A Healthy Colorado Lawn: Our Year-Round Lawn Care Schedule
Maintaining a healthy and vibrant lawn in Colorado might seem challenging, but with the right care throughout the year, you can achieve a lush, green yard that stands out in every season. Here’s a complete 2024 Colorado lawn care schedule to help you nurture your cool-season grass to perfection.
The Best Lawn Care Schedule for Cool-Season Grasses in Colorado
The most important part of successful lawn care is timing. Lawn fertilization, weed control, watering, mowing, and fall overseeding all need to be done at the ideal time to ensure you see the best results from your hard work! Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass thrive here, but they need specific care to stay healthy and lush.
Spring Lawn Care
In early spring, it’s time to start thinking about “spring cleaning” tasks for your lawn. Mid-March is the best time of year to start clearing debris, schedule aeration, apply lawn fertilizer, begin mowing, and more. Spring is also a good time to check that your sprinklers are in good working order before summer.
Raking and Aeration
Raking your lawn to clear debris and fallen leaves will allow sunlight and air to reach the soil. Core aeration is beneficial if you have heavily compacted soil. Aeration is most important during fall but can be done during spring to help break down thatch build-up and compaction. It also helps promote strong root systems, green-up, and healthy lawn growth before the new growing season kicks in.
Lawn Fertilization
Apply a balanced fertilizer to help the grass recover from winter dormancy. Spring fertilizer stimulates the grassroots and restores nutrients in your lawn for spring.
Weed Control
Early spring is also a time to get ahead of weeds with pre-emergent herbicides. Pre-emergents are used to prevent weeds before they sprout and should be applied each season. Crabgrass is a common summer weed that can be tackled proactively with spring pre-emergents. If you are planning on spring overseeding, make sure to avoid weed control!
Summer Lawn Care
From early summer to mid-summer, watering should become a big focus point. Colorado’s arid climate can cause lawns to be dry or stressed. However, efficient watering is the best way to keep your lawn healthy while being conscious of water usage. Along with watering, summer months consist of lawn weed control, mowing, fertilization, and more.
Watering
Water deeply and less frequently to encourage deep root growth. Short watering spurts encourage shallow root systems which will affect the overall health of your grass. We recommend watering each section of the lawn twice per week, for a total of 1 1/2 inches of water weekly. The “Cycle and Soak” method is the best to water your lawn while limiting runoff and water waste during summer.
Mowing
Set your mower blade to a higher setting to protect the grass from heat stress. Mowing your lawn too low will leave the soil and roots exposed to summer heat and limit its ability to store nutrients in the grass blades.
Other Summer Lawn Care Tips
During the peak of summer, cool-season grass is naturally at its weakest point and may benefit from a balanced summer fertilizer. Weed control can also be applied for any summer weeds kicking into high gear. By mid-summer or later, it’s a great time to start thinking about lawn pest control and preventing upcoming grubs in the fall season.
Fall Lawn Care
Fall is a crucial time of year for cool-season grasses in Colorado. After a long, dry summer, fall allows the lawn to repair and prepare for the upcoming winter. Overseeding and fall fertilization are the main focus points for Fescue lawns during the fall months.
Lawn Fertilization
Apply a fall fertilizer to help the grass store nutrients for winter. Mid-August through October is a good time of year to apply a balanced fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium to prepare the lawn for winter months. Schedule your fertilizer after overseeding to get the most out of your grass seed.
Watering
During early fall, water 1-2 times per week for a total of 1 inch of water. The shorter days and cooler evening temperatures help keep the soil moist.
Aeration and Overseeding
Aeration and overseeding are essential steps to maintain a healthy lawn in Colorado. Aerating helps the roots access oxygen, water, and nutrients. It builds stronger root systems and breaks down thatch build-up. Overseeding is the process of planting new grass seed to build a thicker, lush lawn. It helps fill in bare spots and prepares tall fescue grass for its official peak growing season.
Winter Lawn Care
With the right preparation, your lawn should have everything it needs when the cold winter weather arrives in Colorado. While lawn care tasks aren’t completely done, the winter months are a good time to focus on tools and equipment in your outdoor space, like winterizing your irrigation system and mower maintenance.
Winter Mite Prevention
Lawn mites are a common issue for Colorado lawns and winter is the time to prevent them. Winter mites are extremely small and hard to see with the naked eye. Their damage doesn’t show up until lawns begin to green up with spring temperatures, which is why prevention is key. At Integrated Lawn Care, we offer Winter Mite Suppression from December through March.
Watering and Winterizing Irrigation Systems
The late fall through winter is still an important time of year to water the lawn due to the dry climate. From roughly November to February, we recommend watering 1-2 times per month on days when temperatures are above 50 degrees. Water up to 1 inch per session. Watering by hand is recommended after you’ve winterized your irrigation system. The best time to prepare your sprinklers for winter is before the first freeze, normally around late October to early November.
Winter Lawn Mower Maintenance
Winter is a great time of year to put some extra time and attention into your lawn mower. While the lawn is resting for the cool season, general upkeep and maintenance can extend the life of your mower and make sure you’re set up for success when the next growing season begins. Contact us if you need help with winter mower maintenance.
Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades: Dull blades tear the grass instead of cutting cleanly, leaving it vulnerable to disease. Replace or sharpen dull blades during winter so your mower is ready for the upcoming spring.
Clean-up: Remove grass clippings and debris before storing your mower for the winter to prevent rust and build-up.
Oil Change and Tune-Up: Check the oil levels and the age of your oil. Winter is also a good time to replace spark plugs as it’s recommended to change each season.
Top-Quality Lawn Care in Colorado Springs
For homeowners looking to start a fresh year with a trusted, local lawn care provider, Integrated Lawn Care is the answer. We offer lawn care services, perimeter pest control, rock bed weed control, fescue overseeding, and tree and shrub care in Colorado Springs. Established in 2001, we have become a top choice for professional lawn care in Fountain, Monument, Palmer Lake, Peyton, Falcon, and surrounding areas. Contact us today for a free quote!