Most people who sign up for a lawn care program figure "they come out and fertilize a few times a year." That leaves out the part that decides whether the lawn actually gets better. Each round has a different job, timed to what Minnesota grass and weeds are doing that month.
Our 7-step fertilization program is spread across the growing season, from early spring through the last feeding before freeze-up. Here is what each stretch of the program is doing, why it happens when it does, and what you should expect to see in your yard.
Early spring: pre-emergent before the crabgrass wakes up
The first round of the year is about a weed you can't see yet. Crabgrass is an annual. Last year's plants died with the first hard frost, but they dropped thousands of seeds, and those seeds start germinating once the top inch or two of soil holds around 55 degrees for several days. In Wright and western Hennepin County that usually lands somewhere in late April into May, depending on the spring.
A pre-emergent forms a barrier in the top layer of soil that stops seedlings as they germinate, so it has to be down before soil temperatures get there. After the crabgrass is up it does very little. That's why this round comes early, sometimes while the neighbors are still raking.
Any spring feeding should be modest. The lawn needs a little help greening up after winter, but pushing a big surge of top growth in April just means more mowing in May and a softer lawn heading into summer.
Late spring: broadleaf weed control
By late May and June, dandelions, clover, creeping Charlie and plantain are growing hard, and that's exactly when they take up weed control best. Broadleaf herbicides work through the leaf, so a weed that is actively growing pulls the product in and down to the root.
What you'll see: existing weeds start to curl, twist and yellow within 7 to 14 days of a broadleaf treatment. Dandelions usually go quickly. Creeping Charlie and violets are tougher and often need follow-up in a later round, especially in shady spots where they have years of roots built up.
A few things help this round work:
- Hold off on mowing for a day or two before and after, so there's leaf surface for the product to land on and time for it to move in.
- Skip watering the day of the treatment so it stays on the leaf.
Summer: slow-release nitrogen and iron
Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue slow down once July heat settles in. The goal for summer rounds is to hold color and density without forcing the plant to grow when it would rather rest. Slow-release nitrogen feeds the lawn steadily over several weeks instead of all at once, which avoids a flush of tender growth right before a hot, dry stretch.
Iron is the other half of the summer round. It deepens the green color without pushing blade growth, so the lawn looks good in August without needing heavy nitrogen. After a summer feeding, color and density usually show within 2 to 3 weeks.
This is also the stretch where mowing height matters most. Keep the lawn at 3 to 3.5 inches. Taller grass shades the soil, holds moisture and keeps the crowns cooler, and a lawn that gets scalped in July will show it no matter what goes down.
Fall: potassium and root builders
The back half of the program is where the following year gets built. Once soils cool in September, grass shifts its energy into roots and storage. Fall rounds lean on potassium, which supports cold hardiness and helps turf handle the freeze and thaw cycles of a Minnesota winter, along with root builders and slow-release nitrogen in controlled amounts. Fall is also a strong time to go after perennial weeds, since they're moving sugars down to their roots and carry the product with them.
Our last feeding goes down in late October or early November, after top growth slows but before the ground freezes. We covered that stretch window by window in our fall fertilization schedule, so we won't repeat all of it here.
Micronutrients and soil testing
The program includes soil-tested micronutrients, so trace elements go down based on what your soil actually needs. Minnesota also restricts phosphorus in lawn fertilizer unless a soil test shows a need or you're establishing new turf.
Add-ons that fill the gaps
Feeding and weed control don't cover everything. A few problems need their own treatment:
- Grub control. A preventative application in early summer protects against the larvae of Japanese beetles, June beetles and chafers. One application covers the full season. Curative treatments are available if grubs are already chewing roots.
- Core aeration and overseeding. Hollow-tine aeration in late August or September opens compacted soil so water, air and fertilizer reach the roots, and seed fills thin areas.
- Organic soil improvement. Compost-tea topdressing and liquid humic acid, applied in spring and fall, rebuild the biology in the root zone. The effect builds over two to three seasons and makes each fertilizer round go further.
What a realistic first season looks like
A lawn that has been weedy and thin for years won't flip in one round. A fair expectation for year one:
- Spring: crabgrass pressure drops if the pre-emergent went down on time.
- Early summer: most dandelions and clover gone within a couple of weeks of the broadleaf round, with tougher weeds needing more passes.
- Summer: steadier color, with less of the boom and bust you get from fast-release bags.
- Fall into next spring: a thicker lawn that greens up earlier, which is where you see the full program pay off.
Thick turf is the best weed control there is, since seeds have no room to sprout. Each round stacks on the one before it, so year two usually looks better than year one.
If you want the first round of the year on time next spring, now is the time to get on the schedule. Get an instant estimate from the button at the bottom right of any page on our site to see your program price in about a minute.
Frequently asked questions
How many fertilizer applications does a Minnesota lawn need?
Liberty's program runs seven steps across the growing season, from an early spring pre-emergent round through a final feeding in late October or early November. Fewer rounds can work on a healthy lawn, but the spring pre-emergent and the fall feeding are the two worth keeping no matter what.
When does a lawn care program start in Minnesota?
The first round goes down in early spring, before soil temperatures reach about 55 degrees and crabgrass starts germinating. In Delano, Buffalo, Rockford and St. Michael that is usually late April into May. Signing up over the winter makes sure you're on the route for that first visit.
How soon will I see results from fertilization?
Color and density usually improve within 2 to 3 weeks of a fertilizer application while the grass is actively growing. Weeds treated with broadleaf control start to yellow and curl within 7 to 14 days.
Does a lawn care program include grub control?
Grub control is usually an add-on. Liberty applies a season-long preventative in early summer that protects against the larvae of Japanese beetles, June beetles and chafers, and one application covers the full season. Curative treatments are available if grubs are already active.
Should I water after a fertilizer or weed control round?
Skip watering on the day of a broadleaf weed treatment so the product stays on the leaf. Fertilizer needs moisture to move into the soil, so a normal rain or irrigation cycle in the days after a feeding helps it work.