The Complete Spring Lawn Care Checklist

Spring is the make-or-break season for your lawn. What you do (and don’t do) in the next few weeks sets the tone for the entire year. A healthy spring start means fewer weeds, less disease, and a thick, green lawn all summer long.

This checklist walks you through everything in the right order — from the first warm day through late spring. No guesswork required.

When to Start

Don’t rush it. The biggest spring lawn care mistake is starting too early. Wait until:

Daytime temperatures consistently hit 50–55°F (10–13°C)
The ground is no longer frozen or waterlogged
You haven’t had heavy frost in the last week

For most of the U.S., that means late February in the South, mid-March in the transition zone, and April in the North. When in doubt, watch when the forsythias bloom — that’s nature’s signal that it’s go time.

Phase 1: Cleanup and Assessment (Week 1)

Clear Debris

Walk the entire yard and pick up fallen branches, leaves, trash, and any leftover fall debris. Matted leaves block sunlight and trap moisture, which leads to fungal disease. Rake gently — don’t tear up the turf.

Inspect for Damage

Look for these common winter issues:

Bare patches — spots where grass died off over winter
Snow mold — circular gray or pink patches where snow sat for extended periods
Vole trails — surface-level runways where rodents traveled under snow cover
Heaving — areas where freeze-thaw cycles pushed soil and roots upward

Note problem areas so you can address them in the next phases.

Check Your Equipment

Before the season kicks into gear, make sure your tools are ready:

Mower: Change the oil, replace or sharpen the blade, check the air filter, and fill with fresh fuel. A dull blade tears grass instead of cutting it, leaving brown tips and inviting disease.
Spreader: Calibrate your broadcast or drop spreader. An uncalibrated spreader leads to striping (uneven fertilizer application).
Sprinklers/hoses: Check for leaks and replace cracked heads.
Trimmer: Fresh line, charged battery or fresh fuel.

Edge Your Beds

Redefine the edges between your lawn and garden beds, driveway, and sidewalks. Clean edges make the whole yard look sharper immediately and prevent grass from creeping into beds.

Phase 2: Soil Testing (Week 1–2)

This is the step most homeowners skip — and it’s the most valuable thing you can do all year.

Why Test Your Soil

Without a soil test, fertilizing is just guessing. You might be dumping nitrogen on soil that’s already loaded with it while your lawn is starving for potassium. A $15 soil test tells you exactly what your lawn needs and saves you money on products that won’t help.

How to Test

Get a test kit from your local cooperative extension office or use a mail-in service. Extension office tests are usually $10–$20 and give detailed results with recommendations.
Collect samples from 6–8 spots across the lawn. Use a garden trowel to pull soil from 4–6 inches deep. Mix all samples in a clean bucket.
Send it in and wait for results (usually 1–2 weeks).

What to Look For

pH level: Most lawn grasses thrive between 6.0 and 7.0. If your pH is below 6.0, you’ll need lime. Above 7.5, you may need sulfur.
Nutrient levels: Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Your test results will tell you which are deficient.
Organic matter: Healthy soil has 3–5% organic matter. Low organic matter means poor water retention and weak root systems.

Phase 3: Early Spring Tasks (Weeks 2–4)

Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicide

If crabgrass was a problem last year, pre-emergent herbicide is your best defense. It creates a chemical barrier in the soil that prevents crabgrass seeds from germinating.

Timing is critical. Apply when soil temperatures at a 2-inch depth reach 55°F for 3–5 consecutive days. Too early and it breaks down before crabgrass germinates. Too late and the seeds have already sprouted.

A cheap soil thermometer is worth its weight in gold here. Or check your local extension office — many publish soil temperature maps online.

Important: If you plan to overseed bare patches, don’t apply pre-emergent in those areas. It prevents all seeds from germinating, including grass seed.

Address Bare Patches

For small bare spots (under 6 inches):

Loosen the soil with a garden rake
Spread grass seed appropriate for your region and sun exposure
Cover lightly with a thin layer of compost or peat moss
Keep moist (not soaked) until germination — usually 7–21 days

For larger bare areas, consider using a seed-and-mulch product that includes seed, fertilizer, and mulch in one bag.

Apply Lime (If Needed)

If your soil test shows a pH below 6.0, apply pelletized lime according to the test’s recommendations. Lime takes 2–3 months to fully adjust soil pH, so spring application sets you up for summer.

