Pelouse Quebec

A healthy lawn, one step at a time.

A simple lawn care calendar for Quebec: fourteen steps from April to October, with what to buy and how to do it.

See the checklist
Scroll

How it works

  1. Follow the windowsEvery step has its window. What's due now is highlighted.
  2. Check or skipMark what's done. Skip what doesn't apply to your lawn.
  3. Pick up where you left offYour progress stays in your browser, season after season. Nothing to install, no account.

Pelouse Quebec — Checklist

Annual lawn care plan

Fourteen steps, April to October, for a healthy lawn in Quebec.

Quantities depend on your lawn: refer to each product's specifications.

0 / 14 steps done· season 2026

Spring

  1. April 20 – May 4DethatchingNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Dethatch the lawn

    Rake or rented dethatcher, only if the thatch is thicker than ½ inch.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Rake, or rent a gas-powered dethatcher, to pull up grass clippings and dead weeds.
    Good to know
    • Only if the thatch is thicker than half an inch.
    • Always leave half an inch of thatch to protect the lawn.

  2. April 24 – May 8GrubsNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Grub control

    Grub B Gon MAX (Bt galleriae) over the whole lawn, then water to carry it down to the roots.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Apply twice a year, following the grubs' life cycle, without exceeding the label's yearly dose.
    2. In late April or early May, as soon as the ground has thawed: against the grubs that overwintered and come back up to eat the roots before they pupate in June.
    3. In early September: against the young grubs that hatched in August, before they burrow down for winter. This is the application that counts most, since the product works best on small grubs.
    4. Spread evenly with a calibrated spreader on soil that is neither soaked nor dry, then water about 1.25 cm (or count on moderate rain): water is what releases the bacteria from the granules and carries it down to the roots, where the grubs eat it.
    5. Do not mow before that watering, so the granules are not picked up.
    Good to know
    • Live active ingredient: check the date on the bag (use within 17 months of manufacture) and store it between 4 and 25 °C, out of the sun.
    • Keep children and pets off the treated area for 4 hours or until the dust has settled. Do not apply in gusty wind, before heavy rain is forecast or near a body of water.
    • Targets the grubs only: no effect on the adult chafers and beetles that eat foliage.
    • A class 5 biopesticide sold over the counter in Quebec (registration 33460). Montreal and Quebec City, which ban synthetic pesticides on lawns, allow biopesticides; still check the municipal bylaw.

  3. May 1–15PreventionNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Weed prevention

    Corn gluten meal over the whole lawn.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Apply twice a year.
    2. In early spring, 2 weeks before weed seeds germinate.
    3. In late summer or early fall, once heat stress has passed.

  4. May 1–15Weed controlNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Weed control

    A selective herbicide permitted in Quebec, on broadleaf weeds in active growth.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Treat dandelions, clover, plantain and other broadleaf weeds while they are actively growing, on a day with no rain forecast, on a lawn watered the day before. Not above 30 °C.
    2. Spray until the foliage is wet, spot by spot or over the whole lawn as the label allows. Iron works within hours; WeedOut over days to weeks.
    3. Repeat after 3 to 4 weeks if weeds persist, without exceeding the yearly number of applications on the label.
    Good to know
    • These products target broadleaf weeds: they do nothing against crabgrass or other grassy weeds.
    • Iron products: not on a lawn seeded less than a year ago. Iron stains concrete, pavers and clothing, and can darken the grass for a few days.
    • Wear gloves. Keep children and pets off the lawn until the product is dry; Quebec's public health institute recommends waiting 4 hours.
    • Some cities regulate pesticides more strictly than Quebec does: check your municipal bylaw before applying.

Summer

  1. June 1–15SeedingNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Seeding

    Lawn soil, Quick + Thick seed and peat moss, then water for 2 to 4 weeks.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Mow the lawn short (2 inches high).
    2. Spread the PRO-MIX lawn soil (¼ inch thick).
    3. Sow the seed over the soil, following the directions on the bag.
    4. Spread a starter fertilizer, unless it's already included in the seed mix.
    5. Rake lines so the seeds are lightly buried in the soil.
    6. Cover the seeds with a ¼ inch layer of peat moss.
    7. Water for 2 to 4 weeks. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked.

