Lawn Calendar

Temperate lawn calendar

Warm summers and cool to cold winters. Places like Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra.

Short answer

Temperate lawns, such as Melbourne's and Adelaide's, have warm summers and cool to cold winters. Warm-season grasses go dormant and brown off over winter, so wait until they are actively growing in spring before feeding. Put pre-emergent down in late summer to early autumn, before winter weeds germinate, and water deeply in summer within local rules.

Temperate lawns have four distinct seasons. Warm-season grasses go to sleep over winter and wake up in spring, so timing matters: feed when the grass is actively growing, and put weed prevention down before the weeds germinate, not after.

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]

  • Warm to hot summers, with dry spells
  • Cool to cold winters, with frost in some areas
  • Warm-season grasses go dormant and brown off over winter

Both warm-season and cool-season grasses are grown. Warm-season lawns go dormant in winter; cool-season lawns grow through the cooler months and can struggle in summer heat.

Reminders for this zone

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

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Places in this zone

Month by month

Januarysummer
  • Watch for lawn grubs
  • 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
+2 more
Februarysummer
  • Pre-emergent for winter grass
  • Water deeply and less often
  • Last feed before the lawn slows down
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
  • Raise the mowing height in hot, dry spells
+1 more
Marchautumn
  • Pre-emergent for winter grass
  • Last feed before the lawn slows down
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
  • Watch for brown patch
Aprilautumn
  • Cut back watering as it cools
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
  • Watch for brown patch
  • Rake up fallen leaves
Mayautumn
  • Cut back watering as it cools
  • Watch for brown patch
  • Mow only when it needs it
  • Rake up fallen leaves
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
  • Rake up fallen leaves
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
  • Keep off frosty grass
+3 more
Septemberspring
  • Lower the mowing height gradually
  • Treat bindii before it forms burrs
  • Watch for lawn grubs
  • Stop winter grass seeding
  • Watch for brown patch
+4 more
Octoberspring
  • First feed of the season
  • Lower the mowing height gradually
  • Watch for lawn grubs
  • Check your sprinklers before summer
  • Core aerate compacted areas
+6 more
Novemberspring
  • First feed of the season
  • Watch for lawn grubs
  • Check your sprinklers before summer
  • Core aerate compacted areas
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
+5 more
Decembersummer
  • Watch for lawn grubs
  • Water deeply and less often
  • Mow regularly while the lawn is growing
  • Raise the mowing height in hot, dry spells
  • Wetting agent before summer, if water isn't soaking in
+4 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. Accessed 3 October 2026.