Don’t guess on lime amounts. Over-liming can be just as harmful as acidic soil.

Phase 4: First Mow and Fertilizing (Weeks 3–5)

The First Mow

Your first mow of the season is important. Here’s how to do it right:

Wait until the grass is actively growing and at least 3 inches tall
Set your mower one notch lower than your normal summer height for the first cut only — this removes dead tips and lets sunlight reach the crown of the plant
Never remove more than one-third of the blade length in a single mow
Make sure your blade is sharp — this matters more in spring when grass is tender

After the first mow, raise your cutting height back to the recommended level for your grass type. (Check our Mowing Height Guide by Grass Type for specific recommendations.)

Apply Spring Fertilizer

Timing your first fertilizer application depends on your grass type:

Cool-season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass):

Apply a light fertilizer in mid-to-late spring, after the grass has been actively growing for 2–3 weeks
Don’t fertilize too early — it pushes top growth at the expense of root development
Use a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer for steady feeding

Warm-season grasses (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede):

Wait until the grass is fully green and actively growing — usually late April through May
Fertilizing before green-up can damage the turf
Start with a balanced fertilizer based on your soil test results

For our specific fertilizer recommendations, check out our Best Fertilizers for Spring Lawns guide.

Start a Mowing Schedule

Once growth kicks in, plan to mow regularly — usually once a week in spring. Key principles:

Mow at the right height for your grass type
Never cut more than one-third of the blade at once
Alternate your mowing pattern each time to prevent soil compaction and grain
Leave clippings on the lawn (grasscycling) — they decompose quickly and return nitrogen to the soil

Phase 5: Late Spring Maintenance (Weeks 5–8)

Weed Control

If you applied pre-emergent, crabgrass shouldn’t be an issue. For broadleaf weeds like dandelions and clover that pop up:

Spot-treat with a post-emergent herbicide rather than blanket-spraying the entire lawn
Hand-pull when practical — especially effective after rain when roots come out easily
A thick, healthy lawn is the best weed defense. Most weeds can’t compete with dense turf

Watering

Spring rainfall usually handles irrigation needs, but if you go more than a week without rain:

Water deeply and infrequently — aim for 1 inch of water per week total (rain + irrigation)
Water in the early morning (6–10 AM) to minimize evaporation and fungal risk
Avoid evening watering — wet grass overnight is an invitation for disease

Watch for Pests and Disease

Spring is when grub damage from last fall becomes visible — if you see irregular brown patches that peel up like carpet, check for grubs beneath. Treat with a grub-specific product if you find more than 5–10 per square foot.

Common spring diseases include:

Red thread — pinkish-red threads on grass blades, usually from low nitrogen
Dollar spot — small, circular straw-colored patches
Brown patch — large, irregular brown areas (more common in warm, humid weather)

Most disease issues resolve when you fix the underlying cause — usually overwatering, poor drainage, or nutrient deficiency.

Phase 6: Aeration and Overseeding

When to Aerate

Core aeration — pulling small plugs of soil from the lawn — relieves compaction and lets air, water, and nutrients reach the roots.

Cool-season lawns: Early fall is the ideal time. Spring aeration is acceptable but less ideal because it can open the soil for weed seeds. If you aerate in spring, apply pre-emergent afterward (skip overseeded areas).

Warm-season lawns: Late spring through early summer is the best time, when the grass is in its peak growth period and can recover quickly.

Overseeding

If your lawn is thin but not bare, overseeding thickens it up:

Mow the lawn shorter than usual
Aerate if possible
Spread seed at the recommended overseeding rate (usually half the rate for new lawns)
Top-dress with a thin layer of compost
Keep the soil consistently moist for 2–3 weeks

Remember: pre-emergent and overseeding don’t mix. You’ll need to choose one or the other for specific areas.

The Quick-Reference Checklist

Here’s everything in one scannable list:

Final Tips

Be patient. A lawn doesn’t turn around overnight. Consistent, well-timed care produces results over weeks and months.

Don’t overdo it. More fertilizer isn’t better. More water isn’t better. More mowing isn’t better. Lawn care is about doing the right things at the right time — not doing everything all at once.

Take notes. Jot down what you applied, when you applied it, and what the results were. Next spring, you’ll thank yourself.

Your lawn is a living system. Treat it well this spring, and it’ll reward you with thick, green turf all summer long.