  2. June 7–21FertilizerNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Green Max fertilizer

    Green Max 27-0-2 over the whole lawn.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. All-purpose fertilizer for any growing season and every grass type, including newly seeded or sodded areas.
    2. Tender new growth is more vulnerable to insect damage, so it needs nutrients to establish healthy roots and vigorous growth.

  3. June 21 – July 5FertilizerNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    SummerGuard fertilizer

    SummerGuard 34-0-0, while the lawn is actively growing.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Apply while the lawn is actively growing.
    2. Works on all grass types.

  4. July 7–21Weed controlNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Weed control

    A selective herbicide permitted in Quebec, on broadleaf weeds in active growth.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Treat dandelions, clover, plantain and other broadleaf weeds while they are actively growing, on a day with no rain forecast, on a lawn watered the day before. Not above 30 °C.
    2. Spray until the foliage is wet, spot by spot or over the whole lawn as the label allows. Iron works within hours; WeedOut over days to weeks.
    3. Repeat after 3 to 4 weeks if weeds persist, without exceeding the yearly number of applications on the label.
    Good to know
    • These products target broadleaf weeds: they do nothing against crabgrass or other grassy weeds.
    • Iron products: not on a lawn seeded less than a year ago. Iron stains concrete, pavers and clothing, and can darken the grass for a few days.
    • Wear gloves. Keep children and pets off the lawn until the product is dry; Quebec's public health institute recommends waiting 4 hours.
    • Some cities regulate pesticides more strictly than Quebec does: check your municipal bylaw before applying.

  5. July 21 – August 4FertilizerNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Green Max fertilizer

    Green Max 27-0-2 over the whole lawn.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. All-purpose fertilizer for any growing season and every grass type, including newly seeded or sodded areas.
    2. Tender new growth is more vulnerable to insect damage, so it needs nutrients to establish healthy roots and vigorous growth.

  6. August 14–28AerationNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Aerate the soil

    Rented core aerator, only if the soil is compacted.

    Products and instructions
    What you need
    • Core aeratorTool rental

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. If the soil is too compacted, aerate the lawn with a machine that pulls plugs of soil.
    2. Run the machine over the entire lawn to aerate and loosen the soil.

  7. August 21 – September 4SeedingNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Seeding

    Lawn soil, Quick + Thick seed and peat moss, then water for 2 to 4 weeks.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Mow the lawn short (2 inches high).
    2. Spread the PRO-MIX lawn soil (¼ inch thick).
    3. Sow the seed over the soil, following the directions on the bag.
    4. Spread a starter fertilizer, unless it's already included in the seed mix.
    5. Rake lines so the seeds are lightly buried in the soil.
    6. Cover the seeds with a ¼ inch layer of peat moss.
    7. Water for 2 to 4 weeks. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked.

Fall

  1. September 1–15GrubsNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Grub control

    Grub B Gon MAX (Bt galleriae) over the whole lawn, then water to carry it down to the roots.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Apply twice a year, following the grubs' life cycle, without exceeding the label's yearly dose.
    2. In late April or early May, as soon as the ground has thawed: against the grubs that overwintered and come back up to eat the roots before they pupate in June.
    3. In early September: against the young grubs that hatched in August, before they burrow down for winter. This is the application that counts most, since the product works best on small grubs.
    4. Spread evenly with a calibrated spreader on soil that is neither soaked nor dry, then water about 1.25 cm (or count on moderate rain): water is what releases the bacteria from the granules and carries it down to the roots, where the grubs eat it.
    5. Do not mow before that watering, so the granules are not picked up.
    Good to know
    • Live active ingredient: check the date on the bag (use within 17 months of manufacture) and store it between 4 and 25 °C, out of the sun.
    • Keep children and pets off the treated area for 4 hours or until the dust has settled. Do not apply in gusty wind, before heavy rain is forecast or near a body of water.
    • Targets the grubs only: no effect on the adult chafers and beetles that eat foliage.
    • A class 5 biopesticide sold over the counter in Quebec (registration 33460). Montreal and Quebec City, which ban synthetic pesticides on lawns, allow biopesticides; still check the municipal bylaw.

