Louisiana Lawn Care Calendar 2026: Fall & Spring Task Dates

Q: When should I overseed my lawn in Louisiana?

Louisiana warm-season lawns (bermuda, zoysia, centipede, St. Augustine) are not seeded in fall; the only fall overseed is ryegrass for winter color, October 12 to November 5. Seed-to-soil contact matters more than the exact date: mow low, rake or core-aerate first.

Q: When do you plant garlic in Louisiana?

Plant garlic in Louisiana November 12 to December 17, around the typical first frost (November 26), so cloves root for 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes without sending up much top growth. Choose softneck varieties (Inchelium Red, California Early) that need little chilling, or refrigerate hardneck seed garlic for 6 to 8 weeks first.

Q: When should I aerate my lawn in Louisiana?

Aerate Louisiana warm-season lawns May 1 to June 15, in late spring into early summer when bermuda, zoysia, and St. Augustine are growing fastest and can fill the holes. Use a plug aerator on moist (not wet) soil and leave the cores to break down.

Q: When should I winterize my sprinklers in Louisiana?

Winterize Louisiana irrigation November 23 to December 17, before the first HARD freeze (28°F), which usually follows the first frost (November 26) by one to three weeks. Shut the supply, blow out every zone at 50 to 80 psi, open the backflow test cocks, and switch the controller off.

Q: When should I apply pre-emergent in Louisiana?

Spring pre-emergent for crabgrass goes down as soil at 1 to 2 inches approaches 55°F, typically January 26 to February 23 in Louisiana. A fall application for annual bluegrass, henbit, and chickweed lands September 12 to October 12, as soil cools through 70°F. Check the live soil temperature on this page before the calendar.

Q: When is the last time to mow in Louisiana?

Plan the final mow November 19 to December 17, and keep cutting as long as the grass grows, then take the last cut to about 2 to 2.5 inches for cool-season turf. Warm-season grass simply stops at first frost and turns straw-colored; leave it at its normal height.

Q: What kind of grass grows best in Louisiana?

Louisiana is a warm-season state. The common lawn grasses are St. Augustine, centipede, bermudagrass, zoysia. Louisiana's first frost averages Thanksgiving week — the LSU AgCenter calendar puts the last fertilizer in August, ryegrass overseeding in October, and garlic cloves in the ground through November.

Every lawn and garden task dated to Louisiana's frost calendar and live soil temperature: warm-season grasses, extension-service timing.

Next up in Louisiana: fall pre-emergent, window open through October 12

Grass zone

Warm-season

Overseed

Oct 12 to Nov 5

First frost

Nov 26

The Louisiana fall lawn season at a glance

Live · soil temp updates hourly

Today

Louisiana's overseeding window against the fall season. Windows are frost-date typicals; any year moves ±2 weeks.

Warm-season

grass zone

St. Augustine

November 26

typical first frost

48 days away

Fall pre-emergent

next task

window open now

No reading

soil now · New Orleans

live data unavailable

Louisiana's first frost averages Thanksgiving week — the LSU AgCenter calendar puts the last fertilizer in August, ryegrass overseeding in October, and garlic cloves in the ground through November.

Live · this week

What to do in Louisiana right now

Tasks whose window is open or opening within three weeks, checked against live soil temperature at New Orleans (live reading unavailable, calendar only). Enter your ZIP for your own soil reading.

Fall pre-emergent

Do it now

September 12 – October 12

Inside the typical window (September 12 – October 12).

How to fall pre-emergent

Overseed

Coming up

October 12 – November 5 · in 3 days

Opens in about 3 days — on October 12 (ryegrass for winter color only — do not seed bermuda or zoysia now).

How to overseed

Cover crop / winter rye

Coming up

October 15 – November 19 · in 6 days

Opens in about 6 days — on October 15.

Covers all 50 states. Windows are frost-date typicals; live soil temperature adjusts the soil-gated tasks.

