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Lawn Care Month-By-Month in Pennsylvania

January
Planting
If you didnt have a chance to seed some bare patches in the turf last fall, do so now when there is no snow. Grasses that are safe to seed at this time are: o Kentucky Bluegrass o Perennial Ryegrass o Tall Fescue Notice: Seed wont germinate until around late winter when the temperatures are milder and adequate moisture is available.

Watering
If rainfall or snowfall is sparse for 3-4 weeks, it is a good idea to water the lawn to make sure the grass plant crowns especially those in direct sun do not dry out and die.

Care
Do not walk on frosted or snow-covered lawns. Even thought the grass is dormant, ice crystals in crushed plant tissues will damage the plants.

February
Planting
If the ground is not frozen, you can lay sod on prepared bare spots in lawn. Keep it moist. As soon as temperatures moderate, the sod grass roots will begin to grow in soil moistened by winter thaw.

Watering
If there has been little rainfall or snowfall for the past 3-4 weeks and the ground is not frozen, water the grass particularly grass newly sown last fall.

Care
Make sure that de-icing salt does not run onto turf areas. While it may be unavoidable along the curb if that is what the municipal plows use on the streets, use non-salt alternatives on the sidewalks, drives, and patios on your property
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Kirks Lawn Care

www.kirkslawncare.com
Ball, Liz. Month-by-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania: Revised Edition What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (MonthBy-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania). New York: Cool Springs, 2007. Print.

Source:

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March
Planting
If temperatures are mild and the soil is not too wet, patch bare spots in the lawn with either pieces of sod cut to fit, or seed. Take time to prepare the soil by: 1. Pulling any weeds 2. Loosen the bare soil 3. Scratch in some granular, slowacting fertilizer 4. Smooth the soil 5. Sow seed or lay sod, pressing either into the seedbed a bit to establish contact with the soil.

Care
If your lawn has chronic annual weed problems such as crabgrass and chickweed, consider putting down a pre-emergent herbicide. Pre-emergents kill seeds before they germinate.

Fertilizing
If you did not spread fertilizer last fall or winter o Spread a granular, slow-acting fertilizer towards the end of the month. Depending on the fertilizer, it might last until midsummer. If you did spread slow-acting fertilizer last fall or winter, it will begin to kick in this month and will last until early summer.

Watering
Water these areas daily if spring rains are insufficient to keep them constantly moist.

April
Planting
Put down grass seed as early as possible this month so it will have maximum time to develop roots before the heat arrives in June. moist.Constant foot traffic on soggy soil compacts it and deprives the grass roots of oxygen.

Fertilizing
If you already spread a slow-acting granular fertilizer in late fall or winter, there is no need to do so again until May or June.

Watering
If rainfall is scarce, keep newly planted seed continually moist with frequent light sprinklings. Water newly laid sod very generously. The moisture must be sufficient to penetrate beyond the mat of grass. Watch the edges of sod-they dry out quickly.

Mowing
Mowing should start sometime this month. Set your mower blade at about 2 inches for the first cut, and then raise it to cut at 2.5 to 3 inches as the weather warms. Three tips to ensure a healthy lawn: 1. Mow dry 2. Mow sharp 3. Mow often
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Care
Begin to handpick weeds out of your lawn. Handpick young weeds when the soil is moist so that the entire root system is dislodged. Try to avoid walking on the lawn when it is

Kirks Lawn Care

www.kirkslawncare.com
Ball, Liz. Month-by-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania: Revised Edition What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (MonthBy-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania). New York: Cool Springs, 2007. Print.

Source:

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May
Planting
Fill in bare spots with perennial ryegrass early this month at the latest. Perennial ryegrass is the only cool-weather grass that has a chance of surviving the impending onset of summer heat in many areas of Pennsylvania.

Fertilizing
If you have not spread fertilizer since last September, choose a product that has some fast-acting (water-soluble) nitrogen for rapid greenup to get grass going, as well as a large proportion of slow-acting nitrogen to maintain uniform, consistent nutrition over many weeks.

