Bermuda Grass Lawn Care Schedule

Timing: early March to mid-April

Warm-season turf begins breaking dormancy as soil temperatures reach about 55°F, but it isn't actively growing until the soil warms to roughly 65°F.

Bermuda grass takes a spring reset well: make one early cleanup mow cut lower than usual to clear matted dormant leaf and let sunlight reach the crowns — down toward 0.5″, bagging the debris, and never scraping soil. Go back to the normal height for the rest of the season. Local guidance varies on how low, and on a lawn with uneven ground or a thin stand it is worth skipping entirely.

Don't fertilize until it's about 50% green and actively growing — roughly when soil temperatures hold above ~65°F.

Timing: mid-March to early April

Apply a pre-emergent herbicide as soil temperatures climb through the low 50s°F — before they reach the ~55°F at which crabgrass germinates — to stop summer weeds before they start. Whether a second pass is called for, how long after the first, and what the season's total may add up to are all set by the active ingredient and rate on your label, not by a general rule: some products are labeled for a split program and some are a single application for the year. Pick the product first, then read its split-application and maximum-annual-rate directions.

Timing: late April to mid-May

Make the first fertilizer application 2–4 weeks after full green-up, once the lawn is actively growing. Bermuda is a heavy feeder during its summer growth peak. Budget about 2–5 lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft across the whole season — toward the high end for a showcase lawn in the Deep South, less for a low-input one — split into several feedings every 4–6 weeks from full green-up until about 6 weeks before your first expected frost.

Timing: early May to late June

Core-aerate during active growth to allow recovery; avoid aerating dormant or drought-stressed turf. Before dethatching, measure the layer: over about ½" warrants assessment, not automatic removal. Consider grass type, site conditions and symptoms, and follow local species and equipment guidance. For dethatching, ordinarily wait for full green-up and active growth with recovery time, including on St. Augustine and centipede. Oklahoma offers pre-green-up guidance; do not generalize it nationally. Confirm species, method and recovery conditions locally.

Timing: early June to late August

Summer is the warm-season growth peak. Bermuda is a heavy feeder during its summer growth peak. Budget about 2–5 lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft across the whole season — toward the high end for a showcase lawn in the Deep South, less for a low-input one — split into several feedings every 4–6 weeks from full green-up until about 6 weeks before your first expected frost. Spread the annual budget across the season rather than applying it all at once.

Timing: early June to late August

Spot-treat broadleaf weeds during active growth, never on drought-stressed turf. Watch for insect and disease pressure in hot, humid weather and treat problem areas rather than the whole lawn.

Timing: early September to mid-September

Give a final feeding in early fall, then stop nitrogen well ahead of frost — this schedule allows about six weeks, a conservative margin rather than a measured threshold, and extension cutoffs vary by species and region. How late this can run is regional: closer to the Gulf the grass is still growing well into autumn, while at the cold edge of its range this window closes weeks earlier, which is why it is pinned to your own freeze normals rather than to a month.

Timing: early September to late October

Fall is the best time to take a soil test: lime or sulfur has the winter to react, and you go into spring with a real pH and fertility picture instead of guesswork. Send it to your state extension lab and tell them which grass you grow — the target pH is species-specific, and a lab that knows you have centipede reports against a different range than one assuming bluegrass.

Timing: mid-September to mid-October

A fall pre-emergent applied before soil cools below about 70°F controls winter annual weeds like Poa annua and henbit. Treat fall pre-emergent and winter overseeding as alternatives unless the exact product label permits both; many products can injure new ryegrass. A product-specific exception needs label permission for the existing turf, seed mixture, rate and stage.

Timing: early October to late October

For green color over winter dormancy, you can overseed with perennial ryegrass once soil cools below about 70°F. It's optional and adds maintenance — skip it if you're happy with a dormant, straw-colored lawn.

Timing: early November to late December

Wherever winter brings frost, expect a brown, dormant lawn from the first frost until spring green-up: hold off on fertilizer and pre-emergent, and give a light watering during extended winter drought to prevent desiccation. In the warmest, nearly frost-free areas (roughly USDA zone 10 — south Florida, coastal Southern California), the lawn often just slows down and stays partly green rather than going fully dormant; keep mowing and watering lightly as needed, and it can still use a little nitrogen or iron for winter color.