The full calendar

Louisiana fall lawn & garden calendar

Task	Typical window	Status	Why now
Fall pre-emergent	September 12 to October 12	Do it now	Stops winter annual weeds — annual bluegrass (Poa annua), henbit, chickweed — from germinating as soil cools through 70°F.
Bring houseplants in	November 12 to November 25	Later	Tropical houseplants are damaged by nights in the 40s, well before any frost — and a sudden move from 50°F nights to a 70°F house causes leaf drop.
Core aerate	May 1 to June 15	Done for the year	Relieves compaction and opens thatch so water, air, and fertilizer reach the roots — and it is the best seedbed prep for overseeding.
Overseed	October 12 to November 5	Coming up	Warm soil plus cool air is the best germination combination of the year, and new seedlings need 6–8 weeks of growth before the first hard freeze.
Cover crop / winter rye	October 15 to November 19	Coming up	A cover crop holds soil, scavenges leftover nitrogen, and adds organic matter over winter — bare vegetable beds lose both soil and fertility to winter rain.
Fall fertilizer	August 10 to August 31	Done for the year	Fall nitrogen builds roots and carbohydrate reserves instead of top growth — the single most valuable feeding of the year for cool-season turf.
Plant garlic	November 12 to December 17	Later	Garlic needs 4–6 weeks to root before the ground freezes but should not push much top growth — planting around the first frost, 2 weeks either side, is the sweet spot.
Final mow	November 19 to December 17	Later	Grass left long under snow mats and invites snow mold; cut too short it loses winter insulation. The last cut at 2–2.5 inches is the compromise.
Winterize sprinklers	November 23 to December 17	Later	Water left in lines and backflow preventers expands when it freezes and splits pipes, valves, and heads — a repair that costs more than the whole winterization.
Plant tulips & bulbs	December 10 to January 21	Later	Bulbs root in cool soil and need 12–14 weeks of chilling below 45°F to flower — planted into warm soil they rot or sprout early.

Lawn with fallen leaves, half of them shredded by a mulching mower — Mulch the leaves into the lawn on the last mows: shredded leaves feed the soil, while a matted layer smothers the grass. “2023-11-02 11 25 12 A lawn with fallen leaves where half have been shredded by a mulching mower along Aquetong Lane in the Mountainview section of Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey” by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0

Looking ahead

Louisiana spring lawn calendar

Spring runs off the last frost (March 2) and, for pre-emergent, off soil temperature. The crabgrass trigger is 55°F at 1 to 2 inches for four or five days, not a date.

Task	Typical window	Why then
Spring pre-emergent	January 26 to February 23	Crabgrass germinates when soil at 1–2 inches holds 55°F for 4–5 consecutive days. Pre-emergent has to be in place BEFORE that — it has no effect on crabgrass that has already sprouted.
First mow	February 23 to March 23	The first cut removes winter-damaged tips and signals the lawn to tiller and thicken — but mowing soggy soil ruts it, and scalping stresses turf before roots are working.
Spring grass seed	April 13 to May 25	Spring seeding is second-best (fall is better) because seedlings face summer heat and crabgrass, but it is the only window for warm-season seed, which needs 65–70°F soil.
First spring fertilizer	April 13 to May 11	Feeding too early pushes leaf growth ahead of root growth and feeds weeds — wait until the lawn is actively growing and has been mowed 2–3 times (cool-season) or is fully green (warm-season).

City by city

Soil temperature and frost countdown across Louisiana

City	Soil temp now (6 cm)	Typical first frost	Days to first frost	Typical last frost
New Orleans	loading…	December 12	64	February 8
Baton Rouge	loading…	November 26	48	February 24
Shreveport	loading…	November 14	36	March 8

Soil temperature is modeled at 6 cm by Open-Meteo and read live in your browser; frost dates are NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for each reference station.

What grows here

Louisiana lawn grasses and mowing heights

Louisiana is a warm-season state. Common lawn grasses: St. Augustine, centipede, bermudagrass, zoysia. Warm-season grasses grow from late spring to early fall, go straw-brown dormant at the first frost, and are never seeded in fall, only overseeded with ryegrass for winter color.

