Lawn Care Guide for the Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley has a unique microclimate — colder winters than the DC suburbs, more alkaline soil in many areas, and drier summers. Here's your month-by-month guide.

March: Apply pre-emergent herbicide before forsythia blooms. Don't fertilize yet — you'll push blade growth at the expense of roots.

April–May: First fertilization of the year. Test your soil pH — many Valley lawns are 7.0–7.5. Tall fescue prefers 6.0–6.5. Lime application if needed.

June–August: Water deeply and infrequently (1 inch per week). Raise mowing height to 3.5–4 inches. This is not the time to fertilize cool-season grasses.

September–October: Your most important window. Aerate, overseed, and fertilize. Apply 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft.

November: Final fertilization before dormancy. A winterizer fertilizer (high potassium) builds root reserves for spring green-up.

December–February: Stay off frozen turf. Check your irrigation system before hard freezes.

P&L Home Group serves Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley with fixed-price outdoor living and remodeling. Owner on every project.

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