Kentucky bluegrass is one of the best grasses for the piedmont and mountain regions in North Carolina. However, it is high-maintenance, making it essential to understand its specific needs.
This Kentucky bluegrass lawn care calendar for North Carolina will guide you through the year, ensuring your lawn remains healthy despite the challenges.
Kentucky bluegrass at a glance
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Spring lawn care in North Carolina
Spring in North Carolina is a perfect time to visit the stunning gardens at Biltmore Estate, but it’s also the ideal season to kickstart your lawn care routine. Here’s what you need to do in each month:
March
- Clean up: Remove debris that may have appeared during winter, such as leaves, twigs, and other materials.
- Apply pre-emergent herbicides: Crabgrass, goosegrass, and foxtail are common spring weeds in North Carolina. Apply pre-emergent herbicides in early March or sooner to prevent them from germinating.
- Mow: If you live in the piedmont area, your Kentucky bluegrass (KBG) lawn might start growing around mid-March. You can mow it to 2.5 to 3.5 inches if you live in the piedmont and have a KBG and tall fescue lawn, and to 1.5 to 2.5 inches if you live in the mountains and your lawn is only KBG.
- Overseed: If you haven’t overseeded in fall, you can do it from mid-February to late March. However, do not overseed if you have applied pre-emergent herbicides.
- Fertilize: Fertilize your lawn in early March with between 1/5 and 1/2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
April
- Mow: Continue mowing to 2.5 to 3.5 inches for KBG and tall fescue lawns, or 1.5 to 2.5 inches for KBG-only lawns.
- Water: Water your lawn once the grass starts growing again, about 1 inch of water per week. Schedule your watering sessions between 2 and 8 a.m., divided into two or three days a week. Check out our article, How Long Should You Water Your Lawn?, for the specifics.
May
- Water and mow: Keep watering and mowing following April’s recommendation. Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade per mow.
- Apply insecticides: Though April or May is not the best time to do this, you can apply insecticides if you have an active infestation of grubs. Do it in April if you live in the piedmont and later if you live in the mountains. Prefer doing this in late summer or fall. Read more in our article: How to Get Rid of Grubs in Your Lawn.
Summer lawn care in North Carolina
While the summer heat makes you long for a refreshing swim at Ramsey Creek Beach, your lawn still needs attention. Here are the lawn care tasks that can’t be overlooked:
June
- Mow: Mow your lawn to 3.5 inches, a bit taller than usual, to reduce stress from the summer heat if you have a lawn with a mix of KBG and tall fescue or KBG, tall fescue, and fine fescues. Mow at 2.5 inches for KBG-only lawns.
- Watering: Water your lawn with 0.5 inch of water every two to three weeks to allow the grass to go dormant, increasing its chance of survival in heat and drought.
- Fertilize: Fertilize with between 1/5 and 1/2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet only if necessary, and never during a drought.
July
- Prevent diseases: Common diseases like gray leaf spot and brown patch may appear if you have Kentucky bluegrass in a mix with tall fescue. Apply preventive fungicides when night temperatures consistently exceed 60 F. Read more on How to Get Rid of Brown Patch Fungus.
- Water properly: These diseases typically appear when the lawn stays humid longer than necessary, so continue to water between 2 and 8 a.m. to reduce the risk of fungal diseases. Continue the summer schedule of watering every two to three weeks.
- Avoid herbicides: Applying herbicides (weed control products) in the summer will not be effective, so avoid doing it.
August
Patty O’Hearn Kickham | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
- Grub control: Applying insecticides from August through October is effective for grub control because it is when the grubs are feeding but still small. Ensure to water one or two days before applying the chemicals.
- Water: Continue watering 0.5 inch every two to three weeks.
- Overseed: Overseed from mid-August to September 1 with tall fescue at a rate of 6 pounds, KBG at 1 to 2 pounds, or mix hard fescues and KBG at the rate of 1 to 2 pounds of each species per 1,000 square feet. Learn about overseeding in our article: What is Overseeding?
Fall lawn care in North Carolina
The vibrant fall colors at Pilot Mountain State Park make for a beautiful hike, but don’t forget about your lawn. Before the cold weather sets in, here’s what you need to do:
September
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- Mow: Get back to mowing your lawn at a height of 2.5 to 3 inches (a bit shorter than the recommendation for spring) if your grass is a KBG and tall fescue or KBG, tall fescue, and fine fescue mix, and 1.5 to 2.5 inches for KBG-only lawns.
- Water: Water your lawn around 1 inch per week, divided into two or three days.
- Get a soil test: Conduct a soil test to determine which nutrients your lawn needs.
- Fertilize: Fertilize according to the recommendations from the soil test, or apply at least 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
- Apply insecticides: Treat with insecticides if you haven’t done so in August and if you’re noticing grub activity.
- Aerate: Aerate your lawn with a core aerator if the soil is compacted or has a high clay content, as is common across North Carolina.
October
- Mow and water properly: Continue mowing and watering as in September.
- Control weeds: Use post-emergent broadleaf herbicides to control weeds like chickweed and henbit. Make sure you follow the label instructions when applying the products.
November
- Continue mowing and watering: Keep mowing and watering your lawn as you’ve been doing in September and October.
- Fertilize: Feed your lawn for the last time of the year with a quick-release fertilizer, applying 0.5 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
- Winterize: Winterize your sprinkler system to prevent damage from frozen pipes when the cold snaps hit your area. Learn how to do it in our article: How to Winterize Your Sprinkler System.
Winter lawn care in North Carolina
Winter in North Carolina brings chilly temperatures, especially if you live in the mountain area. While it’s tempting to stay indoors, don’t neglect these lawn care tasks:
December to February
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- Mow: Increase the mowing height to 3 inches if you have a KBG and tall fescue mix or a KBG, tall fescue, and fine fescue mix. Mow at 1.5 to 2.5 inches if you only have a KBG lawn.
- Control weeds: Spot treat annual winter weeds like chickweed and henbit with post-emergent herbicides.
- Fertilize: In February, fertilize with 0.5 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in the piedmont.
Call a professional
Kentucky bluegrass is an excellent choice for lawns in North Carolina, thriving well when seeded alone in the mountains and typically mixed with tall fescue or fine fescues in the piedmont region.
If you want to know even more about this grass or if you’d rather relax while enjoying some biscuits and gravy while a professional handles your lawn care, reach out to a local lawn care pro. Let the experts ensure your KBG lawn remains healthy all year round.
Main Image Credit: Sue Thompson | Flickr | CC BY-ND 2.0
