Cool Season Lawn Care
The LawnMethod
A soil-temperature driven approach to lawn care.
No guesswork. Just results.
The Approach
Three principles.
Soil Temps Drive Everything
Forget calendar dates. Soil temperature milestones tell you exactly when to apply pre-emergent, fertilize, seed, and winterize. The soil doesn’t lie.
Follow the Seasons
Spring pre-emergent → Summer maintenance → Fall renovation → Winter prep. Each season has a clear playbook with specific steps and products.
Know Your Numbers
Your lawn size + fertilizer math = perfect applications every time. No more guessing, no more burning, no more wasting product.
Season by Season
Your year at a glance.
Every action is tied to a soil temperature milestone. Here's the overview — dive into the full guide for details.
Spring
50°F → 70°F rising
- Pre-emergent #1 at 55°F soil temp
- Pre-emergent #2 at 65–70°F
- Begin fertilizer applications
- Mow regularly at 3.5″+
Water in pre-emergent with ½″ irrigation
Summer
70°F → 80°F+ peak
- Continue fertilizer (lower N)
- Bio-stimulants: sea kelp, humic acid
- Deep, infrequent irrigation
- Mow high at 3.5″–4″
Focus on keeping the lawn alive, not pushing growth
Fall
80°F → 55°F dropping
- Seed at 70°F (or fall pre-emergent)
- Aerate if lawn is thick/compacted
- Starter fertilizer with seed
- Push growth — fall is #1 season
If seeding, skip the fall pre-emergent
Winter
Below 55°F → 40s°F
- Winterizer fert when temps hit 40s
- Final mow: one notch lower
- Rake leaves before applying
- Hibernation — take a break
Winterizer feeds next spring’s green-up
Your Toolkit
Built for lawn people.
Your Lawn
Set your lawn size.
Enter your lawn's square footage. This is saved locally and used by the fertilizer calculator.