Monthly Lawn Care Calendar
January
- Be careful not to overfertilize and overwater annual ryegrass. If temperatures are warm and humid, monitor for the disease pythium (cottony blight).
February
- Fertilize winter ryegrass if you did not in January with a complete fertilizer and continue to mow it regularly.
- Keep all lawn herbicide sprays away from the root-zones of ornamentals.
March
- Fertilize grass with a 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 at the end of the month after green-up and when no more frosts are predicted. Make sure the fertilizer contains slow release nitrogen.
- A pre-emergent herbicide can be applied at the first of the month to control summer annual weeds.
- Renovate areas with sod, plugs, or sprigs of an appropriate grass for your landscape conditions.
April
- If you did not fertilizer your lawn last month now is the time. Fertilize grass with a 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 and make sure the fertilizer contains slow release nitrogen.
- Water the turf only when needed. Check the soil to a depth of 1 inch for moisture.
- Sharpen the blades on your mower before you begin mowing. Remember to sharpen them throughout the mowing season to prevent damaging your grass.
- Wait until the end of the month to seed lawns.
May
- Mow lawn at the proper height, careful not to remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade. Do not collect clippings unless there is a disease problem.
June
- Water lawns when the grass shows signs of water stress.
- Scout your grass for signs of insects or damage, if the weather is hot and dry, look carefully for chinch bugs in St. Augustinegrass.
- Apply mole cricket bait later this month if necessary.
- Remember to sharpen mower blades.
- If daytime temperatures are above 85 degrees F, do not apply herbicides to turf.
July
- Water your lawn only when it shows signs of stress, such ash folded leaf blades and bluish cast. Add water by allowing the soil to become wet to a depth of several inches.
- If there are signs of mole crickets in your lawn, apply mole cricket bait according to the label directions. Do not water in or apply when rain is predicted.
- Keep checking for chinch bugs in St. Augustinegrass and spittlebug in Centipedegrass.
August
- Apply a winterizer to centipedegrass to give the grass cold hardiness. Use a fertilizer with a 2-1-3 analysis such as 10-5-14.
September
- If your St. Augustinegrass needs fertilizing, use a winterizer with a 2-1-3 analysis. The winterizer will give the grass cold hardiness.
- Check St. Augustinegrass for signs of sod webworm damage (grass blades with chewed edges). If weather conditions are hot and dry, continue to watch for chinch bugs.
- There is no need to treat summer annual weeds now with an herbicide since cooler temperatures will kill them. Wait until February or march to begin a management program.
October
- Add water to your lawn during dry periods.
- Continue to monitor for sod webworms.
- Seed annual ryegrass when daytime temperatures stay in the 70's at the rate of 10 lbs per 1000 sq. ft. Water lightly each day until the seeds germinate.
November
- Sow Annual ryegrass at the first of the month if you want a green lawn this winter. Remember you will have to mow every week.
- Fertilize ryegrass with a complete fertilizer after you have mowed a few times. Use a rate of 1/2 lb. of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft.
- Water lawns when dry. Check soil moisture to make sure water is needed.
December
- Sow Annual ryegrass at the first of the month if you want a green lawn this winter. Remember you will have to mow every week.
- Fertilize ryegrass with a complete fertilizer after you have mowed a few times. Use a rate of 1/2 lb. of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft.
- Water lawns when dry. Check soil moisture to make sure water is needed.
