The Petawawa Lawn Care Calendar: Sandy Soil, Month by Month

April and May: wake it up gently

Wait until the lawn firms up before the first cut. Raking too early on soft ground tears crowns out by the roots. Once it is dry, do a spring cleanup: rake out the winter debris and matted patches, and overseed thin areas so weeds do not claim them first.

The first cuts can be a touch shorter to clear winter growth, but do not scalp. Sandy soil warms quickly and the lawn will move fast by mid-May.

June: set the height and leave it alone

From June on, raise the deck. Three inches minimum, and we run higher through heat waves. Tall grass shades its own roots, and on sand that shade is the difference between green and crispy.

Sharp blades matter more than people think: a clean cut heals in hours, a frayed tear browns at the tip and stresses the plant. If your lawn looks whitish two days after mowing, the blade is dull.

July and August: water deep, not often

Sand cannot hold a daily sprinkle, it drains straight through. Water deeply once or twice a week, early morning, so moisture actually reaches the root zone and the roots chase it downward.

Skip fertilizing in peak heat. Feeding a heat-stressed lawn on sand pushes growth the roots cannot support. If the lawn browns despite good habits, it is usually dormancy, not death, and it greens up with the late-August rains.

September: the most important month

Fall is when Valley lawns are built. Aerate to open up the soil, overseed into the holes, and feed with a fall fertilizer. Cool nights plus warm soil is the best germination window of the year, far better than spring.

Keep mowing until growth stops, and drop the height slightly for the final cut so the lawn goes into winter without long matted blades that invite snow mould.

October: last cut and cleanup

Mulch light leaf cover back into the lawn, but do not let heavy wet leaves sit through winter, they smother turf and leave dead patches. A final fall cleanup, gutters included, closes out the season properly.