How to Care for Bermudagrass in Texas

How to Care for Bermudagrass in Texas
Bermudagrass shrugs off Texas heat and drought better than almost any other turfgrass, making it a popular choice for home lawns across the state.

But its toughness comes with some trade-offs. This aggressive, fast-growing grass needs regular mowing, frequent thatch removal, plenty of fertilizer, and lots of sunlight (it doesn’t tolerate shade well). In this guide, we'll show you how to care for bermudagrass in Texas month by month. 

▲ marks the best time to perform the designated task.*

△ marks an acceptable time to perform the designated task.*

**Location, forecasted frost dates, soil conditions, age of lawn, and several other factors can affect your lawn’s performance, which means timing will need to be adjusted to suit your lawn.

Bermudagrass Description

Strengths

Bermudagrass is a warm-season, fine-textured turfgrass with light green leaves. It boasts excellent heat, drought, and salt tolerance, and is well adapted to the Great, Central, and Coastal Plains of Texas. 

This resilient turfgrass also has excellent foot-traffic tolerance, recovers quickly from wear, and tolerates low mowing heights, making it ideal for golf courses and athletic fields in addition to home lawns. 

Weaknesses

Bermudagrass has low shade tolerance, requires frequent mowing, develops excessive thatch, and needs frequent nitrogen applications in order to thrive. 

The most common fungal disease affecting bermudagrass is spring dead spot. And here in Texas, keep an eye out for pests like grubs, armyworms, and — perhaps most notorious of all — fire ants.

Although well adapted to the Great, Central, and Coastal Plains of Texas, bermudagrass is less adapted to the Big Bend Country region. 

Hybrid Varieties 

Hybrid bermudagrass varieties, typically crosses between common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and African bermudagrass (Cynodon transvaalensis), are also available.

These hybrids require more maintenance than common bermudagrass and are typically reserved for golf courses and athletic fields. They're uncommon in home lawns, so your lawn care routine will most likely be geared toward common bermudagrass.

Spring: March, April, May

Warm weather comes early here in Texas, which means bermudagrass can start to green up as early as March. Lawn mowing will be your most consistent task throughout the season, while core aeration and thatch removal, if needed, are best performed in late spring.

Mowing

Begin mowing as soon as the grass turns green in spring. For Texas home lawns with common bermudagrass, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends setting the mowing height between 1 and 2 inches. 

If you happen to grow a hybrid variety, set the mowing height between 0.5 and 1.5 inches. 

Bermudagrass grows quickly, often requiring one or two cuts per week. Mow as often as needed to avoid removing more than one-third of the grass blade in a single mow. For example, if the mower blades are set to 1 inch tall, mow the lawn before it exceeds 1.5 inches tall. 

Learn More: 

• Professional Lawn Mowing Tips

• Common Lawn Mowing Mistakes to Avoid

• Book Professional Lawn Mowing in Texas

Irrigation

Because bermudagrass is highly drought-tolerant, it can usually get by on the frequent rainfall that occurs in early to mid-spring. 

Once dry spells set in during late spring, water reactively at first, watching for signs of drought stress like wilting leaves, a blue-gray color, or footprints that linger on the grass. After monitoring your lawn for a few weeks, you'll have a good sense of how often it needs watering. 

To determine how long to water your lawn for, visit our guide on How to Water the Lawn. Several factors can influence irrigation frequency and length, including soil type, the irrigation system, and recent weather.

Weed Control 

The best way to prevent weeds is to grow a healthy, dense lawn. Continue to practice good mowing habits, fertilize properly, and irrigate wisely to encourage a thick grass canopy and defend against weeds. 

If your lawn has a history of weed problems, applying a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring can help prevent summer weeds. 

First, identify the weed you want to control, since different pre-emergent herbicides control different weeds. 

Next, apply the pre-emergent herbicide in early spring when soil temperatures climb into the 50 - 55°F range. Summer weeds start to germinate when spring soil temperatures reach 55°F, so applying in the 50 - 55°F range allows you to stay one step ahead without applying too early. 

Monitor for Disease

One of bermudagrass’s weaknesses is its susceptibility to the lawn disease spring dead spot. 

