Year-Round Lawn Care Schedule for North Texas

DFW lawns need different things at different times of year. Here's what we do for our maintenance customers month by month. This applies to Bermuda and St. Augustine lawns, which cover about 95% of residential yards in the area.

January and February

Your lawn is dormant and brown. Not much to do. This is a good time to apply a pre-emergent herbicide (like Barricade or Dimension) to prevent spring weeds. Get it down before soil temps hit 55°F, which usually happens in mid to late February in DFW. Late January is better if you can manage it.

Don't fertilize yet. The grass can't use it while dormant, and you'll just feed the weeds.

March

The lawn starts greening up. Bermuda first, then St. Augustine a few weeks later. If you missed the pre-emergent window, you can still apply it in early March. Start mowing when the grass hits 3 to 4 inches. First mow of the season, drop the blade slightly lower than normal to remove dead brown tops and let sunlight reach the new green growth.

April and May

Prime growing season starts now. Apply a balanced fertilizer (something like 15-5-10) in mid-April. The lawn is actively growing and can actually absorb the nutrients. Start weekly mowing. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than daily light watering. You want roots to grow deep.

May is when you'll notice chinch bugs on St. Augustine lawns. Brown patches that spread outward from a central point, usually in the hottest, sunniest parts of the yard. Treat immediately with bifenthrin or a similar insecticide. Chinch bugs can destroy a lawn in weeks if left unchecked.

June through August

Survival mode. The lawn needs 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. Most DFW cities have watering restrictions, so you're usually limited to two days per week. Water early morning (before 10 AM) to minimize evaporation.

Mow at the highest setting your mower allows. Taller grass shades the soil, retains moisture, and crowds out weeds. For Bermuda, that's 2 to 2.5 inches. For St. Augustine, 3 to 4 inches.

Apply a second round of fertilizer in early June. Use a slow-release formula that won't burn the grass in the heat.

September and October

The heat breaks and the lawn gets a second wind. This is a great time for a fall fertilizer application (use a winterizer formula with higher potassium). The grass is storing energy for winter dormancy.

Apply a second pre-emergent in mid-September to block winter weeds like henbit and chickweed. Same products as the spring application.

Aerate the lawn in September or October. DFW clay soil compacts badly over the summer, and aeration lets water and nutrients reach the roots. Rent a core aerator or have someone do it. Spike aerators don't cut it.

November and December

Mowing slows down as the grass goes dormant. You might mow two or three times total between November and February. Keep leaves off the lawn. A thick layer of leaves blocks sunlight and traps moisture, which invites fungal disease.