Monthly To-Do Lawn Care Checklists

Monthly “Gardening To-Do List” Tips

When it comes to caring for your yard and how to prepare your lawn for spring, summer, or autumn, the checklist of things required changes from month to month. Spring yard clean up is necessary for April where pruning to prepare for winter is a step for October. For a full lawn care calendar of best practices for each month see below.

APRIL    MAY    JUNE    JULY   AUGUST   SEPTEMBER   OCTOBER

Spring Lawn Care Tips in Toronto

APRIL:  Lawn Care Steps

• Start your spring yard clean up checklist by raking sand & salt from curb areas and boulevard with a leaf rake.
• Rake up matted areas throughout lawn that were weighed down by snow to reduce snow mould
• Begin to Over-Seed the entire lawn paying special attention to bare areas.
• Kill moss and weeds in interlock with Vegetation Control or fill a bottle with 3 parts horticultural vinegar – 1 part dish-washing soap and spray into cracks
• Ensure your lawnmower is in top form and tuned up for the first cut in late April (weather permitting) Make sure the blade is professionally sharpened.
• Connect and test your sprinkler system in late April/early May.  Ensure all heads are facing their intended target areas and all heads and rotors are functioning properly.  Adjust Controller for proper schedule through wetter spring months.
• If you have vole damage – simply rake out the affected areas with a leaf rake and see our article on mole and voles below!
• Begin Aeration in late April once excess moisture is out of ground
• Dethatch lawn only if severe thatch is found.

MAY: Lawn Care Steps

• Continue your spring lawn maintenance by aerating to loosen up compacted soil and let it breathe.
• Fertilize with balanced organic-based fertilizer
• Sow LawnSavers Certified custom-blended seed in bare spots (due to popular demand, now available in 1 kg bags for DIYers)
• Finish Topdressing with LawnSavers Premium Quality enriched finished compost
• Scout for Grubs and record where damage is present for proper IPM treatment.
• Apply Pre-emergent Crabgrass control where previous infestation has been noted if not already done in April.  (Corn Gluten takes up to 3 years to achieve a high enough protein level for 50-60% percent control)
• 2nd Fertilizer treatment begins in Late May
• Manually remove weed growth whenever possible.

Summer Lawn Care Tips in Toronto

JUNE: Lawn Care Steps

• Monitor for Crabgrass outbreaks
• Second Fertilizer Treatment continues
• Monitor Trees and shrubs for insect activity
• Manually remove weed and crabgrass growth whenever possible.

JULY: Lawn Care Steps

• Apply Chinch bug treatment where chinch bug infestation is found.
• Pull young crabgrass plants when crabgrass is actively growing before it sets seed.
• Adjust irrigation system to reduce wasted and misdirected water, and also ensure plants are getting proper watering according to hotter weather demands
• Manually remove weed and crabgrass growth whenever possible.

AUGUST: Lawn Care Steps

• Apply Late Summer Fertilizer any time now.
• Begin Nematode treatments according to weather (growing degree days) in late August and throughout September.  Begin heavy watering to allow Nematodes best chance of survival.
• Manually remove weed and crabgrass growth whenever possible.

Autumn Lawn Care Tips in Toronto

SEPTEMBER: Lawn Care Steps

• Apply Fiesta Weed Management as necessary
• Assess Grub Activity for Nematode treatment.
• Book irrigation system winterizing and blow-out to be done in October or November
• Overseed lawns with certified grass seed to introduce hardier varieties
• Aerate lawns in Spring or Fall when turf is actively growing and under less stress
• manually remove weed and crabgrass growth whenever possible.
• Check out these tips for how short to cut your grass before winter starts.

OCTOBER: Lawn Care Steps

• Winterize irrigation systems with compressed air to prevent system damage
• Apply Winterizer Fertilizer to prepare lawn for Spring Green up
• Rake leaves often to prevent matting down turf.
• last mowing of the year usually occurs- Mow at regular height 2.5-3 inches. (do NOT mow lower contrary to popular myth)
• Mound roses but do not cut back
• cut excess perennial growth back
• Deep Root Fertilize trees and shrubs once leaves begin senescence (turning to fall colours) to focus fertilize on root growth only.
• Manually remove weed and crabgrass growth whenever possible.

For all your lawn care needs contact Lawnsavers, top lawn maintenance company in Toronto and the GTA.

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“Used Lawnsavers for many years now. Very reliable, reasonably priced, responsive to any concerns I might have, and the lawn continues to look terrific! Recommend them highly !”

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Date: 2020-11-12