Lawn and yard

A Year-Round Lawn Care Calendar for West Georgia

What to do for your lawn each season in west Georgia, whether you have warm-season grass or tall fescue.

Lawn care in west Georgia runs on a different clock than up north. Most lawns here are warm-season grasses like Bermuda, zoysia, centipede and St. Augustine. They grow hard in summer and go brown and dormant in winter. Some shady yards have tall fescue, which does the opposite. This lawn care calendar walks through the year for both.

Timing shifts a little from year to year with the weather, and every grass has its own needs. Use this as a general guide.

Start with a soil test

Before you buy lime or fertilizer, get a soil test. Red clay soil varies a lot from yard to yard. Your county UGA Cooperative Extension office can help you send a sample to the UGA lab. The results tell you your soil pH and what nutrients your grass needs. That keeps you from wasting money on products your lawn doesn't need, or hurting it with the wrong ones.

This matters most with centipede, which likes acidic soil and doesn't want much fertilizer. Lime it only if a soil test says to.

Late winter (February to early March)

• Pre-emergent for crabgrass. Apply before crabgrass sprouts. This is usually late February to mid-March, when soil temps warm up. Many folks use forsythia blooms as a cue. Read the label, and don't use it where you plan to seed.
• Clean up. Rake up sticks, pine cones and leftover leaves.
• Tune up the mower. Sharpen the blade, change the oil and check the air filter.
• Don't fertilize warm-season grass yet. It's still dormant.

Spring (March to May)

• First mowings. Once warm-season grass starts greening, mow to clear off dead growth. Don't scalp it hard.
• Wait for full green-up before feeding. Bermuda, zoysia and St. Augustine are usually ready mid to late spring. Centipede needs much less fertilizer than the others.
• Spot-treat weeds with a product labeled safe for your grass type. Some weed killers will harm centipede and St. Augustine.
• Pine pollen season coats everything in yellow. It doesn't hurt the lawn, but it's a good reminder to clean gutters once it passes.

Summer (June to August)

• Mow regularly. Warm-season grasses grow fast now. Follow the one-third rule: never cut more than a third of the blade at once. See our mowing height guide for heights by grass type.
• Water deeply, not often. About an inch a week, counting rain, is a common target. Water early in the morning so blades dry during the day.
• Raise fescue mowing height to help it handle heat.
• Watch for problems like brown patches, grubs or chinch bugs in St. Augustine. Extension offices can help identify them.
• Heavy summer storms can wash out bare spots on slopes. Keep an eye on drainage.

Early fall (September to October)

• Seed or overseed tall fescue. This is its best planting window.
• Fertilize tall fescue in fall, following your soil test.
• Ease off fertilizer on warm-season grass. Late feeding can push tender growth right before cold weather.
• Fall pre-emergent can help prevent winter weeds like annual bluegrass. Again, read the label and skip it where you're seeding.
• Keep mowing until growth slows.

Late fall (November to December)

• Leaves. Don't let thick mats of leaves sit on the lawn, especially on fescue, which is still growing. Our fall leaf cleanup guide has tips.
• Last mowing. Warm-season grass goes dormant after the first hard frosts. Mow it one last time at normal height.
• Winterize the mower if you won't use it for a while.

Winter (December to January)

• Stay off frosty grass. Walking on frozen blades can damage them.
• Plan ahead. Order your soil test and make your spring plan.
• Trim summer-blooming shrubs like crape myrtle and abelia in late winter, before new growth starts.

Want help keeping up?

We offer lawn mowing, yard cleanup and shrub trimming. Text a photo of your yard to (706) 594-5049, or use our free estimate form, and we'll give you a free estimate.