Lawn Care Schedule for Salinas

Your Salinas lawn care schedule will vary depending on your grass type. You’ll be busiest in the spring and fall if you have a cool-season variety and busier in the summer if you have warm-season grasses. For either type of grass, you’ll need to rake, test your soil, irrigate, mow, fertilize, practice weed and pest control, aerate, dethatch, and overseed.

Salinas’ lawn care schedule varies because it’s in the transition zone, which means the climate supports both cool-season and warm season grasses. Each grass type has different peak growing times. Cool season grasses peak in the spring and fall, so more lawn care is needed then. Warm-season grasses peak in the summer, necessitating more summer lawn care. 

Key Takeaways

Grass type matters: Since Salinas is in the transition zone, your lawn could have warm-season or cool-season grass, each requiring a different schedule. You could have both types, too.

Cool-season schedule: Fertilize in the fall, mow more frequently in the spring and fall, and irrigate in the summer.

Warm-season grass schedule: Summer is the busiest season for warm-season lawn care, necessitating frequent mowing, aeration, and dethatching.

Your Grass Type Matters

As you know, California is big. Cool-season grasses grow best in the northern end of the state, warm-season grasses do best in Southern California, and both types thrive in the mild transition zone in the middle. However, each requires different schedules for fertilization, mowing, and more. Let’s go over both schedules so you know what to do for your lawn.

Note: Salinas soil has a pH of 8, which is high. You may need to add sulfur or other pH-lowering supplements to your soil for your grass to grow healthy and strong. But get your soil tested first, so you know exactly how much to add.

Cool-Season Grass Schedule

Cool-season grasses thrive in cool and temperate climates. They grow most robustly in the spring and fall. With mild winters like Salinas, they stay green in the winter too. The grass thrives best in temperatures between 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit–perfect for Salinas. Here’s how to take care of your cool-season grass by season.

Spring

Salinas’ Mediterranean-like weather means it doesn’t get frigid in the winter. Still, it can get chilly. Once temperatures regularly hit 55 degrees Fahrenheit, you can start your spring lawn chores.

• Rake: Give yourself a clean slate by raking leaves and debris. A thorough raking also helps your lawn wake up. Since temperatures don’t often dip below freezing, your lawn may not have gone dormant, but the consistent low temperatures mean its growth slowed down.
• Test your soil: To ensure that your grass is healthy, you may need to apply soil amendments. But first, you have to know what your grass needs, which you can learn from a soil test. You can purchase an at-home test, but for the best results, use a certified laboratory in the area
• Apply amendments: Depending on your test results, you may need to apply soil amendments. While there are many different types of soil amendments, you’ll likely need sulfur to lower your soil’s pH. Without proper pH, your grass may have trouble absorbing the nutrients it needs.
• Water as needed: As the temperatures rise in Salinas, the amount of rain drops. While grass-type water needs vary, the average need is about 1 inch per week. If you’re not receiving it from the clouds, supplement it with your chosen irrigation method (hose, irrigation system, sprinklers, etc.)
• Weed control: Apply post-emergent weed control to deal with winter weeds. Apply pre-emergent herbicides to get ahead of summer weeds. Check out our guide on Common California Weeds to know what to look for.
• Pest control: Your grass isn’t the only thing becoming more active in the spring. Pests like grubs, aphids, ants, fleas, and ticks are becoming more active, particularly if it’s their mating season. Apply pest control or use a professional pest control service to keep the critters at bay.
• Fertilize if needed: For cool-season grasses, fall is the best time to fertilize. But if your lawn is in rough shape or needs a boost, you can also apply fertilizer in the spring. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions for application. Too much fertilizer will burn your lawn.
• Mow: With Salinas’ temperature, your mowing didn’t stop over the winter, but lessened in frequency. With the temperatures rising, grass will grow quicker, requiring a more regimented mowing schedule. See the chart below for grass type mowing heights

Important note: Never cut more than ⅓ of your grass height. It will stress your grass too much, potentially killing your grass.

Summer

• Mow: Summertime temperature averages mean your cool-season grass will take a dip in growth. Keep an eye on its growth and mow as needed. However, if Salinas gets a heat wave, your cool-season grass could go dormant and turn brown. Never mow dormant grass as the additional stress can ruin your turf.
• Water: Rain can be hard to come by in summertime in Salinas. Regularly supplement with irrigation to ensure your grass is getting at least 1 inch of water per week. However, keep an eye on local water restrictions. If Salinas experiences a drought, the city will restrict landscaping irrigation.
• Weed Control: Weeds grow at least as fast as grass in the summer. Monitor your yard for weeds, and spray them with post-emergent weed killers or a natural weed remedy any time they pop up.
• Pest Control: Monitor for pest problems, especially grubs and fire ant mounds. Apply chemical or natural pesticides as needed. If you use a professional pest control service, usually a quick call will have them treating the issue quickly.
• Lawn renovation prep: If you’re planning a big lawn renovation, late summer is the best time to prepare. Remove grass to install a new flower bed or hardscape, or make sure soil is prepared if you’re installing sod. But this kind of prep is only for big renovations. Patching and overseeding can wait for the fall.

