The year at a glance
A commercial landscape maintenance schedule that follows the seasons
A commercial landscape maintenance schedule in Central New Jersey is built around cool-season turf, which grows hardest in spring and fall, and around New Jersey’s fertilizer law, which limits when and how fertilizer is applied. Rutgers Cooperative Extension publishes local timing guidance that we follow.
March – April
Spring cleanup: storm debris, leaves, bed edging, pruning and mulch. Crabgrass prevention timed to soil temperature.
May – June
Weekly mowing begins, beds planted, irrigation started and checked zone by zone.
July – August
Mow higher and less often in heat, water deeply, and watch for turf stress and pests.
September – October
The most important window: core aeration and overseeding while soil is warm and nights are cool.
November
Leaf removal and final cleanup, before snow season and before winter fertilizer limits.
December – February
Dormant pruning, snow and ice service, and next year’s plan and budget.
Turf
Why fall matters more than spring
Cool-season lawns — the grasses on most New Jersey commercial sites — recover and thicken in fall.
Aerate in early fall
Relieves compaction from foot traffic and mowers so water and air reach the roots.
Overseed right after
Fills thin areas while the soil is still warm enough for seed to take.
Mow high in summer
Taller grass shades its roots and holds up better in heat and dry spells.
Follow the fertilizer law
New Jersey limits fertilizer in the winter months, keeps it off frozen ground and hard surfaces, and restricts phosphorus unless a soil test shows a need.
What a contract should say
Make the schedule part of the contract
Visit frequency by season
Weekly in the growing season, adjusted in heat and in fall.
What each visit includes
Mowing, trimming, edging, blowing off walks and lots, litter pickup.
Seasonal jobs listed
Cleanup, mulch, aeration, seeding and leaves — with months attached.
One team for the whole year
Grounds and snow on one contract, so the property never has a handoff gap in November.
Questions
What property managers ask about the grounds schedule
For a schedule and proposal built around your property, call (732) 274-0496.
When does mowing start in Central New Jersey?
Usually in April, depending on the spring. Weekly mowing runs through the growing season.
What’s the most important time of year for turf?
Early fall. Aeration and overseeding in September and October do more for a commercial lawn than anything in spring.
When should leaves be cleared?
Through October and November, with a final cleanup before snow season — see our debris removal and fall cleanup.
Can fertilizer be applied in winter?
No. New Jersey’s fertilizer law sets a winter blackout period and bans applications on frozen ground, so feeding is planned for spring and fall.
Do you handle snow on the same contract?
Yes. Grounds and snow run on one contract with one contact.
Related work
Where this guide fits
Illustration photos: Declan Sun, Michael Smith on Unsplash.