  2. September 21 – October 15FertilizerNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Fall fertilizer

    Fall lawn food 32-0-10, around mid-October.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Apply in the fall (around mid-October) on any grass type, including recently seeded and sodded areas.

  3. October 7–21PreventionNow's the timeNext upDate passedSkipped

    Weed prevention

    Corn gluten meal over the whole lawn.

    Products and instructions
    What you need

    Refer to the product specifications for quantities and application.

    How to
    1. Apply twice a year.
    2. In early spring, 2 weeks before weed seeds germinate.
    3. In late summer or early fall, once heat stress has passed.

Common questions

When does lawn care start in Quebec?

In late April, once the ground has thawed and dried out. The first step, dethatching, runs from April 20 to May 4; the last, fall weed prevention, from October 7 to 21. In between, every step has its own window.

Dethatch the lawn April 20 – May 4Weed prevention October 7–21

When should you fertilize a lawn in Quebec?

Four times in this plan: Green Max fertilizer from June 7 to 21, SummerGuard fertilizer from June 21 to July 5, Green Max fertilizer from July 21 to August 4 and Fall fertilizer from September 21 to October 15. How much depends on your lawn: follow the dose on the label.

Green Max fertilizer June 7–21SummerGuard fertilizer June 21 – July 5Green Max fertilizer July 21 – August 4Fall fertilizer September 21 – October 15

When should you seed a lawn in Quebec?

Two windows: from June 1 to 15 and from August 21 to September 4. Late summer usually works best: warm soil, cool nights, fewer weeds sprouting. Then water for 2 to 4 weeks without soaking the soil.

Seeding June 1–15Seeding August 21 – September 4

When do you apply corn gluten meal?

Two times: from May 1 to 15 and from October 7 to 21, that is before weed seeds germinate in spring, then once summer stress has passed. It is a preventive: it does nothing against weeds that are already up.

Weed prevention May 1–15Weed prevention October 7–21

Which lawn herbicides are legal in Quebec?

Chelated-iron (FeHEDTA) herbicides such as Scotts Weed B Gon MAX and Fiesta, and Wilson Lawn WeedOut Ultra, are on Quebec's biopesticide list: homeowners can buy them and apply them on a lawn against broadleaf weeds. Killex, PAR III and other 2,4-D or mecoprop products have been banned from sale and from use on green spaces since July 6, 2025. Glyphosate (Roundup) is not covered by the provincial ban, but Montreal, Quebec City and other cities ban it, and it kills grass. Check your municipal bylaw too.

Weed control May 1–15Weed control July 7–21Quebec's biopesticide list Pesticides banned in urban areas (Quebec)

What can you do about white grubs in a lawn?

Yellow patches that lift like a carpet, skunks or raccoons digging at night: those are the signs of white grubs, the larvae of June beetles, European chafers and Japanese beetles. Two applications in this plan of Scotts Grub B Gon MAX, a biopesticide (Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae) sold over the counter in Quebec: from April 24 to May 8 and from September 1 to 15. It works on the grubs that eat the roots, young ones most of all, and must be watered in to reach them. To discourage egg laying, keep the lawn tall (about 7.5 cm) and water less often.

Grub control April 24 – May 8Grub control September 1–15Quebec's biopesticide list

Do you have to do every step?

No. Dethatch only if the thatch is thicker than half an inch, and aerate only if the soil is compacted. Skip what doesn't apply to your lawn: the list keeps count, and it starts fresh every year.

Dethatch the lawn April 20 – May 4Aerate the soil August 14–28