Create a Yard Maintenance Calendar

With every passing season, more than just the weather evolves. The needs of your lawn and yard change, too. To keep your yard lush and well-groomed, create and follow a maintenance calendar based on the following tips and criteria. Not only will it keep your place looking great, it'll cut down on the stress of maintaining your outdoor spaces.

The Weather in your Region

Every region of the country experiences different weather throughout the year, which means the demand for yard care differs from place to place. In colder climates, harsh winters demand attention for snow and ice removal. In warmer areas, drought can be a challenge. Understanding the general weather of each season and taking that into consideration in creating your calendar is key to an accurate schedule for keeping your yard on track.

Consider the Specifics of Your Yard

Every yard is different in size, shape, and ecology. Know your type of grass, as well as what plants you have and their seasonality. For instance, if you have annual flowers that bloom from certain months of the year, note this on your calendar along with any special care that these flowers require before, during, or after their blooming period. Marking these specific items by plant will help you keep each item well maintained for a yard that’s almost always in bloom.

Note Special Circumstances

If your yard has any special circumstances, include them in your plan. For instance, any water features like pools or fountains should have their own yearly schedule. These will definitely need maintenance throughout the year—whether it’s a pool opening or closing process or the winterization of a fountain. Another special circumstance worth noting is areas of your yard that are prone to flooding in rainy seasons.

Items to Include on Your Yard Maintenance Calendar

There are a range of items that you should include on your calendar, each depending on the needs of your yard and other environmental factors, as discussed above.

Mowing Schedule

Roughly map out when your lawn will be mowed throughout the year so you can stay on track with keeping it in good condition during seasons in which it grows quickly. While this doesn’t have to be followed to a tee, having a rough estimate of how many times it’ll need to be mowed will be helpful.

Planting Schedule

Mark on your calendar the planting schedule you’ll follow for your lawn as well as other landscaping items. This can happen multiple times throughout the year or only once, depending on your yard and personal preferences.

Fertilization Schedule

Mark when you’ll need to fertilize your lawn and plant beds for best growth. The end of the warmer months is usually a good time to feed your plants.

Weeding Schedule

Every yard requires some weeding, even though it’s not the most exciting of tasks. Mark out a few times annually to perform this task so you don't get stuck playing catch up once they're overgrown.

Trimming Schedule

If you have plants in your yard that grow quickly and take up major space, you may want to add trimming dates to your calendar to keep them from overtaking your yard. This is important for hedges and flowering bushes like forsythias.

Watering Schedule

Whether you need to water your lawn and plants all year round or just during a particular season, be sure to set reminders on your calendar to do so (depending on how much rainfall is received, of course).

Leaf Removal

If you live in an area where the leaves come down in the fall, add leaf removal to your calendar. Like mowing, the dates could be slightly off from what you predict, but it’s still good to have a reminder and placeholder in there.

Winterization

You’ll want to winterize your yard appropriately if you live somewhere that experiences colder conditions, snow, and ice. Winterize your yard to protect your grass and plants. Also winterize any water features, like a pool, sprinkler system, or fountain.

Other Calendar Features

Other things to consider adding to your calendar to make it even more robust and more of a helpful tool is the cost (if any) associated with each task on your calendar so that you can add these amounts into your household budgets for the year.

Also consider creating a map of your yard to accompany your home. Here, mark landscaping areas, sprinkler systems, heavily shaded or sunny areas, and anywhere that’s prone to issues like flooding.