
A beautiful lawn is a joy to behold, but it requires consistent care throughout the year. Regular mowing can help maintain a healthy height of 2.5 to 3 inches, as recommended by lawn care experts.
Seasonal changes bring unique challenges to lawn care. In the spring, dethatching can help remove dead grass and debris, promoting new growth. In the summer, proper watering techniques can help prevent overwatering, which can lead to disease and pests.
Autumn is a great time to aerate your lawn, allowing air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots. This can help reduce soil compaction and promote healthy drainage.
Winter months require less frequent mowing, but it's still essential to maintain a height of 2.5 to 3 inches to protect against snow mold and other winter diseases.
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Lawn Care Programs
Lawn care programs can be a bit overwhelming with all the options out there. You can choose from programs that range from 4 to 7 applications, each offering a unique set of services.
For example, some programs, like the 7-Application Lawn Care Program, anticipate and meet your lawn's needs based on unique conditions and prevailing weather patterns. This program includes slow-release fertilizers, pre-emergent treatment to prevent grassy weeds, broadleaf weed control, and insect control.
Other programs, like the Yard Boss 5-Step Program, offer comprehensive lawn care in just 5 visits, combining grub control, fertilizer, and weed control in one efficient treatment. This program also includes slow-release fertilizers for long-lasting results.
It's worth noting that some lawn care companies, like Lawn Pride, have been developing the best lawn treatment services for over 40 years. They provide customized solutions for all your lawn care needs, including the 7-Application Lawn Care Program.
Here's a comparison of some popular lawn care programs:
Ultimately, the best lawn care program for you will depend on your specific lawn care needs and preferences. Be sure to research and compare different programs to find the one that works best for you.
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Why Choose Pride?
Lawn Pride has been developing lawn treatment services for over 40 years, which is a testament to their expertise and commitment to delivering great results.
Their team is highly knowledgeable about the unique conditions of your yard, including the soil, weeds, pests, and grasses.
With locations throughout the eastern and southern states, Lawn Pride is well-positioned to provide customized solutions for all your lawn care needs.
Their 7-Application Lawn Care Program is a comprehensive approach to lawn care that's tailored to your yard's specific needs.
Seasonal Lawn Care
Spring is a great time to start your lawn care routine, especially after a long winter. During the spring months of March, April, and May, your turfgrass will begin to green up, making it a crucial time to care for your winter-weary grass.
For cool-season lawns, aerating your lawn in September can help remove thatch and debris, allowing you to reseed with a grass type suited to your region. Early fall and spring are the perfect time to reseed.
Additional reading: Lawn Care Spring Lawncarespring.com
Around the middle of June to the end of July is the best time to apply a slow-release fertilizer to help your lawn maintain a darker green color even under the stress of the summer months. This slow-release fertilizer will provide your lawn with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
In the spring, it's essential to mow your lawn responsibly. Avoid mowing too short, as this can cause stress to your grass. A mowing height between two-and-a-half to three inches is suggested, with the upper range being best for summer.
Late-season applications can be problematic, as they often provide no real benefit to your lawn once it's dormant. Ideally, the last application should be done while the grass is still growing but preparing for dormancy, typically in late November.
For your interest: End of Summer Lawn Care
Spring Lawn Care
In most areas of Utah and throughout the Intermountain West, March to mid-April is the ideal time to begin the steps to a beautiful lawn. This is also the time to apply early spring fertilizer to provide a weed barrier and promote healthy grass growth.
The first step in spring lawn care is to clear up your yard and dispose of organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead grass that have built up over the fall and winter. This will help prepare your lawn for the next steps in the care process.
Around Mother's Day in early May, it's time to apply a weed and feed to your lawn to kill dandelions and other broadleaf weeds and give your lawn a nutrient boost. This should be done 4-6 weeks after your first application of early spring fertilizer.
For your interest: Organic First Lawn Care
Spring months
Spring is a great time to get your lawn in shape. In most areas, March to mid-April is the ideal time to start caring for your winter-weary grass.
The arrival of spring in March marks the beginning of a key seasonal transitional period, where grass begins to green up. This is a crucial time to care for your lawn and set a good precedent for the rest of the year.
Intriguing read: Spring Clean up Lawn Care
In Utah and the Intermountain West, March to mid-April is the ideal time to begin the steps to a beautiful lawn. An application of early spring fertilizer, such as IFA Crabgrass Preventer + Lawn Food, is a great place to start.
Around Mother's Day in early May is the ideal time to apply the next step in lawn care, IFA Step 2 Weed & Feed. This will kill dandelions and other broadleaf weeds appearing in your lawn while giving it a much-needed application of iron.