Symptoms usually appear as bleached spots of dead grass ranging from 6 inches to several feet in diameter when dormant grass greens up in early spring. 

These spring symptoms don't mean your lawn is currently infected — they're actually the result of winter injury that follows a fungal infection that occurred the previous fall. That’s why spotting the damage now can help you plan whether to apply preventative fungicides this coming fall. 

Monitor for Pests

Scout the lawn for pest activity, particularly for signs of grubs, armyworms, and fire ants. 

Fire ant mounds, dead grass patches from grubs, and chewed grass from armyworms may all appear in spring as temperatures warm. 

• To control armyworms, perform a soap flush test to determine the infestation's severity. If three to five caterpillars per square foot are present, treat the infestation with a curative insecticide. 

• To control fire ants, spread broadcast bait across the lawn and perform individual mound treatments. 

• To control grubs, apply preventative insecticides in summer to prevent the next generation. 

Fertilize

To determine the most accurate fertilizer plan for your bermudagrass lawn, test your soil. A convenient way to do this is by following the soil sample instructions provided by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Laboratory. 

Bermudagrass home lawns in Texas benefit from 1 to 4 applications per year of 0.5 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per application. 

If your lawn needs a spring fertilizer application, only apply once: 

• The grass has greened up

• The grass is actively growing

• The lawn has been mowed 2 to 3 times

• The threat of frost has passed

Thatch Removal

When excess thatch buildup exceeds one-half inch thick, it needs to be removed. Otherwise, oxygen, nutrients, and water struggle to access the soil surface. 

Because bermudagrass is an aggressive, fast-growing grass that spreads via stolons and rhizomes, it’s highly prone to developing thatch. Remove excess thatch in late spring or early summer with a verticutter before core aeration. 

Tip: If you applied pre-emergent herbicide at the beginning of spring, consider delaying dethatching until early summer. Otherwise, you’ll break down the herbicide’s chemical barrier. 

Aeration

Texas clay soils are highly prone to soil compaction, and often benefit from annual aeration. Sandy soils, on the other hand, compact less easily and may only need aeration once every few years. 

For best results, aerate the lawn in late spring or early summer after thatch removal to allow your lawn enough time to repair itself before mid-summer’s heat and fall's slower growth. 

Tip: If you applied pre-emergent herbicide at the beginning of spring, consider delaying aeration until early summer. Otherwise, you’ll break down the herbicide’s chemical barrier. 

Learn More: 

• Book Professional Aeration Services

• Why, When, and How to Aerate Your Lawn

• Benefits of Lawn Aeration

• Signs Your Lawn Needs Aeration

Seeding

Thanks to its aggressive growth habit, bermudagrass can usually repair itself after damage or thinning. However, if you need to reseed any affected areas, do so in late spring or early summer. 

Keep in mind that most hybrid bermudagrasses have sterile seeds, so you’ll need to repair a hybrid lawn with sprigs or sod. If you overseed using common bermudagrass, it won’t match the hybrid variety. 

Timing Tips: 

• Plant grass seed after aeration. Aeration exposes the soil and increases seed-to-soil contact. 

• Pre-emergent herbicide can prevent grass seed from growing, so check the label to determine the wait time between application and seeding, which can be several weeks long. 

• After planting grass seed, avoid a heavy nitrogen application for 4 to 6 weeks. 

Summer: June, July, August

Bermudagrass grows most vigorously in summer, so prepare to mow more frequently now. If your lawn needs thatch removal, core aeration, or reseeding and you did not perform these tasks in late spring, wrap up those chores in early summer. 

Raise Mowing Height

If you aren’t already, mow at the higher end of your lawn’s recommended height range. For common bermudagrass lawns, that’s 2 inches, and 1.5 inches for hybrid bermudagrass lawns. 

Tall grass helps the lawn retain moisture by shading the soil and cooling the roots, which is especially important during a hot, dry Texas summer. 

Irrigation

Continue to provide supplemental irrigation as needed, especially during periods of drought. 

Fertilize

If recommended by a soil test, continue to apply nitrogen fertilizer throughout the summer. 

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends spacing apart the nitrogen applications every 4 to 8 weeks using a combination of slow- and fast-release fertilizer. Other nutrient applications should be based on a soil test. 

