Use our lawn-care calendar to help you maintain a beautiful yard all year long.
As a midwesterner, you know the seasonal extremes well.
You may even look forward to your region’s temperature swings.
But your lawn probably doesn’t love the scorching summers and frigid winters.
With these contrasting conditions, it can be tough to keep your yard in its best shape.
verify tosharpen the bladesso they cut evenly and efficiently.
Starting Your Lawn from Seed
Fall is the ideal time to start a new lawn from seed.
Start seeding when daytime temperatures hit the 60s.
Aerating
Compacted soil can be a major culprit behind grass that just won’t thicken up.
Mowing
Bring out the lawn mower when your grass reaches about 3 inches tall.
Keep most grasses at least 2 inches tallthis height helps it ward off weeds and withstand summer drought.
Keep it light and use a slow-release ororganic fertilizer.
Wait to fertilize until your lawn needsmowing for the first time.
Feeding your lawn too early only wastes money.
The best time to do this is in early June.
It will turn brown, but don’t worryit’s still alive.
When the rains come again, it’ll turn green and start growing.
In fact, your lawn could use a lightapplication of fertilizerin early fall and again in late fall.
You’ll likely need to mow regularly through the end of the season.
If you don’t have the time (or patience!)
Repeat this every couple of weeks.
Overseeding
When is the best time to overseed lawns in the Midwest?
Tackle them with an organic herbicide or pull them by hand.