Soil temperatures hit 55º Fahrenheit in mid-April, making it the opportune time for soil fertilization. You can also apply Lebanon Turf's Humic Max fertilizer as soon as early March to improve soil quality and give your grass a nutrient boost.
Related reading: April Lawn Care
Pre-Emergent Herbicides February
In most areas of Utah and throughout the Intermountain West, mid-February is the ideal time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent weeds from germinating.
February is the perfect time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide to your lawn, as it prevents seedlings of weeds from becoming established while they germinate. Our preferred pre-emergent is Prodiamine .38% with Fertilizer 0-0-7, a granular pre-emergent weed and feed control product that's easy to apply and won't kill your grass.
Pre-emergents are a type of weed control that prevent weeds from growing, rather than killing them after they've already grown. This makes them a great option for lawn care in the early spring.
Prodiamine .38% with Fertilizer 0-0-7 contains 7% potassium, a key macronutrient to promote healthy grass growth. For application tips and tricks, watch our explanatory YouTube video below, and don't forget to subscribe to our lawn-care channel.
Intriguing read: Cutting Grass after Weed and Feed
Summer Lawn Care
Summer is a great time to enjoy your lawn, but it does require some extra attention. Warmer temperatures introduce new tasks to keep on top of, like pest and weed control.
You'll need to adjust your mowing schedule to keep your lawn looking its best. As your lawn enjoys warmer temperatures, grass will start growing quickly.
Cutting your turf a little higher than usual will lead to taller grass, which has the chance to develop deep, healthy grass roots. This will help your lawn compete effectively with prevalent weeds at this time of year.
Summer Schedule
Summer is here, and it's time to keep your lawn looking its best. Warmer temperatures introduce new tasks to keep on top of, like pest and weed control.
As the weather warms up, you'll want to make sure to keep an eye out for pests and weeds that can quickly take over your lawn.
To keep your lawn healthy and thriving, make sure to maintain your hard work from spring. Summer is the perfect time to tackle any issues that may have arisen.
With the heat of summer, it's essential to stay on top of your lawn care routine to prevent any problems from getting out of hand.
See what others are reading: Summer Lawn Care Tips
Revive During Summer
Summer is here, and it's time to give your lawn some extra TLC. Dry areas may appear due to inefficient sprinkler systems, hard compacted soils, pet urine, or neglect.
These dry areas can be a real challenge to fix, especially during the hot summer months. Damage during this time can be difficult to turn around.
Applying Revive to those dry areas will work wonders. Revive contains a special combination of surfactants that help re-wet hard-packed and dry areas.
Revive's organic nutrients will re-invigorate those dry lawn areas and make them lush and green again. With consistent seasonal applications, you can have a beautiful, healthy lawn that requires less water and holds up better through heat and drought.
For another approach, see: Cutting Dry Grass
Fall Lawn Care
Fall is a great time to give your lawn some extra TLC before the winter months. It's essential to fertilize your cool-season grass type to encourage strong root growth over winter.
Fertilizing in the fall produces extra greening and little top growth, making it a crucial step in preparing your lawn for the cold weather ahead. Most of the lawn's energy, supplied by the fertilizer, is stored in the roots to be utilized over the winter and provide next year's early spring green-up power.
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You can use a pre-emergent herbicide such as Dithiopyr .15% or Prodiamine 65 WDG to prevent weeds in the fall and winter. These products will stop invading weeds and feed your lawn simultaneously.
Keeping your lawn clean is a year-long task, but in the fall, it's especially important to remove dead leaves that can accumulate fast. Excessive amounts of leaves can cause problems such as "smothering" or "suffocating" your grass, inhibiting growth come spring and promoting the onset of winter lawn diseases like snow mold.
Here are two options for cleaning away fall leaves:
- Use a rake or leaf blower to collect the leaves and either compost or dispose of them.
- Use your mower to mulch leaves (chop them into small pieces), which will reduce weed seed germination and provide nutrients to your lawn.
It's also essential to aerate your lawn in the fall, especially if you have a cool-season lawn. Aerating will enhance fertilizer and water uptake, grow stronger roots, and improve air exchange between the soil and atmosphere to reduce soil compaction.
You can aerate your lawn in the late fall, before the first frost, to prepare it for the winter months.
Curious to learn more? Check out: Lawn Care Steps for Fall
Lawn Care Products
Soil testing kits are a must-have for any lawn care enthusiast, as they can help you identify nutrient deficiencies and pH levels in your soil. This will save you from over-fertilizing and wasting money.
Investing in a comprehensive soil test kit, like the starter kit from MySoil, can provide you with detailed results, including fertilizer and biostimulant recommendations. Your results will even tell you which nutrients your soil is lacking.
