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

> Massachusetts lawn calendar: UMass Extension nitrogen timing for cool-season turf, the 330 CMR 31.00 fertilizer rules and NOAA frost dates.

Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/lawn-care-calendar/massachusetts
Last updated: 2026-10-19

Massachusetts has a statewide lawn fertilizer regulation, 330 CMR 31.00, and UMass Extension writes the nitrogen guidance it points to. The calendar that results is simple: feed around Labor Day first, feed lightly in spring, and never put fertilizer on frozen, snow-covered or brown turf.

**The late-summer feeding near Labor Day matters most, and fertilizer is barred on frozen, snow-covered or dormant turf.** UMass Extension calls the late August to early September feeding the most important one for cool-season grasses. Its program tables run from 1.0 to 2.0 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet a year for one application up to 3 to 4 pounds for four, and spring feeding starts after about half the lawn has greened up. Under 330 CMR 31.00, phosphorus is allowed only with a soil test within three years or for a new lawn. (UMass Extension; MDAR, 330 CMR 31.00)

| Month | Cool-season lawn (Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, fescues) | Legal limits (330 CMR 31.00) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Dormant | No fertilizer on frozen or snow-covered soil |
| February | Dormant | No fertilizer on frozen or snow-covered soil |
| March | Dormant until green-up | Not on frozen, saturated or snow-covered soil |
| April | Spring feeding after about 50 percent green-up, 0.75 to 1.5 lb N | Not on brown or dormant turf |
| May | Crabgrass germinates in spring; mow high | Setbacks from water apply |
| June | Late spring feeding in 3 and 4 application programs | Not when heavy rain is forecast |
| July | Summer feeding only on irrigated turf in 4 application programs | Not on drought-dormant turf |
| August | Late summer renovation and seeding begin | Phosphorus allowed for new lawns in the first growing season |
| September | Feeding near Labor Day, 0.75 to 2.0 lb N depending on program | Keep fertilizer off hard surfaces |
| October | Fall seeding season continues | Soil test valid for three years |
| November | Late-season feeding only for intensively used turf, after the last mowing | Not on frozen soil |
| December | Dormant | No fertilizer on frozen or snow-covered soil |

Feeding months are UMass Extension's program table; towns on Cape Cod and the islands have their own rules.

## Which grasses grow where in Massachusetts

UMass Extension's grass selection guide covers cool-season turf. Kentucky bluegrass spreads by rhizomes, tolerates cold and wear, and goes semi-dormant in hot, dry spells. Perennial ryegrass establishes fast, so it is used alone or at about 20 percent of a mix. Turf-type tall fescue is slow to establish but is heat and drought tolerant and takes moderate shade; UMass puts its nitrogen need at 2.5 to 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet per growing season. Fine fescues suit shade, drought and low fertility, need 1 to 2 pounds, and do poorly in hot, humid conditions.

UMass says tall fescue has the highest drought avoidance of the cool-season species. Endophyte-enhanced cultivars of ryegrass, tall fescue and fine fescue resist leaf-feeding insects such as billbugs, sod webworms and chinch bugs.

## Frost dates from NOAA

Dates are the NOAA 1991-2020 normals for the last spring and first fall 32 F freeze at 50% probability. Boston Logan International averages April 4 and November 9. Worcester Regional Airport averages April 23 and October 21.

Our arithmetic: Boston has about 219 days between those dates and Worcester about 181, 38 days fewer inland.

## Spring

UMass's program table puts the spring nitrogen application after about 50 percent green-up, at 1.0 to 1.5 pounds in a two-application program and 0.75 to 1.0 pound in three- and four-application programs, with 25 to 100 percent slow-release nitrogen depending on the program. Some programs skip spring feeding altogether.

Crabgrass germinates in spring, and UMass says that renovating in spring and early summer without a pre-emergent herbicide fails more often than not, because of crabgrass pressure. Raising the mowing height reduces the light reaching seed and helps most in the spring and early summer germination peak.

## Summer

Summer nitrogen goes only on irrigated turf, and only in the four-application program. UMass advises against applying fertilizer to drought-dormant, cold-dormant or brown turf, which the regulation repeats as a legal limit.

