Lawn Calendar

Arid and inland lawn calendar

Hot, dry summers, cold nights in winter and low rainfall. Places like Alice Springs, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Mildura.

Short answer

Arid and inland lawns get hot, dry summers, cold winter nights and low, unreliable rainfall, so water is the main limit. Keep the lawn to an area you can water well, choose a drought-tolerant warm-season grass, water deeply and less often within local rules, and prevent winter weeds in autumn. Many areas also get frost.

Inland lawns live or die on water. Keep the lawn area to what you can water well, water deeply and less often, and check your local water authority’s rules before planning any irrigation.

Calendar timing is general guidance for the whole zone. Watch what your own lawn is doing, and follow product labels for timing. [CONFIRM: reviewer to confirm Lawn Calendar timing for this zone]

  • Hot, dry summers and low, unreliable rainfall
  • Cold nights in winter, with frost in many areas
  • High evaporation, so water is the main limit on a lawn

Drought-tolerant warm-season grasses are the usual choice. Water availability, local water rules and soil type matter more than anything else.

Reminders for this zone

Add these jobs to your Lawn Journal and get a reminder when each window opens.

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Month by month

Januarysummer
  • Water deeply and less often
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
  • Raise the mowing height in hot, dry spells
  • Keep on top of nutgrass and summer weeds
  • Light summer feed if the lawn needs it
+1 more
Februarysummer
  • Water deeply and less often
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
  • Raise the mowing height in hot, dry spells
  • Keep on top of nutgrass and summer weeds
Marchautumn
  • Pre-emergent for winter grass
  • Last feed before the lawn slows down
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
Aprilautumn
  • Pre-emergent for winter grass
  • Cut back watering as it cools
  • Last feed before the lawn slows down
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
Mayautumn
  • Cut back watering as it cools
  • Keep off frosty grass
  • Mow only when it needs it
Junewinter
  • Deal with winter weeds while they are small
  • Hold off feeding a dormant lawn
  • Keep off frosty grass
  • Mow only when it needs it
Julywinter
  • Treat bindii before it forms burrs
  • Deal with winter weeds while they are small
  • Hold off feeding a dormant lawn
  • Keep off frosty grass
  • Mow only when it needs it
+1 more
Augustwinter
  • Treat bindii before it forms burrs
  • Deal with winter weeds while they are small
  • Stop winter grass seeding
  • Hold off feeding a dormant lawn
  • Mow only when it needs it
+2 more
Septemberspring
  • First feed of the season
  • Lower the mowing height gradually
  • Treat bindii before it forms burrs
  • Check your sprinklers before summer
  • Stop winter grass seeding
+3 more
Octoberspring
  • First feed of the season
  • Lower the mowing height gradually
  • Check your sprinklers before summer
  • Core aerate compacted areas
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
+4 more
Novemberspring
  • Core aerate compacted areas
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
  • Wetting agent before summer, if water isn't soaking in
  • Clover spreading? Check the lawn is fed
  • Renovate while the lawn is growing strongly
Decembersummer
  • Water deeply and less often
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
  • Raise the mowing height in hot, dry spells
  • Keep on top of nutgrass and summer weeds
  • Light summer feed if the lawn needs it
+1 more

Questions for this climate

Who wrote this, and what it's based on

Reviewed by
Awaiting expert review
Last updated

This page hasn't been reviewed by our technical reviewer yet [CONFIRM: reviewer]. Until it is, it isn't listed in search engines. How we write and review

Sources

  1. Climate classification maps, Bureau of MeteorologyTemperature and humidity zones map (hot dry summer zones). Accessed 3 October 2026.