For micronutrient deficiencies, consider using a liquid micronutrient fertilizer to give your lawn the extra boost it needs.
A unique perspective: Scotts Fertilizer Lawn Care
Insecticide Fungicide Application
Insecticide and fungicide applications are crucial for a healthy lawn, especially in the spring.
Many beetles start laying their eggs in the spring, and other grass-eating insects like armyworms and chinch bugs can be a nuisance.
Use a single application of Acelepryn G Insecticide in April or May to provide season-long control from grubs to billbugs.
This insecticide targets many pests but won't harm useful pollinators like bees and invertebrates like worms.
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For fungicides, consider using Headway G, a granular fungicide that provides excellent disease control against a broad range of lawn fungi.
Liquid fungicide is also an option, with Pillar SC quickly controlling 26 common lawn diseases while being easy to mix and apply.
Timing is everything, so be sure to apply insecticides and fungicides at the right time to prevent lawn-damaging pests and diseases from taking hold.
Celsius WG Broadleaf and Grassy Weed Control
Celsius WG Broadleaf and Grassy Weed Control is a broad-spectrum herbicide that controls over 150 varieties of weeds, particularly dandelions that thrive in the summer weather.
This herbicide won't kill your grass, making it a great option for targeting weeds without harming your lawn. You can use Celsius when temperatures become higher, providing effective weed control throughout the summer months.
Celsius can be used alongside Certainty Herbicide for ultimate weed control, targeting a wide range of weeds and grassy weeds. This combination will help you achieve a healthier and more balanced lawn.
Plus Humate to Improve Soil Quality
Adding Humate to your lawn care routine can make a big difference in soil quality. IFA Bountiful Earth Humate is an organic product that contains iron and other trace minerals, which can contribute to a darker green lawn.
This product helps to hold nitrogen in the root zone longer, allowing your lawn to benefit from it for a longer period. Applying Humate in both the spring and fall can continuously improve soil quality.
Humate can also increase the lawn's water holding capacity, which is especially beneficial in dry climates like Utah. This means you can use less water while still keeping your lawn healthy and thriving.
By applying Humate in the spring, you can fortify your lawn for the winter months and promote vigorous growth next spring. It's a simple addition to your lawn care routine that can make a significant impact on soil quality.
Suggestion: Lawn Care Routine
Lawn Care Tips
Mowing your lawn at the right height can make a big difference in its health and appearance. For most lawns, a mowing height between two-and-a-half to three inches is suggested, with the upper range being best for summer.
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Cutting your grass too short can lead to shallow roots, more weed problems, and a less attractive lawn. It's also important to use a sharp blade to get a clean cut and prevent tearing the grass.
Mowing too frequently can also be detrimental to your lawn, so try to limit it to once a week during periods of rapid growth. And remember, never cut off more than one-third of the grass blade at once.
Water When Needed
Watering your lawn too frequently can be a waste of water, so it's essential to water only when needed. Most lawns only need to be watered once every three or four days to stay healthy and green.
Watering by the calendar isn't the best approach, as it can lead to overwatering. Instead, water your lawn based on its needs, which can vary depending on the spring rain and late snowstorms.
A good rule of thumb is to water your lawn 2-3 times a week to achieve golf course quality, with 1”-1.5” of water per week being the ideal amount. If you notice dull-colored gray grass, curling grass blades, or dryness underfoot, it's likely time to water your lawn.
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To make the most of the available water in the soil, consider using a product like Hydretain, which acts like a "water magnet" to draw moisture from everywhere in the soil to the grassroots. This can reduce watering requirements by 50% or more.
Watering at the right time is also crucial, as it allows moisture to sink thoroughly into the soil without being blown away or evaporated. Try to water your lawn between 4-6 am when there are lower winds and cooler temperatures.
Mow Responsibly
Mowing your lawn is crucial for its appearance and health, but it's often overlooked.
Cutting your grass too short can lead to shallow roots, more weeds, and a less attractive lawn.
For most lawns, a mowing height of two-and-a-half to three inches is recommended, with the upper range being best for summer.
This height allows for deeper roots and fewer weed problems.
Cutting off more than one-third of the grass blade at once can harm your lawn, so you might need to mow twice a week when the grass is actively growing.
A sharp blade will provide a clean cut and not tear the grass like dull blades do.
Related reading: What Is the Best Grass Cutting Height
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an app to tell what's wrong with your lawn?
Yes, there is an app called the Purdue Turf Doctor that can help diagnose common lawn problems. Download the app to identify issues with your lawn and get expert advice on how to fix them.
How many lawn applications are necessary?
Homeowners typically need 1-2 lawn applications per year, depending on the type of grass and climate. For cool-season grasses, two treatments are recommended, while others may only need one.
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