Your Yearly Lawn Care Schedule for Northeast Ohio

Keeping up with all of your Northeast Ohio lawn’s needs throughout the year is not always easy.

You want to do what’s best for your grass, but you can get pretty busy. And then by the time you realize that spring is in full force, you’re spotting weeds or your grass shade looks a little sketchy.

This scenario makes you wonder if you should have done something weeks ago to prevent the issues you’re seeing. For instance, when was the last time you fertilized? And how fast can you get rid of these weeds?

We understand. Life happens. But we’re here to help!

Your lawn is the first thing anyone sees visiting your home, so it’s not easy to hide blemishes when it’s not looking its best. To keep it in shape, let’s look at the ideal schedule for lawn care so you know what your lawn needs and when. This way, nothing will be forgotten.

Your Complete Northeast Ohio Lawn Care Schedule

While you might think lawn care is a one-time thing, there are actually important tasks to do each season when following the optimum schedule for lawn care in Northeast Ohio.

Here, we’ll help you understand what’s involved and why each step helps your lawn thrive.

Round 1 - Early Spring Lawn Care (March to April)

Early spring is a great time of year to prepare for the busy growing season ahead. Your schedule for lawn care begins.

Once winter fades away, you want to start by cleaning up your yard. Lightly rake up dead leaves and debris leftover from winter. Don’t be too aggressive and pull out chunks of lawn, but you do want to clear the lawn so it can receive the sunlight, air, water, and other nutrients it needs to grow. Also, keep your eyes open for bare spots or areas where your lawn seems impacted by snow mold, salt, or snow plow damage. Flag these areas for seeding and repair later.

You also want to prepare your mower. Sharpen those mower blades, fill the tires with air, change the oil, and make sure the machine works properly.

Then between March and April, you’ll receive your first granular fertilizer application with organic nutrients. This encourages top growth in your grass, as well as maintains turf vigor. While fertilizing, your lawn care professional will also put down a pre-emergent herbicide to get ahead of crabgrass and other annual grassy weeds before they pop up.

Round 2 - Late Spring Lawn Care (May)

As you get solidly into spring, remember to continue mowing your grass weekly. You want to maintain a 3- to 4-inch height, and you should never remove more than one-third of the grass at any one time to ensure you don’t stress it out.

This is also the time on your Ohio lawn fertilizer schedule for a second organic-based granular fertilization treatment, as well as a second pre-emergent herbicide application to extend crabgrass control.

As weeds like dandelions begin sneaking into your lawn, you may also receive a post-emergent weed application to stay ahead of those that begin to emerge at this time.

Round 3 - Early Summer Lawn Care (June to early July)

Your lawn should look pretty good after all the work you’ve done following your Ohio lawn care schedule in early and late spring.

While mowing is busiest during spring and fall, it may begin slowing down during the hotter summer months.

Now, you’ll be receiving a third organic granular fertilization treatment, and a liquid post-emergent herbicide application when necessary to tackle stubborn weeds. Additionally, if you have a turf insect problem known as grubs, preventing them now before they hatch and cause lawn damage is crucial.

Round 4 - Late Summer Lawn Care (mid-July to August)

Mowing will continue. Remember to keep an eye on how fast your lawn is growing. Usually, you’ll be mowing every five days in spring and fall and every 10 days in early spring, summer, and late fall.

It’s also important to think about lawn watering now, too. You may have received enough water from rain during the spring, but once summer settles in, water one to two times weekly for approximately 45 to 60 minutes. You want to provide a good soak less frequently versus a shallow watering more often to ensure water reaches your lawn roots.

This is the next time on your Ohio lawn fertilizer schedule for an organic granular fertilizer application to prepare your lawn for fall growth, as well as any necessary liquid post-emergent weed control.

At this time, you’ll also want to start watching for any insect activity or damage from pests like chinch bugs or billbugs.

Round 5 - Fall Lawn Care (September to mid-October)

Once autumn hits, it’s time for an organic granular fertilizer treatment on your Ohio lawn fertilizer schedule.

These nutrients need to reach your lawn roots to give you thicker, greener grass. Premium weed control during these cooler temperatures can help with tougher weeds like ground ivy, wild violet, and oxylis.

Additionally, your lawn may have become compacted from foot traffic and rainfall, meaning it’ll absorb fewer nutrients. That makes fall the perfect time for aeration and overseeding to break up the soil and help your lawn receive oxygen, water, and nutrients more freely.

Round 6 - Winter Lawn Care (mid-October to November)

Think there’s nothing you need to do for your lawn in the winter? Think again. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, there are some things you can add to your schedule for lawn care to make it better for the next spring.

For instance, a winterizer application helps with grass root development, storing nutrients over the winter for early spring green-up. This is also a good time of year for a second premium weed control treatment to continue battling those tough-to-control weeds that take multiple treatments to eliminate.

Embrace the Best Ohio Lawn Care Schedule

Tending to your lawn can be time-consuming. We hope this schedule for lawn care helps you stay on top of the chore.

We know the process can be daunting; it can be easy to become confused. We completely understand. Who wants to waste their time, especially if they can’t adhere to the schedule or aren’t sure what to do next?

If you want your lawn to be on the ideal schedule, give Turf Pride a call. We’re happy to take this job off of your hands and give you your weekends back. You can choose from our different lawn care programs based on your lawn’s needs and your budget. And then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your lawn all year long.

Want to improve your lawn’s health and create a thicker, greener lawn? Turf Pride can help. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we’ll customize a plan that gives you the most attractive lawn on the block.