Lawn care advice written for the rest of the country does not work here. We get a long, wet, cool growing season, very little summer rain, and enough shade and moisture to grow moss almost year round. Here is how we actually schedule lawn work across Snohomish and north King County.
March and April: this is the wake-up. The first cut of the year should be taken high — cutting a lawn short after a wet winter shocks it and invites moss straight back. Rake out winter debris, get edges re-cut along walkways and beds, and if moss has taken over more than a third of the lawn, treat it now rather than in summer.
May through August: this is peak growth, and weekly mowing is the difference between a lawn that looks maintained and one that looks neglected. Keep the blade high — around three inches — because taller grass shades its own roots and holds moisture through the dry stretch in July and August. Never take off more than a third of the blade height in a single cut.
September and October: growth slows but does not stop, so mowing moves to every other week. This is the best window of the entire year for overseeding and topdressing. Seed goes down into warm soil with cool, wet weather coming, which is exactly what new grass wants.
November through February: the mower mostly goes away, but the yard still needs attention. Keep leaves off the lawn so it does not smother and rot underneath, clear gutters and drains, and use the dormant season for the projects that are hard to do in summer — fence lines, patios, tree removals, and bed reshaping.
If you would rather not track any of this, that is what a recurring maintenance plan is for. Call Superlux Gardening & Landscaping at (425) 212-0027 for a free estimate anywhere from Everett to Kent.