Annual Lawn Care Program for Cool Season Grasses

Developing an annual plan is critical to the success of a healthy lawn. This program is a base program for a cool season lawn in good soil with appropriate growing conditions. Please use as starting point for you to fine tune your lawn care program. Adapt for site specific needs like shade, heavy soil, grass variety etc. But the basics are here, and I hope it helps.

Things to think about when reading this chart.

Seeding: Best done in fall as weather tends to be wetter and not as hot, but soil temps are still warm. Springs seeding be careful of frost. Frost will kill new seed, soil still cold.

Detaching: Twice a year is enough, time dethatching with aerifying and then topdressing if possible. Condescending processes is key.

Disease Control: Coming out of Winter = Snowmolds; Late Spring/Early Summer thru September = Dollar Spot & Fairy Ring; Height of Summer = Anthracnose, Smuts, Pythium, Patch Diseases

Weed Control: Preemergents are key, Crabgrass, Dandelion, Chickweed, Annual Bluegrass, Henbit, spurge plus more can be controlled through preemergent. Leaving time in season to finetune quality on your lawn.

Weed Control: Post emergent control, as needed basis, 3way herbicides work best for broadleaves and tend to have a blend of the following (2-4D, Dicamba, Sulfentrazone, MCPP, Triclopyr, Fluroxypyr, Dimethylamine) and control a wide variety of broadleaves. Grassy weed control; (quinclorac, pyrimisulfan, Topramezone, Ethofumesate, Dimethylamine salt of quinclorac)

Grub Prevention: Crucial to disrupt the lifecycle of grubs, newer products have season long control of grubs and leaf feeding insects. Acelepryn, Tetrino are great for season long control.

Grub Treatment: Scout and record for future reference. Dylox is great for post treatment control when grubs are near surface feeding.

Carbon Inputs: New soils or soils with low carbon content, sandy soils or soils without much structure. Will help increase microbial populations in order to process nitrogen and make available to plant. Increases porosity, water holding capacity and increases C.E.C value.

Soil Amendments: Time to raise or lower Acidity, incorporate products to increase nutrient and water holding capacities.