The direct answer: a grass pitch is kept playable by a repeating annual loop — mow in the growing season inside sensible height bands, feed when soil conditions justify it, repair wear as it happens, aerate while the ground can carry the machine, and use summer for the disruptive work. The calendar below walks the loop month by month; the seasonal planner turns it into a prioritised list for your own pitch, condition and volunteer time.
Timing in this guide follows the source’s national bands. Your soil, weather and fixture list can shift any task by weeks — the source itself says local response overrides the calendar.
Spring (March–May)
March
Restart mowing and repair winter wear. Resume mowing around 35–45 mm, moving gradually toward 30–40 mm as growth strengthens; keep blades sharp.
- Resume regular mowing. Start around 35–45 mm and bring the height gradually toward 30–40 mm; never scalp the sward after winter.
- Apply spring fertiliser when soil stays above 7°C. Wait for sustained soil warmth and calibrate the spreader before applying.
- Repair goalmouths and high-wear areas. Overseed and feed goalmouths, centre circles and linesman runs damaged over winter.
- Sharpen and check mower blades. Dull blades tear rather than cut and weaken spring recovery.
April
Support strong growth and watch for disease. Maintain the 30–40 mm band as growth accelerates.
- Remove dew and debris. Brush off heavy dew and clear debris so the sward stays dry and healthy.
- Watch for disease. Check regularly for patches, discolouration or thinning and act early.
- Light sand dressing and overseeding in breaks. The source suggests a light dressing of 3–5 kg/m² of sand and overseeding thin areas during suitable breaks in play.
- Service equipment between uses. Keep machines clean and serviced through the busy spring period.
May
Book renovation and prepare for dry weather. Raise the cut toward 35–40 mm before any drought period.
- Arrange end-of-season renovation. Book renovation work for the May–July window and order materials now.
- Raise the cutting height before drought. A slightly longer sward at 35–40 mm copes better with dry spells.
- Test irrigation. Check any watering equipment works before you depend on it.
Summer (June–August)
June
The main window for work you cannot do in season. Mow to support recovery and establishment, not for match presentation.
- Inspect and repair goals. Take goals down where possible; inspect frames, fixings and nets and repair properly.
- Carry out targeted repairs and overseeding. Renovate worn areas while the pitch is out of use and seed has time to establish.
- Improve soil and drainage. June is the window for soil and drainage improvement work that disrupts the surface.
July
Finish renovation and nurse new growth through heat. Longer grass around 45–50 mm can shade the soil during hot spells; water new growth carefully.
- Complete renovation work. Finish seeding and surface work early enough for establishment before pre-season.
- Monitor establishment. Check germination and coverage weekly and re-seed misses promptly.
- Water carefully in heat. Water new growth deliberately and let longer grass shade the soil during heat.
August
Bring the pitch back to match readiness. Reduce the height gradually toward the match-ready 25–35 mm band.
- Step the cut down toward 25–35 mm. Reduce gradually over several cuts; a sudden drop stresses the sward.
- Service line-marking equipment. Clean and service the line marker before the season starts.
- Remove hazards and reinforce goalmouths. Clear debris and stones, and strengthen goalmouths before weekly wear returns.
- Test drainage before the season. Confirm drains and outfalls are clear while there is still time to act.
Autumn (September–November)
September
Use warm, wet conditions for catch-up growth. Hold the match band and vary mowing patterns to avoid tracking.
- Catch up on growth work. Warm and wet September conditions are ideal for recovery and catch-up feeding or seeding.
- Monitor autumn disease. Check for autumn disease as nights cool and dews get heavier.
- Vary mowing patterns. Change direction between cuts to avoid ruts and grain.
October
Clear leaves and prepare the pitch for winter wet. Keep mowing while growth continues; never mow a sodden surface.
- Remove fallen leaves. Leaves left on the surface smother grass and hold moisture against the sward.
- Apply an autumn feed where suitable. A lower-nitrogen, higher-potassium autumn feed hardens growth for winter where conditions suit.
- Clear and test drainage. Clear drains, gullies and outfalls before winter rain arrives.
November
Final aeration and winter preparation. Mowing tails off with growth; concentrate on air and water movement.
- Final aeration while conditions support it. The source suggests solid tines of 18–24 mm at roughly 10 cm spacing; aerate only while the ground carries the machine cleanly.
- Winterise irrigation. Drain and shut down watering equipment before frost.
- Service equipment. Book winter servicing while workshops are quieter.
Winter (December–February)
January
Protect the surface; weather and player safety come first. Mow only if growth and ground conditions genuinely allow.
- Weekly goal safety checks. Check goal frames, fixings and nets every week they are in use.
- Keep traffic off saturated ground. Avoid unnecessary foot and machine traffic while the surface is saturated; damage done now lasts into spring.
- Continue routine inspections. Walk the pitch regularly and record surface condition, damage and drainage behaviour.
- Service machinery. Use the quiet period to service mowers and other equipment.
February
Test, plan and prepare for the growing season. Little or no mowing; concentrate on planning and soil checks.
- Test soil pH. A soil pH test now informs spring feeding decisions.
- Plan the spring programme. Set out spring mowing, feeding and repair work while the pitch is quiet.
- Check drainage behaviour. Watch how the pitch sheds water after rain and note any standing-water areas.
- Light aeration only if conditions allow. Aerate lightly only when the surface can support the equipment without smearing.
December
Inspect, protect and let the pitch rest where you can. Mow rarely, if at all; protect the surface instead.
- Weekly goal safety checks. Goals in winter use still need a weekly safety check.
- Keep off saturated surfaces. Postpone non-essential work rather than trafficking a saturated pitch.
- Continue inspections and records. Keep walking and recording; winter observations shape spring priorities.
Keeping the lines in the loop
Markings fade fastest in the weeks of heavy rain and strong growth, so line refresh works best treated as a routine rather than an emergency. A workable rhythm through the playing season:
- Check line visibility during the weekly pitch walk, corner to corner.
- Re-mark before visibility drops rather than after it has gone — faint lines still guide the marker; vanished ones need re-measuring.
- Service the marking machine before the season starts (the calendar’s August entry) and clean it after each session.
- After renovation or heavy rain, budget extra time: re-establishing lines takes longer than refreshing them.
A full session routine — stringing, measuring, machine checks — is on the line-marking session checklist. Regular re-marking needs paint intended for grass surfaces. When checking your current product or supplier, compare it with suitable marking paint for grass pitches and follow the manufacturer’s mixing and application guidance.
Year-round rules the source repeats
- Timing always follows weather and how your own surface responds, not the calendar alone.
- Preventive maintenance is usually cheaper and kinder to the pitch than emergency repair.
- Keep records of what was done, when and in what conditions.
- Use County FA pitch advisors and qualified contractors when a task exceeds volunteer skill or equipment.
- Adapt national guidance to your own soil, drainage, usage and resources.
When to stop and escalate
- Standing water that returns after every rain — a drainage question, not a mowing one: see drainage.
- Disease spreading despite changed mowing and feeding — a County FA pitch advisor or qualified agronomist should look before more product goes down.
- Any task needing machinery the club cannot operate safely — hire the operator with the machine, or bring in a contractor.
Printable summary
Print this page for a season-by-season wall sheet — print styles strip the navigation and keep the tasks, sources and disclosure. For a sheet built around your own month and capacity, the planner produces a twelve-month work sheet you can print from the result.