It's that time of year. The snow's melting (or never came), and you're staring at your yard wondering if it's too early to do anything. Maybe you've already got that itch to get outside and start working on things. Or maybe you're dreading the whole spring lawn care schedule because you're not sure where to start.

Either way, you're in the right place. Let's break down exactly when to start your lawn care this spring — based on where you live, what grass you have, and what actually matters.

When Should You Start Lawn Care in Spring?

Here's the honest answer: it depends on your soil, not your calendar. Your neighbor might start mowing in March, but that doesn't mean you should.

The real trigger for spring lawn care is soil temperature. That's what tells your grass it's time to wake up and start growing. Until the soil warms up enough, your lawn is still dormant — and anything you put down (fertilizer, seed, pre-emergent) is either wasted or poorly timed.

For cool-season grasses like fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass, the magic number is 55°F. Once your soil hits 55°F consistently (not just for one warm afternoon), your grass is actively growing and ready for attention.

For warm-season grasses like bermuda, zoysia, and St. Augustine, you need warmer soil — around 65°F. These grasses stay dormant longer and green up later, so don't rush them.

You can check your local soil temperature for free through your state's agricultural extension website or by searching "soil temperature map" online. A cheap soil thermometer from any garden center works too — just push it about four inches deep in a sunny part of your lawn (not in shade or next to pavement, since those spots aren't representative). Take your reading in the morning for the most accurate number.

Spring Lawn Care by Climate Zone

Instead of saying "it depends on your zone" and leaving you hanging, here's a zone-by-zone breakdown with actual month ranges. These are approximate — use soil temperature as your final confirmation.

Zones 4–5 (Upper Midwest, Northern Plains, New England): Spring comes late here. You're typically looking at late April to early May before soil temps hit 55°F. Don't let a warm week in March fool you. Snow can still show up, and your grass knows it. Focus on cleanup (raking debris, checking for snow mold damage) and be patient.

Zone 6 (Mid-Atlantic, Central Midwest, Parts of the Pacific Northwest): Early to mid April is usually your window. Soil temps start climbing in late March, and by mid April you should be clear to apply pre-emergent and plan your first mow. This is a great zone for cool-season grasses, and spring is their second-favorite season (after fall).

Zone 7 (Transition Zone — North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Oklahoma): Mid to late March is prime time. If you have cool-season grass, you're starting your spring lawn care schedule now. If you have warm-season grass, give it another few weeks — bermuda and zoysia won't really wake up until April or May here.

Zone 8 (Deep South, Parts of Texas and the Southeast): Early March. Your warm-season grasses are starting to green up, and weeds are already thinking about it. Pre-emergent timing is critical here — get it down in late February or the first week of March before soil temps hit 55°F and crabgrass starts germinating. (Your warm-season grass won't fully wake up until soil reaches 65°F, but the weeds get a head start.)

Zone 9 (Gulf Coast, Southern Florida, Parts of California and Arizona): Late February to early March. In some years, your grass barely goes dormant at all. You might already be mowing by the time your friends up north are still shoveling snow.

When to Apply Spring Fertilizer

Fertilizer timing is one of the most common things people get wrong in spring. The mistake is putting it down too early, before your grass can actually use it.

For cool-season lawns, wait until soil temperatures are consistently at 55–60°F and your grass is actively growing — meaning it needs mowing, not just looking green. In most areas, that's somewhere between mid March and late April. A light application of a balanced fertilizer is all you need. Save the heavy feeding for fall, which is when cool-season grasses really benefit from fertilizer.

For warm-season lawns, hold off until the grass is fully out of dormancy and growing aggressively. That usually means soil temps around 65–70°F. For bermuda in zone 8, that could be April. For zoysia in zone 7, it might be May. The grass will tell you it's ready — when it's green and growing enough to mow weekly, it's ready to eat.

One more thing: if you're applying a pre-emergent herbicide (a product that prevents weed seeds from sprouting), check the label. Some pre-emergents include a light fertilizer, which means you can knock out two things at once.

When to Start Mowing

Your first mow of the season is a bigger deal than you might think. Here's the simple rule: mow when your grass reaches about one-third above its ideal height. For most cool-season grasses, that means mowing when it hits about 4–4.5 inches (if your target height is 3–3.5 inches). For warm-season grasses, the numbers vary more than people realize — bermuda likes to be kept around 1–2 inches, zoysia around 1–2.5 inches, and St. Augustine is the outlier at 3.5–4 inches (it needs that extra height to stay healthy).

For the very first mow of the season, you can drop the mower blade slightly lower than normal to clip off any dead tips from winter. Then raise it back to the recommended height for your grass type for the rest of the season.

One thing to avoid: don't scalp your lawn in spring thinking it'll help it green up faster. Scalping stresses the grass and gives weeds an open invitation. The one exception is bermuda grass, which actually benefits from a low scalping in early spring to remove dead thatch and let sunlight warm the soil. But wait until after your area's last expected frost date — scalping too early exposes the crown of the plant to freeze damage, which can set your lawn back weeks.

And make sure your mower blade is sharp. A dull blade tears the grass instead of cutting it cleanly, which makes your lawn look ragged and invites disease. A new blade costs about ten bucks, and it's the easiest upgrade you can make.

Spring Lawn Care Mistakes to Avoid

These are the things that trip people up every single spring:

Fertilizing too early. If your grass is still dormant, fertilizer just feeds the weeds. Wait until you've mowed at least once or twice before you fertilize.

Aerating at the wrong time. Core aeration is great for your lawn — but spring isn't the best time for it if you have cool-season grass. Fall is better. For warm-season grass, late spring or early summer (when it's in full growth mode) is ideal.

Overseeding and applying pre-emergent at the same time. Pre-emergent herbicide works by preventing seeds from germinating. That includes grass seed. If you need to fill in bare spots, skip the pre-emergent in those areas, or wait until fall to overseed.

Watering on a fixed schedule. Your lawn doesn't need water every Tuesday and Friday. It needs about an inch of water per week, and that includes rain. Water deeply and less often — it encourages deeper root growth and a tougher lawn.

Doing everything at once. Spring lawn care is a sequence, not a single weekend project. Spread it out over a few weeks and let each step do its job before moving on to the next one.

Your Spring Lawn Care Checklist

Here's a simple spring lawn care schedule to follow, roughly in order:

Step 1: Clean up. Rake out leaves, sticks, and any matted-down grass from winter. This lets air and sunlight reach the soil and reduces the chance of fungal issues.

Step 2: Check your irrigation. If you have a sprinkler system, run each zone and look for broken heads, dry spots, or coverage gaps. Fix them now before the heat arrives.

Step 3: Apply pre-emergent. Get it down when soil temps are approaching 50–55°F (or when you see forsythia starting to bloom in your area). You want the product in place before crabgrass germinates at 55°F — it needs time to water in and form its barrier. This is your best defense against crabgrass and other annual weeds.

Step 4: First mow. Once your grass is actively growing and reaches the right height, fire up the mower. Sharp blade, right height, don't scalp.

Step 5: Fertilize. After you've mowed a couple of times and your grass is clearly in growth mode, apply a light fertilizer. Check if your pre-emergent already included some — you might not need much.

Step 6: Keep an eye on things. Watch for early signs of weeds, disease, or dry spots. Catching problems early is always easier than fixing them later.

Don't want to figure all this out yourself? Punch in your zip code and we'll build your spring plan for free. It takes about 30 seconds, and you'll get a week-by-week schedule customized for your location and grass type.

When to Start Your Lawn Care This Spring