Most lawn trouble we’re called out to isn’t a pest or a disease. It’s good work done in the wrong month. Seed that goes down in May bakes before it roots; fertilizer on dormant Bermuda feeds the weeds instead. Get the calendar right and half the problems never show up.
First, know which grass you have
Bermuda, zoysia and centipede are warm-season grasses: they green up in April, grow hard through summer and go straw-colored after the first frost. Tall fescue is a cool-season grass: it sulks in July and does its real growing in spring and fall. Plenty of Triangle yards have a patchwork of both, so walk the lawn before you plan anything.
Warm-season lawns: scalp in spring, feed in summer
Once the danger of a hard frost has passed, usually early to mid April around here, drop the mower a notch or two and take off the brown thatch. Bag the clippings. The soil warms faster and the new blades come through clean.
Hold the fertilizer until the lawn is fully green, then feed lightly through June and July. Stop by late August; nitrogen going into fall only softens the grass before winter.
Fescue lawns: seed in fall, not spring
September to mid October is the window. The soil is still warm enough to germinate seed and the air is cool enough that young grass doesn’t cook. Core aerate first, overseed at the bag rate, and keep the top half inch of soil damp for three weeks. A starter feed at seeding and a second in November sets it up for spring.
The short version
Warm-season grass: scalp in April, feed June to August, rest in fall. Fescue: aerate and seed in September, feed in fall, leave it alone in July. If you’re not sure which you have, send us a photo and we’ll tell you.