Achieving and maintaining a lush, vibrant lawn requires care tailored to each season’s unique demands. Whether you’re looking to strengthen your lawn, fight weeds, patch bare spots, or ensure winter resilience, here’s a comprehensive guide to keeping your lawn in peak condition throughout the year.

Spring Lawn Care Plan

Feed and Strengthen Your Lawn: Kick off the season by feeding your lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Food. This strengthens your grass and combats weeds like dandelions and clover while preventing future weed growth. Repeat the feeding two months later to maintain a lush, robust lawn. Always follow label directions for the best results.

Southern Lawns: In the South, begin your spring lawn care regimen with Scotts® Turf Builder® Southern Triple Action. This powerful product handles three key needs of Southern lawns by preventing and killing fire ants for up to 6 months, eliminating stubborn weeds like dollar weed and clover, and nourishing and fortifying your grass against the rigors of heat and drought. Give your lawn a second feeding two months later with Scotts® Turf Builder® Southern Lawn Food. Be sure to adhere to label directions for both products.

Choose the Right Spreader: Selecting the appropriate spreader for your lawn size is essential. For small yards, consider the easy-to-use Scotts® Whirl™ Hand-Powered Spreader. Medium lawns benefit from the Scotts® Turf Builder® Edgeguard® Mini Broadcast Spreader, while larger lawns up to 15,000 square feet can be covered effortlessly with the Scotts® Turf Builder® Edgeguard® DLX Broadcast Spreader. If you have an extra-large lawn up to 20,000 square feet, the Scotts® Elite Spreader is the ideal choice.

Beat Weeds: To tackle dandelions or wild violets without harming your grass, use Scotts® Liquid Turf Builder® with Plus 2 Weed Control. This weed killer preserves grass roots and prevents the disturbance of dormant weed seeds, which is common when hand-weeding.

Patch and Thicken: Repair bare spots using Scotts® Bare Spot Repair Products. Timing is crucial, so aim for early spring sowing for cool-season grass and late spring sowing for warm-season grass. To thicken a thin lawn in the North, consider overseeding with Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn™. In the South, use Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed suitable for your grass type and start your new grass strong with Scotts® Turf Builder® Starter® Food for New Grass.

Summer Lawn Care Plan

Mow High: Cultivate deep, healthy grass roots by mowing high. Sharpen your mower blades to ensure a clean cut and reduce moisture loss.

Treat for Grubs: If grubs were a problem last year, or you notice an early summer beetle invasion, apply Scotts® GrubEx® in late spring or early summer to protect your lawn from grub damage.

Water: Provide at least 1 inch of water per week through irrigation or rainfall. Water early in the morning to minimize evaporation.

Feed: Both warm and cool season grasses benefit from summer lawn feeding. Use Scotts® Turf Builder® Summerguard® to support warm-season grasses’ growth and protect cool-season grasses from heat and drought. This product also helps protect your lawn from insect attacks when used as directed.

Fall Lawn Care Plan

Fertilize: Cool-season grasses thrive in the fall. Encourage strong root growth by applying Scotts® Turf Builder® WinterGuard® Fall Lawn Food twice in the fall, around Labor Day and six to eight weeks later. For warm-season grasses, a single early fall application is sufficient. If weed control is a concern, opt for Scotts® Turf Builder® WinterGuard® Fall Weed & Feed.

Seed: Consider sowing grass seed in bare areas using Scotts® EZ Seed®. In the North, fall is ideal for thickening a thin lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn™.

Mulch Leaves: Mow leaves into dime-size pieces to allow them to decompose on the lawn. This is a convenient way to handle fallen leaves without harming the grass.

Mow Short: Lower your mower height in late fall to 1-2 inches shorter than usual. This prevents leaves from matting down the grass and helps avoid snow mold in snow-prone regions.

Winter Lawn Care Plan

Limit Lawn Traffic: Protect dormant grass plant crowns by minimizing foot traffic and avoiding vehicle parking on lawns.

Melt Ice Carefully: Choose ice melt products for lawn use, as excessive rock salt (sodium chloride) can damage plant roots.

Plan Ahead: Reflect on your lawn’s past year and devise solutions for the upcoming year. Sharpen mower blades, schedule lawn feedings, or opt for the Scotts® My Lawn app for personalized recommendations. Alternatively, consider enrolling in the Scotts® Lawn Care Program for a hassle-free experience.

Great lawn care requires the right tools, including a suitable spreader. Whether you’re applying fertilizer, seed, or ice melt, the correct broadcast spreader ensures efficient and precise coverage. Select the one that matches your lawn size, and you’ll be well on your way to maintaining a healthy, beautiful lawn year-round.