Grass	Mowing height
Bermudagrass	1 to 2 in
Zoysia	1 to 2.5 in
St. Augustine	3 to 4 in
Centipede	1.5 to 2 in
Bahiagrass	3 to 4 in

Bermudagrass lawn overseeded with perennial ryegrass — Bermudagrass overseeded with perennial ryegrass: the warm-season answer to a green winter lawn. “Bermudagrass couch overseeded with Homerun perennial ryegrass” by Gilba Solutions Pty Ltd, CC BY-SA 4.0

How to do each one

Task-by-task guide for Louisiana

Fall pre-emergent · September 12 to October 12

Why: Stops winter annual weeds — annual bluegrass (Poa annua), henbit, chickweed — from germinating as soil cools through 70°F.

How: Apply prodiamine or dithiopyr at the label rate when soil at 2–4 inches drops toward 70°F for several days, then water in ½ inch. Skip it on any lawn you plan to seed this fall — pre-emergent blocks grass seed too.

Rule: Cool-season: 60–30 days before first frost. Warm-season: 75–45 days before first frost. · full guide →

Bring houseplants in · November 12 to November 25

Why: Tropical houseplants are damaged by nights in the 40s, well before any frost — and a sudden move from 50°F nights to a 70°F house causes leaf drop.

How: Start when night lows dip below 50°F. Inspect and rinse foliage, treat for pests (insecticidal soap, and a soil drench or repot for fungus gnats), then move plants to a bright window over a week, starting with a few nights indoors. Cut watering back by half once inside.

Rule: 3 weeks before first frost until a few days before (when nights fall below 50°F).

Core aerate · May 1 to June 15

Why: Relieves compaction and opens thatch so water, air, and fertilizer reach the roots — and it is the best seedbed prep for overseeding.

How: Use a core (plug) aerator, not spikes, on moist soil — two passes at right angles, 20–40 holes per square foot. Leave the plugs to break down. Cool-season lawns: early fall during active growth. Warm-season lawns: late spring to early summer when bermuda and zoysia are growing hardest.

Rule: Cool-season: 7–3 weeks before first frost. Warm-season: 8–15 weeks after last spring frost. · full guide →

Overseed · October 12 to November 5

Why: Warm soil plus cool air is the best germination combination of the year, and new seedlings need 6–8 weeks of growth before the first hard freeze.

How: Mow low, rake or dethatch so seed touches soil, core-aerate if you can, then spread seed (tall fescue 6 lb, bluegrass 2–3 lb, perennial rye 6–8 lb per 1,000 sq ft). Water lightly twice a day for two weeks. Warm-season lawns only overseed with annual/perennial ryegrass for winter color.

Rule: Cool-season: 7–4 weeks before first frost. Warm-season (ryegrass): 6–3 weeks before first frost. · full guide →

Cover crop / winter rye · October 15 to November 19

Why: A cover crop holds soil, scavenges leftover nitrogen, and adds organic matter over winter — bare vegetable beds lose both soil and fertility to winter rain.

How: Broadcast cereal (winter) rye at 2–3 lb per 1,000 sq ft into cleared beds, rake in ¼–½ inch, and water. Rye germinates down to 34°F soil, so it is the last-chance cover crop; mix in crimson clover or hairy vetch if you have 4+ weeks before frost. Mow and turn under 3–4 weeks before spring planting.

Rule: 6–2 weeks before first frost (rye itself can go in right up to frost).

Fall fertilizer · August 10 to August 31

Why: Fall nitrogen builds roots and carbohydrate reserves instead of top growth — the single most valuable feeding of the year for cool-season turf.

How: Cool-season lawns: 0.75–1 lb of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft, slow-release, with a soil test deciding phosphorus and potassium. Warm-season lawns take their LAST nitrogen on a calendar cutoff, not a frost countdown — mid-August across most of the South (Clemson: no nitrogen after August 15, coastal September 1; UGA: nitrogen through mid-August; LSU AgCenter: nothing after the end of August), and September in Florida and Texas. Late nitrogen on bermuda or centipede invites winterkill and large patch.

Rule: Cool-season: 4–1 weeks before first frost. Warm-season: last nitrogen of the year by mid-August to mid-September — an extension calendar cutoff, not a frost offset. · full guide →

Plant garlic · November 12 to December 17

Why: Garlic needs 4–6 weeks to root before the ground freezes but should not push much top growth — planting around the first frost, 2 weeks either side, is the sweet spot.