Soil type decides how often to water. One inch of water wets clay soil to about 5 inches, loam to about 7 inches and sand to about 15 inches, To soak the soil to a depth of 12 inches takes about 0.75 inch on sand, 1.5 inches on loam and 2.5 inches on clay.

## Fall

Late summer and early fall is when UMass says to renovate: summer annual weed pressure is minimal, and weeds that do sprout in new seedings seldom grow big enough to hurt establishment before cold weather ends them. The Labor Day feeding drives recovery from summer stress and tillering.

A late-fall application is described as delicate, appropriate only for intensively used, high-value turf, and applied after the last mowing when shoot growth has stopped but the turf is still green. UMass says it is normally not warranted on residential lawns and should be avoided in environmentally sensitive areas.

## What 330 CMR 31.00 requires

The regulation for non-agricultural turf and lawns took effect June 5, 2015; the text below is the version Mass.gov published in January 2018. Phosphorus-containing fertilizer, defined as lawn fertilizer above 0.67 percent available phosphate, can be applied only when a soil test taken within three years shows a need, or to establish a new lawn or renovate in the first growing season. No fertilizer goes on frozen, snow-covered, saturated or flood-prone soil, nor when heavy rain is predicted, nor on drought-dormant or brown turf, nor on hard surfaces, and not as a de-icer.

Keep 20 feet back from surface water with a broadcast spreader, or 10 feet with a drop spreader, rotary spreader with a deflector or targeted spray. No fertilizer in a Zone I of a public water supply well or within 100 feet of surface water used for public supply, and nothing in excess of UMass's annual rates. Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have local rules of their own. The lawn fertilizer calculator on this site shows pounds of product per 1,000 square feet so you can stay inside the UMass figures.

## Frequently asked questions

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

UMass Extension says the late August to early September feeding, around Labor Day, is the most important for cool-season grasses. A lighter spring feeding after about 50 percent green-up is optional.

### Can I use phosphorus on my Massachusetts lawn?

Only if a soil test from the last three years shows a need, or to establish a new lawn or renovation in the first growing season.

### Is there a date range when I cannot fertilize in Massachusetts?

330 CMR 31.00 does not set calendar dates for lawns. It bars fertilizer on frozen, snow-covered or saturated soil and on brown or dormant turf.

### How close to a pond or stream can I fertilize?

Not within 20 feet with a broadcast spreader, or 10 feet with a drop spreader, a rotary spreader with a deflector or a targeted spray. Public water supply zones have larger setbacks.

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

Lawnzo, a planner for iPhone, covers several lawns, each with its own area, grass, exposure and irrigation. It keeps, delays or skips jobs by the forecast and shows the reason, and it can send reminders rebuilt from the current plan.

## Sources (checked 2026-10-02)

- [UMass Extension, Nutrient management for turf (best management practices, section 7)](https://ag.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/turf/publications-resources/best-management-practices/7-soil-nutrient-management)
- [UMass Extension, Selection of Grasses](https://ag.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/home-lawn-garden/fact-sheets/selection-of-grasses)
- [UMass Extension, Turf Irrigation and Water Conservation](https://ag.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/home-lawn-garden/fact-sheets/turf-irrigation-water-conservation)
- [UMass Extension, Crabgrass Management: Homeowner Options](https://ag.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/home-lawn-garden/fact-sheets/crabgrass-management-homeowner-options)
- [UMass Extension, Plant nutrient regulations and local rules](https://ag.umass.edu/agriculture-food-environment/turf/publications-resources/nutrient-management-for-turf)
- [Mass.gov, Plant Nutrient Management (MDAR)](https://www.mass.gov/service-details/plant-nutrient-management)
- [Mass.gov, 330 CMR 31.00: Plant nutrient application requirements for agricultural land and non-agricultural turf and lawns (regulation text)](https://www.mass.gov/doc/330-cmr-31-plant-nutrient-application-requirements-for-agricultural-land-and-non-agricultural-turf-and-lawns/download)
- [NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals: frost dates for Boston Logan International Airport, Worcester Regional Airport (API query)](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-annualseasonal-1991-2020&stations=USW00014739,USW00094746&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)