deflector or drop spreader)	Md. Code, Agric. §8-803.5
Connecticut	Dec. 1 to March 15: no phosphate-containing fertilizer, soil amendment or compost on lawns	Everyone	None	20 ft for phosphate products (15 ft with deflector or drop spreader)	Conn. Gen. Stat. §22-111yy
Pennsylvania	After Dec. 15 until March 1: no more than 0.5 lb total N per 1,000 sq ft; none on ground frozen 2 in deep or snow-covered	Everyone	0.7 lb readily available and 0.9 lb total N	15 ft	3 Pa.C.S. §6813
Pinellas County, Fla.	June 1 to Sept. 30: no nitrogen or phosphorus; also during National Weather Service storm watches or warnings	Everyone	Granular 1 lb, at least 50% slow-release; liquid 0.5 lb	10 ft	Pinellas County fertilizer ordinance
Sarasota County, Fla.	June 1 to Sept. 30: no nitrogen or phosphorus on residential turf or landscape plants	Everyone	1 lb, at least 50% slow-release; 4 lb a year	10 ft	UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, county fertilizer code summary
Lee County, Fla. (unincorporated)	June 1 to Sept. 30: no nitrogen or phosphorus	Everyone	At least 50% slow-release; 4 lb a year	10 ft	Lee County Ord. 08-08, §7
Wisconsin	No dates; no fertilizer on frozen ground (cannot dig down 6 to 8 in); phosphorus only with a soil test or new turf	Everyone	None	None in this section	Wis. Stat. §94.643 (DATCP fact sheet)
Massachusetts	No dates; no nutrients on soil frozen 2 in deep, snow-covered or saturated soil, or dormant turf	Everyone	UMass annual rate	20 ft broadcast (10 ft with deflector or drop spreader)	330 CMR 31.05(4)
Minnesota	No dates; phosphorus only with a soil test within 3 years or on new turf	Everyone	None	None in this section	Minn. Stat. §18C.60
Washington	No dates; no phosphorus-labeled turf fertilizer on frozen ground; phosphorus only with a soil test or new turf	Everyone	None	None	RCW 15.54.500
Virginia	No dated blackout; contractor-applicators must follow state nutrient management standards	Contractor-applicators	Set by DCR standards, not the statute	Label warning only	Va. Code §3.2-3602.1

1. Vermont (all fertilizer)167
2. Florida: Pinellas, Sarasota, Lee (N and P)122
3. New York (all fertilizer)121
4. New Jersey homeowners (N and P)105
5. Maryland (N and P)105
6. Connecticut (phosphate products)105
7. New Jersey professionals (N and P)89
8. Pennsylvania (0.5 lb N cap)75

Source: 10 V.S.A. §1266b; Pinellas County, Sarasota County (UF/IFAS summary) and Lee County Ord. 08-08; N.Y. ECL §17-2103; N.J. P.L.2010, c.112; Md. Code, Agric. §8-803.5; Conn. Gen. Stat. §22-111yy; 3 Pa.C.S. §6813 Days counted from the first restricted day to the last in a 365-day year; New York counted Dec. 1 through March 31. Pennsylvania's window caps nitrogen rather than banning it.

Show the numbers

	Restricted days (non-leap year)
Vermont (all fertilizer)	167
Florida: Pinellas, Sarasota, Lee (N and P)	122
New York (all fertilizer)	121
New Jersey homeowners (N and P)	105
Maryland (N and P)	105
Connecticut (phosphate products)	105
New Jersey professionals (N and P)	89
Pennsylvania (0.5 lb N cap)	75

These dates cut into the extension calendars. Several popular month-by-month calendars, including the one ranking near the top for this search, list a November ‘winterizer’ feeding with no date attached. In New Jersey and Maryland a homeowner’s last legal day is Nov. 15, and Maryland professionals are limited to 0.5 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft from Nov. 16 to Dec. 1 (Md. Code, Agric. §8-803.4). In Vermont, Scotts’ Step 4 window of August to November runs past the Oct. 15 cut-off, while its ‘Labor Day to mid-October’ cue fits.

Frozen ground is the other line. New Jersey, Maryland and Vermont ban fertilizer on frozen ground outright; Wisconsin defines frozen as soil you cannot dig down 6 to 8 inches into (Wisconsin DATCP), and Pennsylvania and Massachusetts use ground frozen at least 2 inches deep (3 Pa.C.S. §6813; 330 CMR 31.05(4)). Lawn companies applying for hire also need a state license; requirements are on our pesticide applicator license page.

How much water and mowing does the schedule need in summer?

About 1 inch of water a week from rain or irrigation while the grass is growing, wetting the soil 4 to 6 inches deep (NC State AG-367); zoysiagrass gets by on 0.5 to 1 inch (AG-432). Sandy soils need about 1/2 inch every third day instead. Water between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. to cut disease. Timing and run-time detail is in our guide to when to water grass.

To find your run time, Clemson’s method is to set out 5 to 10 straight-sided cans, run the sprinkler 15 minutes and multiply the average depth by 4 for inches per hour. At 0.5 in per hour, 1 inch takes 120 minutes; at 2 in per hour, 30 minutes (Clemson HGIC 1207).

Sprinkler output (in per hour)	Minutes to apply 1 in	Minutes to apply 0.5 in
0.5	120	60
1.0	60	30
1.5	40	20
2.0	30	15

Mowing follows the one-third rule: to hold a 3-inch lawn, mow when it reaches 4 inches (UMD); Minnesota’s version is to mow a 3-inch lawn before it reaches 4.5 inches (UMN). NC State raises tall fescue to 3.5 inches from June to August, and returning clippings supplies up to 25 percent of the lawn’s fertilizer needs (AG-367). For what a crew charges per visit through that season, see our lawn mowing cost guide.

