We know that keeping up all the fertilizing, overseeding, and mowing might be overwhelming. To help you organize your schedule, we bring you a month-to-month lawn care calendar for Missouri.
In this article, we’ll dive into the lawn care tasks for each season for your cool- or warm-season lawn:
Month-to-month Missouri lawn care at a glance
*Hover over or tap each icon to read the task.
Spring lawn care in Missouri
March: Wake-up the lawn
1. Power rake or mow the lawn
Before spring growth starts, mow or power rake your lawn to speed up the process of “waking up” your lawn. Doing so will help warm up the soil and green up your turf faster.
2. Control perennial weeds
Apply post-emergent broadleaf herbicides to control perennial or winter annual weeds that were not controlled in the fall. See our guide on How and When to Apply Post-Emergent Herbicides.
Pro Tip: March is a great time to test the soil pH and nutrient levels if you haven’t tested in the last year. Read more in our article: How to Soil Test Your Lawn.
April: Start mowing, fertilize, and aerate
1. Start mowing
April is the best time to start mowing again in Missouri. By April, the snow will have already melted away. Mow at the recommended height for your turf, never removing more than 1/3 of the leaf blades. See the recommended mowing heights for each turfgrass below:
| Turfgrass | Spring mowing height |
| Tall fescue | 2 to 3.5 inches |
| Kentucky bluegrass | 1.5 to 2.5 inches |
| Perennial ryegrass | 1.5 to 2.5 inches |
| Creeping red fescue | 1 to 2 inches |
| Chewings fescue | 1 to 2 inches |
| Hard fescue | 1.5 to 2.5 inches |
| Sheep fescue | 1.5 to 2.5 inches |
| Zoysiagrass | 1 to 2 inches |
| Bermudagrass | 1 to 2 inches |
2. Fertilize cool-season lawns
If you want to fertilize your Missouri lawn twice a year, do the first application from early to mid-April and the second in September. Use 1 pound of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. (In April only, depending on your lawn’s health and needs, you can even reduce this amount to 1/2 or 3/4 pound per 1,000 square feet.)
| If fertilizing once a year | If fertilizing twice a year | |
| When to fertilize cool-season lawns | September | April and September |
*If you’re fertilizing your cool-season lawn three times per year, do another application in October. Only higher-quality bluegrass lawns should have a fourth application in November.
3. Apply pre-emergent herbicides
Pre-emergent herbicides can be used in both warm and cool-season lawns by early or mid-spring, when soil temperatures have been around 55 F for four or five consecutive days.
Because crabgrass is a common lawn weed in Missouri, apply crabgrass preventers on cool-season lawns by around April 15. See our article on When and How to Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicides to learn more.
4. Aerate cool-season lawns
Early fall is the best time to aerate in Missouri if you have a cool-season lawn, but it also can be done in spring, when the grass is actively growing. If you plan to fertilize in spring, make sure to do so after aerating to optimize nutrient absorption. Read our article to learn How to Aerate Your Lawn.
Pro Tip: April is also a good time to remove excessive or diseased grass clippings and start topdressing low spots. Learn more in our guide: Topdressing a Lawn: How to Do It and Its Benefits.
3. Treat powdery mildew and leaf spot
Keep an eye out for signs of powdery mildew and leaf spot:
- The tell-tale sign of powdery mildew: It will look like your grass has been sprinkled with flour. This white powder will cover the entire leaf blade and start to spread. Powdery mildew affects mainly Kentucky bluegrass. Learn more about how to identify and treat this disease in our article: How to Get Rid of Powdery Mildew on Your Lawn.
- The tell-tale sign of leaf spot: Leaf spot causes diffused yellowing of leaf blades. The grass blades also develop small, dark brown spots. Leaf spot affects tall and fine fescues, ryegrasses, and Kentucky bluegrass. Learn how to treat leaf spot in our article: How to Get Rid of Leaf Spot and Melting Out.
May: Control sod webworms and summer weeds
1. Control summer weeds on cool-season lawns
May is the best month to apply post-emergent broadleaf herbicides to control summer weeds. If you’re dealing with grassy weeds like crabgrass, goosegrass, or nutsedge, late May is the best time to apply post-emergent weed control.
Healthy warm-season lawns are very competitive with summer weeds, as summer is their peak growth season. Usually, applying a crabgrass preventer in mid-April will be all you need to worry about during spring.
2. Control sod webworms
May is typically when the first brood of sod webworms emerges on both cool-season and warm-season lawns. Apply insecticides 10 days after you notice a major moth flight. Learn how to identify, prevent, and exterminate sod webworms in our article: How to Get Rid of Sod Webworms in Your Lawn.
3. Fertilize warm-season lawns
Late May or early June is the best time to start fertilizing your warm-season lawn in Missouri. For low-maintenance lawns, you can do two applications per year: Apply 1/2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in May and again in July.
For standard warm-season lawns, you can perform up to four fertilizer applications per year. Apply 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in 4 equal feedings between the first application and mid-August. If a soil test indicated a pH lower than 6.0, seize the moment to apply lime too.