Fall

• Fertilize: Fall is the best time to fertilize your lawn. It helps the grass recover from the summer heat and prepare for winter’s cooler temperatures. Check your soil test results to know how to fertilize your lawn best.
• Aerate: While Salinas’ soil isn’t prone to frequent compaction, all soil compacts over time. If you’re not sure if your lawn needs it, dive a screwdriver into your turf. If it’s difficult, it’s time to aerate your lawn. If you don’t know how, check out our article on How to Aerate a Lawn.
• Dethatch: Many cool-season grasses aren’t prone to thick thatch, but if it gets thicker than one inch, you need to dethach your lawn.
• Overseed: If your lawn is thin or patchy, overseed. It’s best done after aeration so the seeds can drop deeper in the soil, ready to germinate in the spring (called dormant seeding.)
• Weed Control: Winter weeds are on their way, so apply pre-emergent to stop them before they start. Summer weeds may still be a problem, so apply post-emergent as needed. Remember, young grass can be vulnerable to herbicides, so if you’re planting sod or overseeding, check your herbicide’s label to ensure it won’t ruin your lawn.
• Soil amendments: While spring is the best time to add soil amendments, it can also be done in the fall. Refer back to your soil test results to understand what needs to be applied and how much.
• Mow: Cool-season grass often has a growth spurt again in the fall. Mow on a regular schedule (usually every 1 to 2 weeks) to keep your lawn healthy and green.
• Water: As fall settles in, Salinas often sees an increase in rain. Adjust your irrigation schedule so you don’t overwater, which can lead to lawn diseases, mushrooms, and pests. Remember, an average of 1 inch per week is best.
• Lawn renovations: If you plan to do any lawn renovations, like new landscaping or hardscaping, fall is the best time. In Salinas, late fall is even better. The summer heat has passed and the fall growth spurt is slowing in preparation for winter. Consider adding California native plants to your yard for a colorful, low-maintenance vibe.

Winter

• Mow: The lower temperatures mean your grass will grow more slowly, but it won’t stop. Monitor your lawn and mow as needed.
• Water: Because winter in Salinas is the rainiest season, you may not need to supplement with irrigation. However, it’s not uncommon for a low-rain winter month, so water your lawn as needed.
• Maintenance: With the reduction in yard work, now’s a good time to perform maintenance on your yard tools like the lawn mower or irrigation system. 
• In case of snow: It rarely snows in Salinas. However, if the snow does fall, avoid walking on the grass, cease mowing, and refrain from watering. 

Warm-Season Lawn Care Schedule

While cool-season grasses thrive in Salinas’ moderate climate, quite a few warm-season grasses grow well here too. When the weather warms too much, cool-season grass can go dormant but warm-season grass is ready to shine. 

Here’s how to take care of your warm-season grasses by season.

Spring

• Soil test: Get a soil test done every year or every other year to ensure your soil is promoting the healthiest grass. The soil test will tell you what soil amendments and fertilization are needed.
• Soil amendments: After you receive the results of your soil test, you can apply pH-lowing sulfur if needed.
• Weed Control: Similar to cool-season grasses, you’ll need post-emergent weed treatment for winter weeds and pre-emergent weed treatment for summer weeds. If you’re trying to cut down on chemicals, try organic or homemade weed control methods. For more information, check out our guide on natural weed killers.
• Pest control: Like the birds and the bees, spring is when many pest species are mating and hatching. In Salinas, there’s often an increase in grubs, fire ants, and other pests. Spray preventative pest control and watch for pop-up problems. You could also consider a professional pest control service.
• Patches: If you have patches of barren lawn and want to fill it in with sod, now’s a good time. While you can technically do this any time of the year, doing it in the spring allows it to establish before summer’s low rainfall.
• Rake: Give your grass a good raking. Not only do you clear any fallen leaves, but it also helps wake up the grass. Clear away any other debris too, like fallen branches.
• Water: As spring flows in, the rain peters out in Salinas. You may need to supplement rainfall until you reach about 1 inch per week.
• Mow: If you have warm-season grass, it’ll start growing quicker when temperatures regularly reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep an eye on your grass and mow as needed.

