The Central Coast's warm, humid summers and mild winters suit warm-season grasses - buffalo, couch and kikuyu - which do nearly all their growing from spring to early autumn and slow right down in the cold. Get your mowing, feeding and weed control lined up with that growth curve and the lawn looks after itself. Here's the whole year, month by month.
Month-by-month lawn care calendar (Central Coast)
| Month | Season | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| January | Summer | Mow weekly, deep soak as needed, watch for lawn grub damage |
| February | Summer | Keep mowing weekly, summer feed, treat any grub or fungal patches |
| March | Early autumn | Autumn feed to build winter resilience; mowing eases off |
| April | Autumn | Raise the cutting height; mow fortnightly; start watching for weeds |
| May | Late autumn | Treat bindii and broadleaf weeds before they flower; light, infrequent mow |
| June | Winter | Minimal mowing; keep height high; hold off on heavy fertiliser |
| July | Winter | Rest period - mow only if growing; finish any bindii control |
| August | Late winter | Tidy edges; plan spring renovation; spot-treat weeds |
| September | Early spring | First spring feed; dethatch/aerate if needed; resume regular mowing |
| October | Spring | Mow weekly as growth takes off; top-dress bare patches; oversow if needed |
| November | Late spring | Mow weekly; second feed; set up deep watering for summer |
| December | Early summer | Weekly mow; keep height up to shade soil; watch water restrictions |
How do buffalo, couch and kikuyu differ?
The three most common Central Coast lawns each want slightly different handling:
| Grass | Cutting height | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo (e.g. soft-leaf) | Higher | Shade-tolerant; keep it longer so it shades out weeds and stays soft |
| Couch | Lower | Loves full sun; handles a tight cut; goes brown and dormant in cold |
| Kikuyu | Medium | Vigorous and fast - hard-wearing but needs mowing often to stay neat |
Whatever the grass, follow the one-third rule: never remove more than a third of the leaf in a single mow, or you stress the lawn and invite weeds.
When should I fertilise?
Feed when the grass is actively growing and can use it - a feed in early spring, again in summer, and a final feed in early autumn to harden the lawn off before winter. Skip heavy fertilising in the cold months; the grass is barely growing and the nutrient mostly feeds weeds and runoff instead.
What about weeds, watering and grubs?
- Weeds: hit bindii and broadleaf weeds in late autumn to winter, before they flower and set those spring prickles. Early is far more effective than waiting.
- Watering: a deep, less-frequent soak drives roots down and builds drought tolerance - far better than a daily sprinkle. Always check current restrictions with your council.
- Lawn grub: Central Coast summers bring lawn grub and army worm - sudden brown, dying patches in mid-to-late summer are the tell. Treat promptly before they spread.
Want it done for you?
If you'd rather not track the calendar, we can set up a seasonal lawn care program on the Central Coast - fertilising, weed & feed and treatment tailored to your grass across the year - and keep it cut with regular lawn mowing so the whole plan runs itself.