See the table below to schedule warm-season fertilization in Missouri. Measurements are for nitrogen per 1,000 square feet:
| Standard warm-season lawn | Low-maintenance warm-season lawn | |
| May | 1/2 pound | 1/2 pound |
| June | 1/2 pound | x |
| July | 1/2 pound | 1/2 pound |
| August | 1/2 pound | x |
Summer lawn care in Missouri
June: Water as needed; mow cool-season turf higher
1. Water as needed
Cool-season lawns enter their dormancy stage in the summer when growth stops and the grass turns brown. If you want to keep your lawn green throughout summer, water your lawn infrequently, but deeply (up to a 6-inch depth). One inch of water per week is usually sufficient to nourish your lawn without overwatering it.
Warm-season lawns will typically require less water than cool-season grasses to remain green and actively growing in the summer months, so irrigating warm-season grasses in the summer is not usually necessary unless during prolonged drought periods.
| Turfgrass | Recommended inches of water for green turf | Recommended inches of water for dormant turf |
| Perennial ryegrass | 1.5 | 1 |
| Kentucky bluegrass | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Tall fescue | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Zoysia or Bermudagrass | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Buffalograss | 0.5 | 0.2 |
Pro Tip: The best time to water your lawn in hot weather is early morning, between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m.
2. Mow cool-season lawns higher
Summer is a stressful season for cool-season lawns, which struggle with the heat. To minimize heat stress, increase mowing height by 1/2 to 1 inch (especially if the grass is thinning).
See below the recommended mowing heights for cool-season lawns grown in shade conditions during the Missouri summer:
| Turfgrass | Summer mowing height |
| Tall fescue | 3 to 4 inches |
| Kentucky bluegrass | 2 to 3.5 inches |
| Perennial ryegrass | 2.5 to 3.5 inches |
| Creeping red fescue | 2 to 3 inches |
| Chewings fescue | 2 to 3 inches |
| Hard fescue | 2 to 3 inches |
| Sheep fescue | 2 to 3 inches |
For warm-season lawns, which thrive in the summer, you can keep mowing at their regular recommended height, never removing more than 1/3 of the leaf canopy. Consider mowing at their tallest recommended mowing height, as this can help the grass retain moisture.
3. Keep looking for sod webworms
By June, sod webworms might still be around. Keep watching for any signs of sod webworm damage. It usually first appears as small areas of browning and thinning turf that grow as the worms feed. You can also take a look at the damaged area at dusk, where you may notice worms crawling out of the soil, tiny eggs, or bite marks on the leaf blades.
4. Dethatch and aerate warm-season lawns
If you have a thatch layer of 1/2 inch or more, your lawn needs to be dethatched. Late May or early June is the best time to dethatch or aerate warm-season lawns in Missouri. Because summer is their peak growth season, dethatching or core aerating early in the season gives your lawn plenty of time to recover before fall comes.
July: Continue maintenance; search for white grubs
1. Continue maintenance practices
Keep up your mowing and watering practices. Water the lawn infrequently, with the recommended amount of water for your turfgrass. A good rule of thumb is to water two to three times a week, between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Another important thing is to avoid mowing during stressful hours of the day when the lawn is exposed to heat or drought. The best time to mow your lawn is mid-morning and late afternoon; just make sure the grass is dry.
2. Search for white grubs
If you notice browning areas in your turfgrass, search for white grubs. In those browning areas, the dead turf peels easily from the soil. If you find five to 10 grubs in a 1 square foot area, you’ll have to treat the area with an insecticide by the end of July.
August: Continue maintenance; prepare for fall activities
1. Continue maintenance practices
Keep watering your lawn as needed and mowing at the recommended height (if you kept your cool-season lawn out of dormancy or if you have a warm-season lawn).
2. Prepare the lawn
Cool-season lawn renovations (by seeding or sodding) are best done in the fall, so prepare the lawn and purchase the necessary material during August:
- Choose your grass seed and fertilizer. Read our article to know The Best Grass Seed for Missouri Lawns and choose the right one for you.
Pro Tip: If you didn’t test your soil in March or you’re unsure of your soil’s needs, August is a good time to get your soil tested as well. - If you plan a complete renovation in the fall, kill the remaining vegetation by applying glyphosate in mid-August. To effectively kill Bermudagrass, do the first application on August 1 and the second one month later.
3. Water cool-season lawns deeply
Cool-season grasses have their peak growing seasons in spring and fall. If you let your cool-season lawn enter dormancy in the summer, water it deeply in the last week of August to give fall growth a head start.
Fall lawn care in Missouri
September: Mow warm-season lawns higher; fertilize cool-season lawns
1. Mow warm-season lawns higher
During fall, warm-season grasses slow down their growth rate. Increase your mowing height by 1/2 inch to 1 inch during this season to prevent stressing the turf. Leave the grass clippings on the lawn to provide the soil with organic matter.
2. Fertilize cool-season lawns
September is the best month to fertilize cool-season lawns in Missouri. If you opt to fertilize your cool-season turf only once a year, September is the right time to do so. Apply 1 to 1.5 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
If fertilizing two or more times per year, make sure to do it at the right times, as shown in the table above.