Watering
If you have seeded or sodded certain areas, do not let the soil there dry out. As it gets warmer, those areas may require two sprinklings a day. Established turfgrass can go ten days without rain or water if the soil is decent.

Mowing
Cut the grass tall so it will have maximum foliage to produce energy for its spring growth spurt during the last of the cool weather it loves. When it gets warmer, grass this tall will shade the soil to discourage weed seed germination and keep soil cool. It looks greener, too.

Care
If you havent done so already, aerate the lawn. Lawn aeration can also be done in the fall.

June
Planting
Due to the warmer weather, grass seed that is applied will likely not grow. At this time of the year, the only way to repair bare spots in the lawn is by laying sod. as a result of foot traffic or water run-off. To prevent compaction, poke holes down 3-4 inches into the soil to let in air.

Fertilizing
If you used a fast-acting, water soluble fertilizer product on the lawn in the spring, it will probably be time to repeat the application before June is over. If you spread slow acting fertilizer on the lawn in the spring, it is still on the job. Never fertilize lawns that are already stressed by drought or heat!

Watering
Water established lawns with decent soil only when it has not rained for over a week or ten days. Then water deeply. Lawns in poor soil will dry out much sooner. Water newly placed sod or young seedlings daily until they are established.

Mowing
Unless there is generous rainfall, you will be mowing less often now due to the warmer weather.

Care
To prevent bare spots in the lawn, periodically spike areas that get extra wear

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Kirks Lawn Care

www.kirkslawncare.com
Ball, Liz. Month-by-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania: Revised Edition What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (MonthBy-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania). New York: Cool Springs, 2007. Print.

Source:

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July
Planting
Seed of cool weather grass varieties does not have a chance to really thrive, even if it germinates and starts to grow. If you have to fill a bare spot, use sod. Water well and often until the roots establish down in the soil.

Care
There is not much to do once the summer heat arrives except mow the lawn. Grass is likely to be stressed now, so do not aerate, fertilize, or treat for pest and disease problems while it struggles with heat, humidity, and possible drought.

Watering
Water lawns of cool weather grasses every ten days or so if it does not rain regularly. To develop deep roots, water wellsoak down at least 6 to 8 inchesthen do not water again for another ten days to two weeks. Compacted or clay soil may require a pause between watering sessions to allow the water to soak into the soil and avoid wasteful runoff.

Mowing
Continue to mow often enough to remove only 1/3 of the length of the grass blade each time. Keep the mower blade at 3 inches to help grass plants withstand heat and possible drought.

August
Planting
In most areas of Pennsylvania, it will probably be too hot and too dry to do major yard work. It is best to wait until after Labor Day. If you reside in the cooler regions upstate (zone 5), mid-August marks the beginning of prime time for over-seeding existing lawns or installing new lawns. Sprinklers and hoses water inadequately and intermittently, causing more stress for grass plants than they prevent. When normal rainfall resumes, they will green up in a matter of days.

Fertilizing
Delay any fertilizing until next month when summer temperatures moderate. It is okay to wait until even later in the fall.

Care
If the summer has featured prolonged drought, the best thing for cool-weather grasses is to allow them to go dormant. Not only will this save valuable water, but it is healthier for the grass. It is natural for grasses to deal with heat and water deprivation by turning brown, and they will actually survive better than if you try to keep them watered.

Mowing
Continue to mow tall. Taller grass shades the soil to minimize evaporation of moisture, and it is likely to have deeper roots. Leave clippings as usual.

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Kirks Lawn Care

www.kirkslawncare.com
Ball, Liz. Month-by-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania: Revised Edition What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (MonthBy-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania). New York: Cool Springs, 2007. Print.

