Lawn care calendar for Indiana.
Purdue's one calendar for Indiana lawns is built around three maintenance levels, so what you do each month depends on how much effort you want to put in.
Get dates for my ZIP →By LawnYear editorial team · Published · Updated Windows are read from the extension publications listed under Sources; the dates are approximate.
Short answer for Indiana
In Indiana, for Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue, seed Aug 15 to Sep 15; fertilize May 1 to May 31, Sep 1 to Sep 30 and Nov 1 to Nov 30, per Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service (1998).
The same calendar gives weed control Apr 1 to Apr 30 and Oct 1 to Oct 31; mowing Apr 1 to Nov 30 at 2.5 to 3.5 in; watering Jun 1 to Aug 31.
Approximate dates for your state. Check with your local cooperative extension office before you act.
Windows by grass and task
| Grass | Seed | Fertilize | Weed control | Mow | Water | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky bluegrass | Aug 15 to Sep 15 | May 1 to May 31Sep 1 to Sep 30Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Apr 1 to Apr 30Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Apr 1 to Nov 30 at 2.5 to 3.5 in | Jun 1 to Aug 31 | Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, 1998 |
| Tall fescue | Aug 15 to Sep 15 | May 1 to May 31Sep 1 to Sep 30Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Apr 1 to Apr 30Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Apr 1 to Nov 30 at 2.5 to 3.5 in | Jun 1 to Aug 31 | Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, 1998 |
| Perennial ryegrass | Aug 15 to Sep 15 | May 1 to May 31Sep 1 to Sep 30Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Apr 1 to Apr 30Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Apr 1 to Nov 30 at 2.5 to 3.5 in | Jun 1 to Aug 31 | Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, 1998 |
| Fine fescue | Aug 15 to Sep 15 | May 1 to May 31Sep 1 to Sep 30Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Apr 1 to Apr 30Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Apr 1 to Nov 30 at 2.5 to 3.5 in | Jun 1 to Aug 31 | Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, 1998 |
Calendar by grass
Grasses the source covers with one shared calendar are shown together. Open a group for each task, its note and its source. Want dates for your ZIP code? Use the lawn schedule by ZIP tool.
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue
8 tasks
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue in Indiana
Seed
Aug 15 – Sep 15
Reseed thin or bare areas starting in the middle of August; the optimum seeding window is August 15 to September 15 in central Indiana. AY-27 describes lawns of cool-season grasses; maintenance levels (high, medium, low) are the publication's own.
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue in Indiana
Fertilize
May 1 – May 31
High maintenance only: 0.75 to 1.0 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in May, mostly slow release, unless fertilizer went down with a preemergence herbicide in April. Whole month shown.
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue in Indiana
Fertilize
Sep 1 – Sep 30
1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in September at every maintenance level. Whole month shown.
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue in Indiana
Fertilize
Nov 1 – Nov 30
1.5 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in November at every maintenance level, as a fast-release product such as urea after the final mowing while the grass is still green. Whole month shown.
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue in Indiana
Weed control
Apr 1 – Apr 30
High and medium maintenance: a preemergence herbicide in April if crabgrass has been a problem. Use a product with little or no nitrogen, in slow-release form, and avoid more than 0.75 lb N per 1,000 sq ft. Whole month shown.
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue in Indiana
Weed control
Oct 1 – Oct 31
Control dandelions and other broadleaf weeds in October, when spot or blanket broadleaf herbicide applications are most effective. Whole month shown.
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue in Indiana
Mow
Apr 1 – Nov 30
Mow at 2.5–3.5 in.
Mow at 2.5 to 3.5 in from April, as soon as the lawn greens up, for as long as the grass is growing; do not lower the height for the last mowings. Remove no more than a third of the blade at once. Months are the calendar's April to November entries.
Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue in Indiana
Water
Jun 1 – Aug 31
High maintenance only: irrigate as needed in summer, thoroughly, and do not water again until the first signs of drought stress. June to August are the calendar's entries.
Kentucky bluegrass in other statesTall fescue in other statesPerennial ryegrass in other statesFine fescue in other states
One calendar, three levels of effort
AY-27 is written for lawns of cool-season grasses, and it marks every practice as high, medium or low maintenance. High is the densest, greenest lawn for people willing to spend time and money, medium an acceptable lawn, and low an average lawn with minimal inputs. The calendar shown here applies to Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue.
Four feedings spread from spring to November
The calendar gives 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft in September at every level and 1.5 lb in November as a fast-release product after the last mowing. A May feeding of 0.75 to 1.0 lb is for high maintenance, skipped if fertilizer went down with the April herbicide, and a July feeding of 0.75 lb is only for irrigated lawns or wet summers.
Seeding in the middle of August, for central Indiana
Thin or bare areas are reseeded from mid-August, and the optimum window is August 15 to September 15 in central Indiana. The calendar names no spring seeding window, and Purdue's other publications, such as the one on spring seeding, were not used here. The mowing range runs from April, when the lawn greens up, to October at 2.5 to 3.5 in.
Two herbicide jobs, one in April and one in October
In April, medium and high maintenance lawns with a crabgrass history get a preemergence herbicide with little or no nitrogen, and any nitrogen should be slow release at no more than 0.75 lb. October is the broadleaf month, when dandelions are controlled more effectively than in spring. The publication is dated 7/98, so confirm current herbicide advice with your county extension office.
Sources
The dates and figures on this page come from these publications.
- [1]Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service ↗ (opens in a new tab)AY-27, Maintenance Calendar for Indiana Lawns (1998); month-by-month calendar for cool-season grasses at high, medium and low maintenance levels.Publication year 1998 · Read 2026-10-30