3. Overseed thin spots, renovate, or plant a new cool-season lawn
Fall is the best time to plant grass seed in Missouri. More precisely, early September is the best time of the season to overseed thin spots, renovate, plant, or sod new lawns in Missouri. Remember to irrigate well and keep the soil moist to optimize seed establishment.
4. Rake the dead leaves
Fall is the time to get your rake out once again. The excess dead leaves often block the grass’s access to sunlight and form a dark, humid environment — everything lawn fungi love.
Pro Tip: Use a mulching lawn mower to turn dead leaves into mulch. That way you can save the time and effort of raking away the leaves while providing your lawn with nutritious organic matter. Mow often to minimize leaf-build up on the lawn.
5. Aerate and dethatch cool-season lawns
Aerating and dethatching are two processes that respectively relieve soil compaction and reduce thatch. Dethatching is usually done in cool-season grasses when the thatch layer reaches 1/3 inch in thickness, resulting in water absorption problems.
However, because they are relatively aggressive procedures, it is best to perform them during the turf’s peak growth. September (early fall) is the best time to aerate or dethatch cool-season lawns, so the grass will have the rest of the season to regrow.
6. Control perennial broadleaf weeds and winter annuals
The best time to use broadleaf herbicides is late September, especially when dealing with perennial broadleaf weeds. If you have warm-season grass, fall is the right time to control winter weeds with a pre-emergent herbicide application.
October and November
1. Mow until growth stops
During fall, keep mowing your lawn until you notice growth has stopped. You can keep mowing cool-season lawns at their regular height, but remember to mow warm-season grasses higher.
Usually, grass stops growing when temperatures consistently drop to 50 F to 55 F. That’s when you’ll want to do the last mow of the season.
2. Lime your cool-season lawn if necessary
If your pH soil test indicated that your soil is acidic (with a pH of 5.8 or lower), then you’ll most likely need a lime application. Fall and early winter are the best times to lime your cool-season lawn in Missouri. Learn more about liming in our article: Why, When, and How to Apply Lime to Your Lawn.
And if you’re fertilizing in late fall, mid-October is a good time to do so. After leaf growth has slowed down, make sure to use moderate amounts of soluble nitrogen fertilizers, which are more effective during this time of the year.
3. Prepare for winter
Another important aspect of late fall activities is to prepare your lawn for the winter. Before the soil freezes and the snow begins to fall, remember to:
- Rake the leaves. If leaves are left on the lawn as the snow sets in, they will smother the grass and lead to the development of snow mold.
- Make sure the soil is moist, but not wet. Wet soil can lead to the emergence of lawn diseases in the subsequent spring.
- Winterize your mower and sprinklers. Empty your mower tank and change the oil before storing it. (Check our step-by-step guide on How to Winterize Your Lawn Equipment for more information.)
If you have a sprinkler system, it is also important to go into winter with empty pumps and drained pipes so the frozen water won’t crack your piping. Learn three different ways to winterize your sprinklers in our article: How to Winterize Your Sprinkler System.
Winter lawn care in Missouri
December, January, and February
1. Avoid foot traffic
Winter is the time to cozy up inside your home and avoid foot traffic over your lawn at all costs. During winter, the leaf blades freeze, so any traffic can cause them to break.
2. Avoid snow piles
Snow piles can also cause pressure on top of the grass, causing damage and making the lawn more prone to diseases. When clearing your driveway, make sure not to make piles of snow on top of your lawn.
3. Avoid using salt to melt the ice
Salt can damage your grass since not all turf can deal with salinity. Instead, use calcium chloride or soluble fertilizer to melt the ice.
FAQ about lawn care in Missouri
When does grass stop growing in Missouri?
Warm-season grasses stop growing when temperatures fall below 50 to 55 F, while cool-season grasses stop growing when temperatures consistently fall below freezing (32 F or below). In Missouri, this can happen from the second week of October to the first week of November.
The exact dates can vary depending on what region of the state you live in. For warmer regions in the south of the state, for example, your grass might stop growing later in the season.
When does grass start growing in Missouri?
Cool-season grasses start growing when the soil temperatures reach 40 F, early in the spring. Warm-season grasses in Missouri start growing later in the season when soil temperatures warm up to 60 F.
When should I apply weed and feed in Missouri?
The ideal time to use “weed and feed” products on cool-season lawns in Missouri is during the fall. This herbicide and fertilizer combination is best applied in the spring for warm-season lawns.
But be careful: Weed and feed products can easily cause a herbicide overdose. Additionally, the timing and rates of proper fertilization and weed control may not always coincide, so keep this in mind when opting for a weed and feed. Learn more about weed and feed products in our guide: How and When to Apply Weed and Feed on Your Lawn.
Find a pro near you
We know that taking care of all of these lawn care tasks can be too much for just one person. Luckily, you don’t have to do it all by yourself: We have trusted lawn care professionals near you. Contact a Missouri lawn care pro today and get your lawn schedule in check.
Main Image Credit: aj stephens | Flickr | CC BY-ND 2.0
