From LawnzoLawn care calendar by state
When to mow, feed, seed and water in your state, built from frost dates, the grasses that grow there and the advice of the state’s own extension service.
- CaliforniaWarm-season lawns are fed from April to September, and tall fescue in spring and fall.
- FloridaFertilize only during the growing season, and finish by late September in the north.
- GeorgiaFeed warm-season grasses from May through August, and tall fescue in February-March and October-November.
- IllinoisFertilize and seed Illinois lawns in late summer, with a lighter feeding in spring.
- MichiganFall is the best time to seed a Michigan lawn, and spring crabgrass control runs by soil temperature, not the calendar.
- New YorkFeed in September, seed from mid-August through September, and stop by December 1.
- North CarolinaSeed cool-season grass from mid-August to October 1, and warm-season grass from March 1 to July 1.
- OhioFertilize Ohio lawns in April and May and again in September and October.
- PennsylvaniaSeed in late summer to early fall, and feed in spring and again in late summer.
- TexasFeed once the grass is growing, and make the last nitrogen application 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost.
About these pages
Each state page starts from what decides timing: the grasses that grow there, the average last spring and first fall frost from NOAA climate normals, and the calendar the state’s extension service publishes. Large states span several climates, so the page shows the range and tells you which part applies where.
Dates are averages. A warm spring or a late frost moves everything, which is why each job is tied to a sign you can see, such as green-up, soil warmth or the first mowing, as well as to a month.
In a hurry? The free Lawn fertilizer calculator tells you how much fertilizer your lawn needs from the numbers on the bag.
