Seasonal Guides

For warm-season grasses (Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia), the growing season runs from April to October. Growth peaks in the warmest months (June–August). Cool-season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass, Tall Fescue and Perennial Ryegrass grow most actively in spring and fall. In the Deep South and Gulf Coast, warm-season lawns grow almost year-round.

Yes, but much less often. Warm-season lawns slow down dramatically in winter, you might only mow once every 3–4 weeks, or not at all in cold areas like Minnesota or Wisconsin. When you do mow in winter, raise the cutting height by about ½ inch to protect the grass from frost damage. Cool-season lawns may still need an occasional late-fall mow.

Apply a quality slow-release fertilizer in early-to-mid April (or March in the South). Your lawn is waking up hungry from winter dormancy, and a good spring feed sets the tone for the entire growing season. Follow up with a pre-emergent herbicide if you had weed problems last year, prevention is far easier than cure.

Three things: water deeply but infrequently (about 1 inch, 2–3 times per week, early morning), raise your mowing height by ½ to 1 inch (taller grass shades its own roots), and avoid fertilizing during extreme heat. If your lawn goes brown in a heatwave, it’s likely dormant, not dead. It’ll bounce back once temperatures drop and you resume watering.