Summer

• Aerate: Many warm-season grass types are prone to compaction. If your lawn needs aeration, early summer is a good time as the ground is nice and soft from the warming weather and the spring rain. If you wait too long, the low rain in summer will make aeration more challenging. 
• Overseed: Aeration and overseeding often go hand in hand. Overseeding after aeration lets the seed fall in the holes and germinate effectively.
• Dethatch: Several warm-season grasses develop thatch. A little thatch helps insulate your turf but too much will starve your lawn of water and nutrients. Early summer is an ideal time to dethatch warm-season grasses as it’s fully recovered from winter dormancy.
• Pest control: Summertime in Salinas is the zenith of many pests, like aphids, fire ants, and destructive moths and beetles. Even if you have professional pest control, keep an eye out for fire ant mounds and chewed leaves on your flowers, shrubs, and trees. Pesticide (chemical or natural) reapplication may be necessary.
• Weed control: If you spot weeds, pull them out by hand or apply post-emergent herbicides.
• Mow: Warm-season grasses grow the most in the summer, so they’ll need regular mowing. About once every 1 to 2 weeks will keep your lawn vibrant and healthy.
• Water: With the low summer rainfall in Salinas’ summer, you’ll need to supplement. While many warm-season grasses have great drought resistance, they do best with about 1 inch of water per week. Just be sure to check the city’s website in case there are water restrictions.

Fall

• Rake: When the rain comes more frequently and the leaves litter the ground, a harbor for pests and fungus will form. It can also smother your grass. Rake leaves or turn them into mulch (when leaves are dry).
• Weed control: Apply pre-emergent for winter weeds. Although they sprout less frequently, keep an eye out for summer weeds and remove them quickly.
• Pest control: While many pests begin to taper off when the temperature drops, chinch bugs, ants, fleas, and ticks are still a problem. Make sure you continue your pest control routine.
• Soil amendments: If you didn’t apply soil amendments in the spring or think your soil needs more treatment, now is a good time to apply any amendments needed. If you’re applying additional amendments, you should get another soil test. Over-applying treatment can ruin your lawn.
• Mow: As the temperature drops in Salinas, warm-season grasses’ growth slows. Monitor your grass and mow when needed.
• Water: With increased rain, you won’t have to irrigate as often. Adjust your water schedule so you don’t overwater your grass.

Winter

• Mow: If or when the temperature drops below 50 degrees, your warm-season grass will go dormant. Do not mow dormant grass as it adds stress to your turf, damaging it. Until then, keep tabs on your lawn’s growth and mow only as needed.
• Water: You probably won’t need to water your lawn in the winter, but sometimes Salinas gets a dry spell in the winter. If it hasn’t rained in a while, give your grass a good soaking. If the unusual happens and Salinas drops below freezing, don’t irrigate.
• Weed control: Winter weeds are in full force. Use post-emergent pesticides or pull them by hand to get rid of them.
• Pest control: While pest activity has decreased significantly, it hasn’t stopped. Most pests can survive as long as temperatures stay above freezing. Since Salinas’ temperatures rarely drop that low, pests will continue to be an issue. Continue your pest control routine and squash problems if they emerge.
• Maintenance: With lawn chores at a minimum, now is the time to do maintenance on your mower, irrigation lines, and other lawn tools. If they’re beyond repair, California’s green law no longer allows the purchase of new gas-powered lawn equipment, so now is a good time to replace it with electric. For more information about California’s green lawn care law, check out Top 14 FAQs About California’s Green Lawn Care Law

Why Use a Professional?

If you enjoy lawn care, you don’t necessarily need a professional. But Salinas is in the transitional zone, which means lawn care is more challenging than warm or cool-season grass zones. If you don’t have time, energy, or desire to mow, aerate, fertilize, overseed, irrigate, dethatch, pest control, weed control, etc. (the list never ends!) you’re not alone.

Homeowners nationwide are turning to professionals to help relieve the heavy load of lawn care. But finding an experienced, affordable, and effective lawn care company is hair-pullingly difficult (you can see the wide range of prices in our article Lawn Care Costs in Salinas).

LawnStarter can help. We’ve researched and vetted tons of lawn care professionals in Salinas, so we can match you with the right one for you, your home, and your wallet.

Main Image Credit: Brendel / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5

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Nicki DeStasi

Nicki DeStasi is a writer, author, and teacher who grew up in western Massachusetts and currently resides in the Austin area. She enjoys flower and vegetable gardening, reading, cooking, listening to true-crime podcasts, and spending time with her husband, three children, dog, and cat.

Posts by Nicki DeStasi