What is a good yearly lawn care schedule for Virginia?

For a cool-season lawn such as tall fescue, the grass on most Virginia yards, the year runs on fall. Aerate and overseed in late summer to early fall, feed in September, October and November, and keep spring light: a crabgrass preventer around mid-March and spot treatment of weeds, not heavy fertilizer. If your lawn is bermudagrass or zoysia, the feeding calendar flips; see the note below the table.

The year at a glance

Treat these dates as a guide, since timing varies with where you are in the state. Virginia Tech puts the best window to fertilize cool-season grasses from mid-August through early November.^[2]

Winter: test and plan

Never apply fertilizer to frozen soil.^[3] Winter is the time for the soil test, because Virginia Tech recommends you test home lawn soils every 3 to 4 years.^[1] The results tell you whether you need lime, phosphorus or potassium; apply them only if the report says so.

Spring: preventer and light touch

Crabgrass is the main target. The first application should be made after the forsythias are in bloom but before the dogwoods are, about March 15.^[4] Many products require a second application.^[4] Henrico County's simple weed plan reads, in short: Mid-March: Apply crabgrass preventer (without fertilizer).^[4] Later, summer annuals like lespedeza and spurge should be treated in April and May.^[4] More on why timing matters is in why weeds keep coming back.

Go easy on nitrogen. Virginia Tech notes that adding small amounts of nitrogen to cool-season grasses can be beneficial for spring root growth, but very aggressive spring nitrogen programs are counter-productive.^[2]

Summer: mow well, ask little of the grass

Set the mower blade height at 3 to 4 inches for fescue lawns and remove no more than one third of the leaf blade at each mowing.^[4] Leave the clippings: clippings return up to one third of a lawn's annual nutrient needs.^[4]

Tall fescue can go dormant in the heat of summer unless watered.^[4] A brown summer lawn is not necessarily dead, so wait for the fall feeding window rather than fertilizing it in summer. If you irrigate, see how long to run sprinklers.

Late summer to early fall: rebuild

This is the most valuable stretch. Fall is the best time to aerate your lawn.^[4] The soil should be moist, but not wet.^[4] Late summer to mid-fall is the best time to establish cool-season turfgrass,^[3] so seed thin areas while you are at it; how to aerate and overseed walks through the job.

Watch your preventers. Annual bluegrass is controlled by a pre-emergent herbicide applied in late August.^[4] That product, like crabgrass preventers, will also prevent turf grass seed from germinating,^[4] so choose one or the other on any patch you plan to seed.

Fall: feed, treat, deal with leaves

Make three fertilizer applications, applying no more than 0.9 lb. of N/1,000 ft2 of turfgrass, during September, October, and November for most lawn fertilizer products.^[4] Applications should be made approximately four weeks apart.^[4] On a well-established cool-season lawn, a single early September application of a controlled-release fertilizer may be enough.^[3]

Winter weeds show up now. Winter annuals like henbit, bittercress and chickweed make their appearance in the fall, so treat them in October and November.^[4] Follow the label every time; Pesticide labels are legally enforceable.^[5]

Leaves come first. Chemical sprays over the top of leaves are often a waste of time, effort, and money.^[3] One thing that can be done with the leaves before any chemical application is to simply mulch them back into the lawn.^[3] See whether to mulch leaves into the lawn.

If you have warm-season grass

Warm-season grasses perform best when fertilized between April 1 and August 15 in Virginia.^[2] Skip the September to November feedings and read when to fertilize a lawn in Virginia.

Stop and call a pro if

• Most of the lawn is weeds or bare soil. A schedule maintains a lawn; it does not rebuild one. See how to fix a lawn that is mostly weeds and bare spots.
• Weeds return in the same place every year after correctly timed treatment.
• You are not sure what the weed is, or what you are treating is a disease or insect problem rather than a weed.
• The lawn is large, steep or hard to reach safely with a spreader and mower.
• You want the schedule handled for you. Compare what a lawn treatment program costs in Virginia and whether treatment programs are worth it, and ask whether the applicator is certified.

Getting help in Virginia

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