As mentioned in the spring section, bermudagrass home lawns in Texas benefit from 1 to 4 applications per year of 0.5 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per application. 

Tip: Avoid fertilizing during extreme heat. Always check the product label for maximum application temperatures. 

Control Grubs

If your lawn had grub damage in spring and you wish to prevent the next generation, apply preventative insecticides in June or July, before the eggs hatch in mid-to-late July.

Weed Control 

If needed, control summer weeds with post-emergent herbicides, hand-pulling, digging, or homemade weed killers. 

Learn More: 

• How to Get Rid of Crabgrass

• How to Get Rid of Nutsedge

• How to Get Rid of Dandelions

• How to Get Rid of Lawn Weeds

Fall: September, October, November

Bermudagrass starts to slow in growth, which means you can expect to mow and irrigate less often. Do not fertilize, dethatch, or aerate in fall. 

Test Soil

If you haven’t done so already, test your soil. Early fall is an excellent time to test because it allows enough time for soil amendments, like lime and sulfur, to adjust the soil before the next growing season. 

For bermudagrass lawns, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends testing soil at least every other year to help determine the right fertilizer balance.  

Remove Leaves

Don’t let procrastination get the better of you. It may be tempting to delay leaf removal, but this laborious task must be done. A thick layer of leaves blocks the grass from accessing sunlight and oxygen, which may eventually suffocate and kill the turf underneath. 

Plus, if a wet layer of leaves sits on the grass, it can create attractive conditions for pests and diseases to thrive. 

If you’d rather skip the headache, consider scheduling professional leaf removal services to take the load off your plate. 

Irrigate

Continue to irrigate as needed until the grass goes dormant in late fall. 

Weed Control 

If your lawn has a history of winter weeds, you can help prevent their return by applying a pre-emergent herbicide in early fall when soil temperatures begin to drop and approach 70°F.  

Learn More: 

• How to Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicide

• When to Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicide

Lower Mowing Height

As temperatures drop, bermudagrass grows less quickly. As the last mow draws near, gradually lower the mowing height over several mows so that the grass enters winter short. Tall grass is more prone to winter injury, snow molds, and matting. 

When mowing low, stay within the grass’s recommended height range. That means, if you grow common bermudagrass, don’t mow any lower than 1 inch tall. If you grow hybrid bermudagrass, don’t mow any lower than 0.5 inch tall. 

Disease Control 

If your lawn recently had symptoms of the lawn disease spring dead spot, you can help prevent damage next spring by applying a preventative fungicide about one month before dormancy. 

Winter Overseeding

If you’d like your lawn to maintain its green color for longer this winter, consider overseeding the lawn with annual ryegrass (a cool-season grass) approximately 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost. 

Tip: Remember, if you apply pre-emergent herbicide in early fall, it will prevent the grass seed from germinating. Check the product label to determine the wait time between application and seeding. 

Winter: December, January, February 

Bermudagrass and other warm-season grasses don’t actively grow in winter, which means you can finally get some rest. Don’t fertilize, dethatch, or aerate in winter. 

Mowing is only necessary if you need to trim vigorous winter weeds. Otherwise, you can control weeds with a post-emergent herbicide instead.

Winter typically provides enough precipitation for the lawn, but if there’s a dry spell, you’ll want to protect the turf’s crowns and roots with some light watering. When it hasn’t rained or snowed, most warm-season lawns benefit from 0.25 to 0.5 inches of supplemental irrigation every 3 to 4 weeks.

Leave the Mows to the Pros

Bermudagrass is a fast-growing turfgrass that requires frequent mowing to stay in top shape. If you fall behind on this necessary chore, you risk removing too much at once, which can stress the turf. 

Proper mowing techniques are essential for keeping your lawn healthy and green. Always mow using sharp mower blades, avoid mowing wet grass, and never remove more than one-third of the grass blade’s height in a single mow.

To keep your bermudagrass lawn on track and protect its aesthetic, leave the mows to the pros. GreenPal makes finding mowing services easy by connecting Texans with local lawn care pros throughout the state, including Houston, TX, San Antonio, TX, and Austin, TX.