Source:

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September
Planting
September is the best time to do anything to your lawn, especially seeding. The cooler temperatures are ideal for seed germination. Now is the best time to overseed your lawn to thicken and invigorate it for next year. Now is also the time to completely redo and restart your lawn if necessary with either seed or sod. For more information on how to overseed or restart your lawn, go to: www.kirkslawncare.com

Care
Mulching newly seeded areas helps improve the germination rate of newly sown seed. A layer of straw will discourage birds and help prevent erosion from heavy rain. If you have not done so in the spring, have your lawn aerated. Aeration reduces compaction and increases drought tolerance.

Fertilizing
For a newly seeded or overseeded lawn, you might want to use a seed-starter lawn fertilizer product at sowing time. Otherwise, wait a few weeks and spread a granular, slow-acting fertilizer when the young grass plants are about 3 or 4 inches tall.

Watering
Water newly seeded areas so the seeds stay moist continuously. As sprouts grow into seedlings, water deeply to encourage their roots to stretch downward.

Mowing
Continue to mow grass at 3 inches until the weather cools.

October
Planting
In many parts of the state, it is getting past time to plant new grass by mid-month. There is not enough time before serious frost and cold weather for grass seedlings to establish enough to survive the winter. fallen leaves from newly sodded or established lawns frequently.

Fertilizing
If you did not use a starter fertilizer when overseeding or patching the lawn with seed, spread a slow-acting, granular fertilizer formulated for fall any time now. If you decide to spread lime this month, delay fertilization.

Watering
If it does not rain regularly, water newly planted lawn areas so that shallow-rooted young seedlings will not dry out and shrivel up.

Mowing
The last mowing will most likely occur this month. For the last mowing, lower the mower blade to cut the grass at about 2 inches tall.

Care
Leaves that have fallen can crush or smother new grass seedlings. Carefully rake or blow

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Kirks Lawn Care

www.kirkslawncare.com
Ball, Liz. Month-by-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania: Revised Edition What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (MonthBy-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania). New York: Cool Springs, 2007. Print.

Source:

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November
Planting
Delay and planting of seed or sod until next spring. The ground will freeze soon, and grass plant roots will not be able to penetrate the soil.

Fertilizing
If you have not fertilized this fall with a granular, slow-acting fertilizer formulated for fall, you can delay until late winter. If you want to, you can still fertilize with a granular, slow-acting product now and get the job out of the way. The fertilizer will begin to activate when the soil warms up again in the spring.

Watering
Continue to water newly planted lawns if rainfall is scarce. It is important for them to go into the winter in moist soil. If you are lucky enough to be able to count on snow cover during the really cold months, you will not have to think about watering until spring.

Mowing
Some years you may find yourself doing the final mowing this month. It is better to cut the lawn again to about 2 inches than to have it go into the winter too long. Leave the clippings as usual unless they are very long.

Care
Protect your lawn from damage by shovels, snow blowers, de-icing compounds and compaction.

December
Planting
If the soil is not frozen, it is still possible to lay sod in limited areas of the lawn that were damaged by construction projects or affected by other traumatic events. It is better to lay sod over bare soil than to leave the soil exposed to compaction by winter rain, harsh sun and wind, or foot traffic. Sod will prevent erosion of the soil, too. Be sure to keep new sod well watered. Winter sun and dry, cold air will cause it to dry out quickly, especially along the edges of the pieces and where the sod meets paving. Whether it will actually put down roots and establish before spring depends on the weather over the next couple of months.

Watering
Water turf near trees, because competition from tree roots for water will have dried the soil under grass even more.

Care
Dormant turfgrass does not need special care. Whether covered with snow or not, the most important thing you can do is avoid walking on it. Alert your family and the mail carrier, and keep walks clear so people are not tempted to take a shortcut.

Fertilizing
If you intend to fertilize and have not done so, spread a granular, slow-acting fertilizer intended for winter use now.
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Kirks Lawn Care

www.kirkslawncare.com
Ball, Liz. Month-by-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania: Revised Edition What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (MonthBy-Month Gardening in Pennsylvania). New York: Cool Springs, 2007. Print.

Source: