How to Find Frost Dates by ZIP Code and Use Them Safely
A ZIP-code frost date is a planning estimate from a nearby weather station, not a forecast for your yard.
Garden Guides / Lawn Care
Lawn Care Guides
Match mowing height, watering, fertilizer, aeration, and overseeding timing to your grass type, soil, and season.
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A reliable first guide
Use the foundation first, then choose a narrower guide for your exact task.
How These Guides Differ
Find the guide for the job in front of you
These guides help you time lawn work to your grass type and soil temperature, and choose between jobs that are easy to confuse, such as dethatching and core aeration.
The seasonal plan
The lawn calendar sets each job by soil temperature instead of by month, because April in Georgia and April in Michigan are different seasons for grass. Feeding guides follow the same timing.
Aerating and dethatching
Dethatching removes a thick layer of stems and roots above the soil, while core aeration pulls plugs out of compacted soil. These guides tell the two apart, then time aeration by grass type and region.
Overseeding and new grass
Overseeding guides begin with whether seed is worth buying, then cover timing by region, seeding without an aerator, watering new seed, and when the new grass can take feet and the first mowing.
- Is Overseeding Worth It for Your Lawn?
- How to Overseed a Lawn That Actually Fills In
- Best Time to Aerate and Overseed for a Thicker Lawn
- What Is the Best Time to Overseed a Midwest Lawn?
- Best Time to Overseed a Northeast Lawn for Thick Turf
- Can You Overseed a Lawn Without Aerating It First?
- Watering New Grass Seed From First Soak to Deep Roots
- How Long After Planting Grass Seed Can You Walk On It Safely
- When Should You Mow New Grass for the First Time?
- When to Mow After Overseeding, for Cool-Season and Bermuda Lawns
Weeds, shade, and slopes
The remaining guides handle site problems, including grass weeds, St. Augustine grass thinning in partial shade, and a sloping yard that needs leveling.
Where to start
- Start with The Ultimate Lawn Care Calendar by Grass Type and Season. It shows which jobs fit the current soil temperature for your type of grass.
- If the lawn is thin, read Is Overseeding Worth It for Your Lawn? before you buy seed. It lists the shade, drainage, compaction, and traffic problems that seed alone will not fix.
Lawn Care Library
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20 matching guides
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How to Identify Grass Weeds in Your Lawn
Misidentifying grass weeds leads straight to wasted herbicide and thin turf.
How to Level a Sloping Yard for Safer, Flatter Space
To level a sloping yard, flatten only the area you will actually use, cut soil from the high side to fill the low side, and keep at…
How to Overseed a Lawn That Actually Fills In
Thin, tired grass usually is not a mowing problem, it is a plant-count problem.
Is Overseeding Worth It for Your Lawn?
Overseeding is worth it when desirable grass still occupies much of the lawn, open soil can be exposed for seed contact, and you have…
St. Augustine Grass in Shade: When Repair Makes Sense
St. Augustine can grow in partial shade, but the cultivar and the site determine whether it will stay dense.
Grass response
Three decisions that shape the result
1
Identify the lawn
Confirm whether the grass grows most strongly in cool or warm weather.
2
Set the cutting limit
Use the grass type and current height to choose a safe mowing height.
3
Read the soil
Check moisture and compaction before adding water, seed, or fertilizer.
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