# Lawn care calendar for California: when to fertilize and seed

> California lawn calendar for warm-season and cool-season grasses: when to fertilize, seed and mow, with UC IPM timing and NOAA frost dates for Sacramento.

Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/lawn-care-calendar/california
Last updated: 2026-10-04

California has no single lawn season. Bermudagrass lawns in the Central Valley and the south and tall fescue lawns on the coast and in the north follow different calendars, and the UC IPM Guide to Healthy Lawns gives separate timing for each.

**Warm-season lawns are fed from April to September, and tall fescue in spring and fall.** UC IPM puts the active growth period for seeded bermudagrass at April through September, and for tall fescue at March through June and again September through December. Plant warm-season grasses from mid-spring to midsummer and cool-season grasses in early spring or fall. In general, lawns are fed about four times a year while they are actively growing. (UC Statewide IPM Program, UC ANR)

| Month | Warm-season (bermudagrass; southern California, Central Valley) | Cool-season (tall fescue; coast and north) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Dormant; keep traffic off | Between feeding windows |
| February | Dormant; check sprinkler coverage | Between feeding windows; plan early-spring seeding |
| March | Bermudagrass greens up as the soil warms | First feeding; seed in early spring |
| April | Feeding begins; plant from mid-spring; aerate if compacted | Feed; water deeply and rarely |
| May | Feed; plant seed, sod or sprigs | Feed; aerate if soil is compacted |
| June | Feed; plant by midsummer | Last feeding of the spring window |
| July | Feed; mow often; water deeply | No scheduled feeding; growth may slow in extreme heat |
| August | Feed; keep removing only a third per mowing | No scheduled feeding |
| September | Last feeding month | Second feeding window opens; fall seeding |
| October | Growth slows toward dormancy | Feed; seed or overseed |
| November | Dormant | Feed |
| December | Dormant | Last feeding month |

Dates shift with the weather; follow the signs in the text.

## Which grasses grow where in California

UC IPM divides lawn grasses in two. Cool-season grasses such as tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass do best in northern and coastal California, although they are grown throughout the state. Warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass, buffalograss, kikuyugrass, St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass grow best in southern California and the Central Valley, where summers are hot and dry and winters mild.

Warm-season grasses go dormant when soil temperature drops below 52 F and green up as it rises. Cool-season grasses need about 25% more water than warm-season grasses in the same place.

## Frost dates from NOAA

Dates are the NOAA 1991-2020 normals for the last spring and first fall 32 F freeze at 50% probability. At Redding Municipal Airport the average last spring frost is March 3 and the average first fall frost is November 21. At Sacramento Metropolitan Airport the dates are February 22 and November 24, and at Fresno Yosemite International Airport January 14 and December 14.

San Francisco International lists December 29 for the last spring freeze and December 26 for the first fall freeze, a few days apart in the same week of winter, so there is no frost-free season to count there. NOAA publishes no 32 F date for Los Angeles International or San Diego International.

## Spring

Begin a feeding program about 6 weeks after planting a new lawn, and use no more than 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in each application. Seeded bermudagrass takes 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen a year, hybrids 4 to 6 pounds and tall fescue 3 to 6 pounds.

Weed prevention starts in spring. Use a preemergence herbicide before weeds emerge, and remember that overseeding may be impossible for weeks or months afterward. If you aerate, do it first, because the herbicide would be removed from the soil surface with the cores. Aerate in spring while the grass is actively growing, not in summer heat. Seeded bermudagrass is mowed at 1 to 1.5 inches, hybrids at 0.5 to 0.75 inch and tall fescue at 1.5 to 3 inches. Never go below 1.5 inches on fescue, and remove no more than a third of the blade at a time.

## Summer

Water deeply and infrequently, enough to wet the soil 6 to 8 inches down, and water again when the top 2 inches have dried out. The best hours are between 2 and 8 in the morning. UC IPM warns that frequent light watering gives crabgrass a competitive edge and keeps roots shallow.

Several California counties limit watering to one day a week or to set days by address, so check your county before setting a timer. Warm-season grasses are in their active season and need frequent mowing, and tall fescue may slow in extreme heat.

## Fall

Fall is the second planting season for cool-season grasses and the start of the second feeding window for tall fescue, which runs from September through December. Seed tall fescue at 8 to 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

Bermudagrass lawns get their last feeding in September and then go dormant. UC IPM advises that the last fertilizer application come 6 to 8 weeks before the likely first frost. Remove thatch that is more than a half inch thick. Traffic on dormant bermudagrass can damage it and let weeds in.

## UC IPM and UC ANR

UC IPM, part of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources division, publishes the UC Guide to Healthy Lawns and a set of Pest Notes. For help with a specific lawn it points readers to their local Cooperative Extension office.

## Frequently asked questions

### When should I fertilize my lawn in California?

Warm-season lawns such as bermudagrass are fed from April through September, and tall fescue from March through June and again from September through December. Use no more than 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each time.

### When should I plant grass in California?

Warm-season grasses from mid-spring to midsummer, and cool-season grasses in early spring or fall. A lawn that establishes quickly competes with weeds better.

### Does California have local lawn watering rules?

Several counties restrict watering to one day a week or to certain days by address, according to UC IPM. Check with your county.

### How short can I mow a California lawn?

It depends on the grass: seeded bermudagrass 1 to 1.5 inches, hybrid bermudagrass 0.5 to 0.75 inch and tall fescue 1.5 to 3 inches. Remove no more than a third of the blade in one mowing.

### Can Lawnzo help me follow a California lawn schedule?

Lawnzo, a lawn-care planner for iPhone, builds a seasonal plan from your grass, sun and irrigation, checks each task against the forecast and shows why it keeps, delays or skips a job. Its journal records products and photos.

## Sources (checked 2026-10-01)

- [UC IPM, Home, Garden, Turf and Landscape Pests](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/)
- [UC IPM, Weed Management in Lawns (Pest Notes)](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/weed-management-in-lawns/)
- [UC IPM, The UC Guide to Healthy Lawns](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/)
- [UC IPM Lawn Guide, Established lawns](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/MAINTAIN/index.html)
- [UC IPM Lawn Guide, Fertilizing](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/MAINTAIN/fertilize.html)
- [UC IPM Lawn Guide, How much, when and how often to mow](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/MAINTAIN/mowamt.html)
- [UC IPM Lawn Guide, When to water](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/MAINTAIN/irrwhen.html)
- [UC IPM Lawn Guide, Turf species](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/TURFSPECIES/index.html)
- [UC IPM Lawn Guide, Bermudagrass](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/TURFSPECIES/bermuda.html)
- [UC IPM Lawn Guide, Planting and management tips for bermudagrass](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/TURFSPECIES/bermudatips.html)
- [UC IPM Lawn Guide, Planting and management tips for tall fescue](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/TURFSPECIES/tallfesctips.html)
- [NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals: frost dates for Redding, Sacramento, Fresno, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego (API query)](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-annualseasonal-1991-2020&stations=USW00024257,USW00093225,USW00093193,USW00023234,USW00023174,USW00023188&dataTypes=ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP50,ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP50&format=json)
- [NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (product page)](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals)
- [NOAA NCEI, station inventory (GHCN-Daily station list)](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/ghcn/daily/ghcnd-stations.txt)