The Thunder Bay Lawn Care Calendar

Our growing season runs roughly May to October, and every month has a job. Here is the schedule we follow on the lawns we maintain across Thunder Bay. Do these things at the right time and your lawn stays thick enough to crowd out most weeds on its own.

May: wake it up

Once the yard is dry enough to walk without leaving footprints, do a spring cleanup: rake out the dead grass, leaves, and winter debris. This is the best month for core aeration and dethatching, since the grass has the whole season to recover thicker. First mow goes high, around 3 inches, and never cut more than a third of the blade at once.

June: build the engine

Growth peaks now. Weekly mowing keeps the lawn even and healthy, and this is the month for your first fertilizer application. It's also a prime window for sod and overseeding while the weather is still forgiving.

July: protect it

Heat and dry stretches arrive. Raise the mowing height, taller grass shades its own roots and holds moisture. Water deep and infrequent, about an inch a week including rain, early in the morning. Skip fertilizing during hot, dry spells; feeding a stressed lawn burns it.

August: repair month

Late August opens the best repair window of the year. Overseed thin patches, fertilize again as temperatures ease, and book sod for bare areas. Warm soil plus cooler nights means fast rooting with less watering effort. We covered the timing in detail in our sod timing guide.

September: the money month

What you do in September shows up next June. Aerate if you didn't in spring, apply a fall fertilizer, and keep mowing as long as the grass keeps growing. Roots keep developing well after the blades slow down, and a fall feeding is the single highest-return treatment of the year in our climate.

October: put it to bed

Final cut goes shorter, around 2 to 2.5 inches, so the lawn doesn't mat under snow and invite mold. Clear the leaves, they smother grass over winter. Then you're done until spring.

Want the calendar handled for you?

This schedule is exactly what our seasonal customers get without thinking about it: weekly or bi-weekly mowing from $50 a visit, plus aeration, fertilizing, and overseeding timed to Thunder Bay's season. One less thing on your list.