Lawn Calendar

First mow, overseed window, last feed, last cut, and snow-mold watch. Computed for your exact place from the 30-year climate record at your nearest station.

Your place

First mow – Set your place

Overseed –

Last fertilizer –

Last mow –

Lawn dates for your place, with reminders.

Weekend work window: Check the live forecast and task windows for your place on the Weather page before you head outside.

American Homestead Summer, a Currier and Ives lithograph of a farmhouse in full summer — American Homestead Summer. Currier and Ives, New York, 1868.

Lawn dates for major cities

Computed from each city's own station normals. Your town's dates may differ; use the planner above for your exact place.

City	First mow	Overseed	Last mow
New York, NY	April 4	September 30 - October 28	November 11
Los Angeles, CA	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Chicago, IL	April 13	September 5 - October 3	October 17
Houston, TX	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Phoenix, AZ	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Philadelphia, PA	April 2	September 15 - October 13	October 27
San Antonio, TX	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
San Diego, CA	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Dallas, TX	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Austin, TX	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Miami, FL	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Tampa, FL	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Atlanta, GA	March 2	September 14 - October 12	October 26
Seattle, WA	April 4	September 22 - October 20	November 3
Denver, CO	April 23	August 19 - September 16	September 30
Boston, MA	April 19	September 14 - October 12	October 26
Las Vegas, NV	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Portland, OR	April 4	September 14 - October 12	October 26
Minneapolis, MN	April 25	August 13 - September 10	September 24
Detroit, MI	April 25	August 29 - September 26	October 10
Nashville, TN	March 10	September 8 - October 6	October 20
Charlotte, NC	March 4	September 8 - October 6	October 20
Honolulu, HI	Year-round	Late summer	As needed
Anchorage, AK	May 16	August 4 - September 1	September 15

Method: monthly mean temperature normals anchored mid-month, linear interpolation across 50F (first mow) and 45F (growth slowdown). Frost offsets use the station's average first fall frost. Read the full methodology.

❦

Questions, answered plainly

When should I mow my lawn for the first time in spring?

Wait until the soil has warmed enough that grass is actively growing, roughly when the monthly mean temperature crosses about 50F. Across the South that can be March; in the Midwest and Northeast, mid to late April; in the Mountain West, May. Mowing too early on cold, wet soil compacts the root zone.

When should I overseed my lawn?

For cool-season lawns, late summer, four to eight weeks before the average first frost: the soil is still warm for fast germination but nights are cool enough that the new grass hardens off before winter. Warm-season lawns across the South are best overseeded for winter color in early fall. The tool above computes the window from your station.

When is the last fertilizer application?

About six weeks before the first frost. Any later and the nitrogen pushes soft, sappy growth that is vulnerable to winter injury. The tool above computes the date from your station normals.

Why is the last mow important for snow mold?

In snowy regions, long grass matting under heavy, wet snow is the main snow-mold habitat. The final cut should be slightly shorter than summer height, but never scalped, and timed before the ground freezes and snow settles. Where winters stay mild it is not a concern.