A beautiful lawn doesn’t happen by accident—it takes knowledge, timing, and the right seasonal lawn care checklist to stay on track.
Think lawn care is as simple as mowing and watering? Think again. Keeping your grass healthy year-round takes much more than that—fertilizing, aerating, soil testing, weed control, insect management, and more. Plus, you need to know when to do what. One wrong move, and you could end up with patchy, stressed grass instead of a lush, green lawn.
We compiled this brief month-by-month seasonal lawn care checklist as a guide to what your lawn actually needs to thrive all year long.
January and February: Prep for spring
During this period, cool-season grass is dormant, so it’s the perfect time to start preparing for a beautiful lawn in the coming months.
- Clear yard debris: Remove fallen leaves, twigs, and branches to help air circulate properly and prevent mold growth.
March: Time to wake up the lawn
As the weather warms up, it’s time to switch to spring lawn care.
- Rake: Clear out any remaining debris.
- Weed control: Apply pre-emergent solutions to prevent crabgrass and broadleaf infestations. By eliminating weed competition before it starts, the lawn retains more nutrients, moisture, and space to grow in thicker, healthier, and more resilient against drought, heat, and foot traffic.
- Soil test: It’s important to assess how healthy the soil is by measuring its nutrients and pH. This information is a guide to determining the fertilizers and amendments needed. Soil in this area is often acidic, so lime may be required.
- Water: Cool season grass needs about two inches of water each week. Water emerging grass that shows signs of wilting.
- Maintain your lawn mower: Prepare for next month by sharpening mower blades and changing the oil.
April: Continue the care
As temperatures rise, take steps to keep grass healthy.
- Weed control: Apply pre-emergent treatments early in the month to control weeds before they start sprouting. Avoid herbicides after reseeding.
- Mow and water: Begin regular mowing, maintaining the height recommended for the specific grass type. It’s often best to keep grass at about inches to maintain shade and discourage weed growth. Water as needed to keep grass from wilting.
May: Fertilize and maintain
In mid-May, it’s time for a little extra attention.
- Fertilize: For cool-season grass, a nitrogen fertilizer can boost color and growth.
- Weed control: Stay on top of weed prevention, applying treatments as necessary.
- Monitor pests: Be on the lookout for insects like grubs and fungal diseases that thrive in warmer conditions. Treat any problems early with targeted solutions.
June: Dormancy and maintenance
In hot summer months, grass may go dormant.
- Mow and water: If your grass remains active, mow it regularly and water deeply but infrequently to promote deep root growth. Water in the early morning to avoid evaporation. If the grass is dormant, reduce mowing and watering.
- Monitor insects: Continue to monitor for insects and treat as necessary.
July and August: Summer dormancy
During these hot months, most lawns go dormant in this area.
- Watering: Water deeply but infrequently. Aim for 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly, ideally early in the morning. If the grass has gone dormant, water only every two to three weeks.
- Watch for weather changes: Stay prepared for seeding, mowing, and watering once grass reawakens in late summer.
September: Fall prep
This is an important month for lawn care.
- Mow and fertilize: Keep mowing and apply nitrogen fertilizer to cool season grass types like Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, or tall fescue.
- Dethatch and aerate: Address any thatch. Then, aerate to loosen the soil and relieve compaction, ensuring better airflow, water absorption, and nutrient delivery to the roots.
- Reseed if necessary. If the summer heat has caused grass thinning, it’s time to reseed those areas, ideally about 45 days before the first frost. For optimal results, aerate and dethatch before adding new grass seed.
October: Final mowing and aeration
Now is the time for last-minute touch-ups.
- Mow and aerate: If aeration has not been performed yet, do it now. Keep mowing as needed.
- Leaf removal: A heavy layer of fallen leaves creates excessive dampness and darkness on the grass underneath. Rake up fallen leaves to reduce moisture and let in sunlight or mulch mow them. When mulched, the leaves provide nutrients to the lawn in the form of organic matter.
November: Winter prep
As temperatures cool, lawns are likely going dormant.
- Mow and water: Continue with basic lawn maintenance, but avoid fertilizing once the grass goes dormant in mid-November.
- Leaf and debris removal: Perform as necessary to remove final leaf and tree fragments.
December: Dormancy
Lawns are likely dormant now, but there are a few final steps to take.
- Stop watering: If the ground freezes, stop irrigation.
- Maintain tools: Clean and store the lawnmower and other yard tools.
As you can see, maintaining a healthy, vibrant lawn isn’t as simple as it seems. From seasonal timing to soil health and insect control, there’s a lot to get right—and small mistakes can lead to big problems. Instead of spending your time troubleshooting lawn issues, let the experts handle it. With decades of experience and a deep commitment to environmental stewardship, HillSide Lawn Service is proud to be the trusted provider for Maryland, Delaware and parts of Pennsylvania. We take the guesswork out of lawn care, so you can sit back and enjoy a lush, thriving lawn all year long.
Ready to get started on your seasonal lawn care checklist? Leave it to us! HillSide Lawn Service is here to remove the stress with tailored solutions that are effective and easy on the environment.