How: Break bulbs into cloves the day you plant. Set cloves pointy end up, 2 inches deep (3 in cold zones), 6 inches apart, in full sun and loose, compost-rich soil. Mulch 4–6 inches of straw in cold climates. Hardneck varieties (Music, German Extra Hardy, Chesnok Red) for the North; softnecks (Inchelium Red, California Early) for the South, where they need little or no chilling.

Rule: Cool/transition: 2 weeks before to 3 weeks after first frost (before the ground freezes). Warm South: 2 weeks before to 3 weeks after first frost. · full guide →

Final mow · November 19 to December 17

Why: Grass left long under snow mats and invites snow mold; cut too short it loses winter insulation. The last cut at 2–2.5 inches is the compromise.

How: Keep mowing as long as the grass grows (it slows sharply below 50°F). Drop the deck one notch on each of the last two mows so the final height is about 2–2.5 inches for cool-season turf. Mulch the last leaves into the lawn rather than bagging.

Rule: 1 week before to 2–3 weeks after first frost, when growth stops.

Winterize sprinklers · November 23 to December 17

Why: Water left in lines and backflow preventers expands when it freezes and splits pipes, valves, and heads — a repair that costs more than the whole winterization.

How: Shut the supply valve, drain or blow out each zone with compressed air (50–80 psi for poly pipe, never more), open the test cocks on the backflow preventer, and set the controller to "off" (not "rain delay"). Do it before the first HARD freeze (28°F), which typically follows the first frost by 1–3 weeks.

Rule: From just before first frost until first hard freeze (~2 weeks later).

Plant tulips & bulbs · December 10 to January 21

Why: Bulbs root in cool soil and need 12–14 weeks of chilling below 45°F to flower — planted into warm soil they rot or sprout early.

How: Plant when soil at 6 inches falls below 55°F: tulips and daffodils 6–8 inches deep, 4–6 inches apart, pointy end up, in well-drained soil. Water once, then leave them. Zones 8 and warmer: pre-chill tulips 10–12 weeks in the refrigerator (away from fruit) and plant in late November or December.

Rule: Cool/transition: 1 week before to 5 weeks after first frost. Warm South: 2–8 weeks after first frost with pre-chilled bulbs. · full guide →

Spring pre-emergent · January 26 to February 23

Why: Crabgrass germinates when soil at 1–2 inches holds 55°F for 4–5 consecutive days. Pre-emergent has to be in place BEFORE that — it has no effect on crabgrass that has already sprouted.

How: Watch soil temperature, not the calendar: apply prodiamine, dithiopyr, or pendimethalin as soil approaches 55°F (forsythia bloom is the old signal). Water in ½ inch within 48 hours. Dithiopyr also controls crabgrass up to about the 2-leaf stage if you run late. Do not apply where you will seed within 3–4 months.

Rule: Cool-season: 3 weeks before to 1 week after last spring frost. Transition: 4 weeks before to just before last frost. Warm-season: 5–1 weeks before last frost. · full guide →

First mow · February 23 to March 23

Why: The first cut removes winter-damaged tips and signals the lawn to tiller and thicken — but mowing soggy soil ruts it, and scalping stresses turf before roots are working.

How: Mow when grass reaches about 3 inches and the soil is firm underfoot, taking off no more than a third of the blade. Sharpen the blade first. Warm-season lawns: one low "scalp" mow at green-up removes dead top growth and speeds warming of the crowns — bag those clippings.

Rule: Cool-season: 2 weeks before to 1 week after last frost. Warm-season: 1 week before to 3 weeks after last frost.

Spring grass seed · April 13 to May 25

Why: Spring seeding is second-best (fall is better) because seedlings face summer heat and crabgrass, but it is the only window for warm-season seed, which needs 65–70°F soil.

How: Cool-season seed germinates from 50°F soil — seed as early as the ground can be worked and skip pre-emergent on that area (or use mesotrione, which is safe on new seedings). Warm-season seed (bermuda, zoysia, centipede, buffalograss) waits for 65°F+ soil, typically late spring. Keep the top ½ inch moist until established.

Rule: Cool-season: 1 week before to 4 weeks after last frost. Warm-season: 6–12 weeks after last frost.

