When to Feed Your Lawn

No two lawns are alike. Where you live, whether you have sun or shade, and lots of other things make a big difference in what your lawn needs.

To get an overview about how to take care of your lawn, here are some good tips.

When to Feed Your Lawn

The most important thing you can do for your lawn is to feed it. A well-fed lawn is healthier, which means it has a better root system to combat heat, cold, drought, mowing, foot traffic and other stresses. While feeding your lawn once a year will improve its condition, feeding it four times a year will make it even healthier. If you put your lawn on the regular feeding schedule outlined below, it will look lush and green, and your neighbors will turn green with envy.

Early Spring (February – April)

Lawns wake up hungry in the spring. Feeding your lawn in the spring strengthens roots and gets it off to a good start before the heavy growing season. If you had crabgrass last year, apply a combination fertilizer with a pre-emergent to control it.

Late Spring (April – June)

Spring is lunch time for lawns. Your grass is busy and using up stored energy. That’s why you want to supply the lawn with a feeding designed for this time of year. Unfortunately, broadleaf weeds are actively growing, too. Hit them and feed your lawn with a combination of fertilizer with broadleaf weed control (a “weed-n-feed”).

Summer (June – August)

Summer is tough on grass. Heat, drought, foot traffic, and insects stress it out. Feeding your lawn in the summer protects and strengthens it against these problems. Lawns in warm-season grass areas should be fed over the summer months as they grow steadily from spring to fall. If you see insects in your grass, use a feeding product that also contains insect control.

Fall (September – November)

Fall brings back ideal conditions for your lawn. Cool nights, ample rainfall and morning dew are just about as good as it gets for grass. Now the lawn is ready to grow again, and is looking for the nutrients it needs to recover from summer damage. Some experts will say this is the single most important lawn feeding of the year. Apply your final feeding right before the winter months, when grass is prepping for a winter nap. This will strengthen roots and increase nitrogen storage for an early spring green up and a healthier lawn next year. Following a general program like this one should improve your lawn.