When do aeration, dethatching and overseeding fit in?

In the same windows as the heaviest growth: late summer to early fall for cool-season lawns, late spring to early summer for warm-season lawns. The University of Minnesota puts aeration and vertical mowing between late August and early October, and treats thatch over 1/2 inch as the trigger for management (UMN Extension).

Job	Cool-season window	Warm-season window	Source
Core aeration	Fall (NC); mid-August to mid-October, or late April to May (MN)	Late spring to early summer; UGA best May to August	AG-367; UMN; UGA
Dethatching (thatch over 1/2 in)	Mid-August through September (MN); rarely needed on tall fescue	Late May after full green-up (bermudagrass, centipedegrass)	UMN; AG-431; AG-381
Overseeding	Sept. 1 to Oct. 1 in the NC piedmont at 6 lb tall fescue per 1,000 sq ft; early August to late September in MN	Centipedegrass seeded in May; bermudagrass overseeded with ryegrass in October	AG-367; UMN; AG-381; UGA
Broadleaf weed control	September to late October (best); May to late June	Winter-weed preemergent in September (UGA)	UMN; UGA

Each of these jobs has its own page. Timing by soil and grass is in when to aerate your lawn, and prices are in our lawn aeration cost and dethatching cost guides. Seeding steps and rates are in how to overseed a lawn, and seed prices per pound in grass seed cost.

What should you do on your lawn this month?

Start from the grass group and the calendar, then check the legal window. The table and flowchart below hold the same rules, each threshold sourced in the last column. A state law overrides any extension date inside its blackout: a November feeding recommended by a calendar is illegal for a Maryland homeowner after Nov. 15.

If your situation is	Do this	Why (source)
Cool-season lawn, late August to early November	Feed up to 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft a month; aerate and overseed by Oct. 1 (NC piedmont)	AY-22; AG-367
Cool-season lawn, mid-June to August, not irrigated	No nitrogen; mow at 3.5 in; no herbicides	AY-22; AG-367
You will fertilize only once a year (cool-season)	Late summer to early fall: Aug. 15 to Sept. 15 in central Illinois	Illinois Extension
Soil nearing 55°F for 3 to 4 days in spring	Apply crabgrass preemergent now, unless you plan to seed this spring	TurfFiles; UMD
Warm-season lawn: full green-up, mowed 2 to 3 times, 4-in soil at 65°F	Start N at 0.5 to 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft, 4 to 8 weeks apart	ESC-042; UGA
Warm-season lawn within 4 to 6 weeks of first frost	Stop nitrogen; bermudagrass and centipedegrass take 1 lb potash	EHT-144; AG-431
Centipedegrass before mid-May	No nitrogen yet	AG-381
Shaded cool-season turf	Halve the rates; 2 lb N a year at most	AY-22
Product more than 50% slow-release N	Up to 2 lb N per application; otherwise 1 lb	AY-22
Thatch deeper than 1/2 in	Dethatch during active growth only	UMN; AG-431
Homeowner in New Jersey or Maryland, Nov. 16 to the end of February	No nitrogen or phosphorus; make the late feeding by Nov. 15	N.J. P.L.2010, c.112; Md. Code, Agric. §8-803.5
Vermont lawn after Oct. 15	No fertilizer until April 1	10 V.S.A. §1266b
Pinellas, Sarasota or Lee County, Fla., June 1 to Sept. 30	No nitrogen or phosphorus; feed before June 1 and after Sept. 30	Pinellas County fertilizer ordinance; Lee County Ord. 08-08, §7
Ground frozen	No fertilizer (banned outright in NJ, MD, VT, PA, WI and MA)	Wis. DATCP; 3 Pa.C.S. §6813

1. 1Is the ground frozen, or is today inside a legal blackout (after Oct. 15 in Vermont, after Nov. 15 for New Jersey or Maryland homeowners, Dec. 1 to April 1 in New York, June 1 to Sept. 30 in Pinellas, Sarasota or Lee County, Fla.)?

   YesDo not fertilize. Mow only if the grass is growing and keep leaves off the lawn.

   NoGo to the next question

2. 2Is it a cool-season lawn (tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, ryegrass) between late August and early November?

   YesFertilize at up to 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft a month; aerate and overseed by Oct. 1 in the NC piedmont (Purdue AY-22; NC State AG-367).

   NoGo to the next question

3. 3Is soil about to hold 55°F for 3 to 4 days (late February in central NC, mid-April to mid-May in Minnesota)?

   YesApply crabgrass preemergent now, unless you plan to seed this spring.

   NoGo to the next question

4. 4Is it a warm-season lawn that is fully green, mowed 2 to 3 times, with 4-inch soil at 65°F and rising?

   YesFeed 0.5 to 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft every 4 to 8 weeks until 4 to 6 weeks before first frost (Texas A&M ESC-042, EHT-144).

   NoGo to the next question

5. 5Is it a cool-season lawn between mid-June and August?

   YesNo nitrogen on unirrigated turf; mow at 3.5 in; water about 1 in a week or let it go dormant; preventive grub control early to mid-July if grubs were a problem.

   NoMow at your grass's height, removing no more than one-third of the blade, and wait for the next window.

Source: Purdue AY-22, NC State AG-367 and TurfFiles, Texas A&M ESC-042 and EHT-144, UMN Extension, state fertilizer laws

This page is general information, not legal or pesticide-use advice. Fertilizer and pesticide rules change and local ordinances can be stricter than state law; read the product label and confirm with the agency linked for your state before applying.