First spring fertilizer · April 13 to May 11

Why: Feeding too early pushes leaf growth ahead of root growth and feeds weeds — wait until the lawn is actively growing and has been mowed 2–3 times (cool-season) or is fully green (warm-season).

How: Cool-season: a light feeding (0.5–0.75 lb N per 1,000 sq ft) in late spring; the heavy feeding belongs in fall. Warm-season: wait until bermuda, zoysia, or St. Augustine is 100% green, then 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft; centipede gets half that, once. Never fertilize dormant warm-season turf.

Rule: Cool-season: 2–6 weeks after last frost. Warm-season: 6–10 weeks after last frost (full green-up).

Tow-behind plug aerator pulling soil cores from a lawn — Plug (core) aeration, not spikes; the cores left on the surface break down in a couple of weeks. “Plug Aerator” — Agri-Fab, Inc. — CC0

Why the dates are what they are

Soil temperature, growing degree days, and the frost anchor

Hand working loose soil in a raised bed — Soil lags air by weeks in both directions, which is why a calendar alone gets pre-emergent and bulbs wrong. “The Bundled Benefits of Soil Health 32” — USDA / Lance Cheung — Public domain

Soil temperature beats air temperature. Grass seed germinates from about 50°F soil, crabgrass from a sustained 55°F, warm-season seed from 65°F, and tulips want soil under 55°F so they root without sprouting. Soil at seed depth warms and cools far more slowly than the air above it, so a hot week in April or a cold snap in October moves the soil only a few degrees. That is why the soil-gated tasks on this page defer to the live reading over the calendar.

Growing degree days (GDD) are how turf scientists track it: daily heat accumulated above a base (usually 50°F). Crabgrass germination, for instance, lines up with roughly 200 GDD base 50°F in spring, the same signal as forsythia finishing bloom. The frost calendar is the long-run average of all that heat accounting.

Why first frost anchors the fall. Most fall tasks are really a countdown to the first hard freeze: seedlings need 6 to 8 weeks of growth before it, garlic needs 4 to 6 weeks of rooting, cool-season fertilizer needs 2 to 4 weeks of uptake, and irrigation has to be drained before it. (Warm-season fertilizer is the exception: Southern extension programs cut nitrogen off on a calendar date, not a frost offset, because the Deep South frost arrives long after the grass stops growing.) Louisiana's typical first frost is November 26; see the Louisiana frost dates page for the early/late brackets and city table.

Common questions

Louisiana lawn care FAQ

When should I overseed my lawn in Louisiana?

When should I fertilize my lawn in the fall in Louisiana?

Give Louisiana warm-season turf its LAST nitrogen of the year August 10 to August 31. Southern extension programs set that as a calendar cutoff rather than a countdown from the very late Southern frost date, because later feeding pushes tender growth that winter-kills and invites large patch. Use a soil test for phosphorus and potassium, because several states restrict phosphorus in lawn fertilizer.

When do you plant garlic in Louisiana?

When should I aerate my lawn in Louisiana?

When should I winterize my sprinklers in Louisiana?

When should I apply pre-emergent in Louisiana?

When is the last time to mow in Louisiana?

What kind of grass grows best in Louisiana?

Keep planning

The rest of your Louisiana fall

Louisiana first frost datesTypically November 26, the anchor for every date on this page.Live soil temperature mapYour ZIP's 6 cm reading, 14-day trend, and germination thresholds.Louisiana fall foliagePeak color usually lands right in the overseeding window, so plan both.Louisiana tick forecastTicks stay active in leaf litter until a hard freeze, so check before yard work.

More Southeast lawn calendars

Windows are climatological typicals computed from NOAA 1991 to 2020 frost normals and grass-zone rules, cross-checked against LSU AgCenter — Lawn & Garden guidance. Any single year runs ±2 weeks; live soil temperature (Open-Meteo, 6 cm) is modeled, not measured. National tool: fall planting calendar by ZIP → Hero image: “2022-10-26 08 11 53 Fallen Red Maple and Saucer Magnolia leaves on a lawn in autumn along Aquetong Lane in the Mountainview section of Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey” by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0