Bahiagrass Lawn Care Calendar

Bahiagrass Lawn Care Calendar
Bahiagrass wears many hats. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a weed, pasture grass, or desirable turfgrass. If you fall in the last camp, we’ll show you how to maintain a bahiagrass lawn year-round.

Bahiagrass is a perennial warm-season grass that grows most actively from mid-spring through fall. It has excellent drought tolerance and low fertility requirements, and thrives in acidic, sandy, and infertile soils. For these reasons, it's a common turfgrass in lawns throughout the Southeastern United States, from Florida to East Texas. 

▲ 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.

Spring: March, April, May

Spring Cleanup

As spring temperatures start to rise, bahiagrass greens up and resumes active growth. To give it a fresh start, clear away any lingering winter debris, such as broken branches, twigs, or fallen leaves.
If opening your pool has you too busy to tackle the yard, consider scheduling spring cleanup services to make it easy. 

Mowing

Bahiagrass is a coarse-textured, tough grass that must be mowed with a sharp, heavy-duty rotary mower blade. 

During active growth periods, mow the lawn every 7 to 14 days to a height of 3 to 4 inches. If left to grow too tall, bahiagrass will develop its Y-shaped seedheads and reseed itself.

Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade’s height in a single mow. Otherwise, you’ll shock your turf. 

Irrigation

Bahiagrass is a drought tolerant turfgrass and doesn’t require much water, making it a great choice for homeowners living in areas with watering restrictions.
Ensure your lawn receives 0.5 to 0.75 inches of water per week, either through rainfall or supplemental irrigation.

Weed Control

Due to bahiagrass’s open canopy, it’s easy for weeds to germinate through the gaps.

If your lawn is frequently visited by summer weeds, a pre-emergent herbicide can help prevent weed seed germination. Apply pre-emergent herbicide in early to mid-spring when soil temperatures are between 50 and 55°F.
Pro Tip: Read the product label to determine how long the herbicide’s chemical barrier lasts. Knowing the wait time (which is usually 8 to 12 weeks or more) can help you decide when to perform other lawn treatments, like aeration or overseeding.

Thatch Removal & Aeration

Bahiagrass is not prone to developing thick thatch. That means aggressive thatch removal methods, like power raking or verticutting, are usually not necessary.
Performing core aeration, the process of relieving soil compaction by removing plugs of soil from the ground, is usually enough to manage thatch.
Aeration is an invasive treatment and should be performed when the grass is actively growing and has plenty of time to recover before growth slows. For that reason, the best time to aerate bahiagrass is in late spring or early summer.
How often should you aerate? If you have sandy soil, expect to aerate the lawn every 1 to 3 years. If you have clay soil, annual aeration is often necessary.
Pro Tip: Aeration can break down pre-emergent herbicide’s chemical barrier. If the herbicide’s wait time hasn’t ended, consider delaying aeration until early summer.

Learn More:

• When, When, and How to Aerate Your Lawn

• Book Professional Lawn Aeration 

• Signs Your Lawn Needs Aeration

• Benefits of Lawn Aeration

Overseeding

Overseeding is the process of planting new grass seed over an existing lawn, usually to fill in bare patches, encourage thicker growth, or recover lawn injury. 

If needed, overseed your bahiagrass lawn in late spring or early summer and follow these establishment tips: 

• Overseed with a cultivar variety appropriate for lawn use (as opposed to foraging varieties), such as ‘Argentine.’

• Bahiagrass seed establishes slowly. To speed up growth, consider using scarified seed, which has been treated to enable faster germination. 

• Avoid fertilizing 30 to 60 days after planting. 

• Aerating before overseeding encourages seed-to-soil contact and increases the odds of successful establishment. 

• Abide by pre-emergent herbicide’s wait time, if any was applied. Otherwise, the chemical barrier will block new grass seeds from germinating. If necessary, move any late spring overseeding to early summer. 

Florida Lawns: According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, bahiagrass can be established as seed (or sod) at any time of year in much of Florida. However, in North Florida, the best time to plant bahiagrass is in spring or early summer. 

Fertilizer

Fertilizer and soil amendment applications should always be based on the results of a soil test.

In general, bahiagrass typically benefits from 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year.

Depending on where you live and how your grass responds, nitrogen fertilizer may be split in 1 to 3 applications from spring green-up through fall when growth subsides. Lawns in South Florida may receive fertilizer year-round, if needed. 

Avoid fertilizing too early in spring, as a late-season frost may damage the grass. 

Tip: If you recently overseeded, wait 30 to 60 days before applying a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer. 

Summer: June, July, August

Mowing

If you haven’t already, raise the mowing height to 4 inches. Taller grass shades the soil, keeping it cool and helping it retain moisture, which makes the lawn more resilient against heat and drought stress. 

Continue to follow proper mowing techniques and leave behind grass clippings to return nutrients to the soil. 

Irrigation

Summer can be stressful on the lawn due to periods of drought and high heat. It’s especially important to ensure your lawn is receiving enough water; otherwise, it will enter drought-induced dormancy. 

Continue to ensure your bahiagrass receives 0.5 to 0.75 inches of water per week. When the lawn shows signs of thirst, such as wilting leaf blades or footprints lingering in the grass, provide supplemental irrigation as needed.
Need help with your watering technique? Check out our guide on How to Water Your Lawn: Tips & Schedule. 

Fertilizer

As mentioned in the spring section, nitrogen can be split over 1 to 3 applications. Apply nitrogen in summer if your grass responds well to it, and apply other nutrients according to the results of a soil test. 

Weed Control 

If weeds appear in summer, you can get rid of them via post-emergent herbicide, handpulling, digging, weeding tools, or DIY weed killers. 

Learn More: 

• How to Get Rid of Lawn Weeds

• Reasons Why Weeds Grow in Your Lawn

• How to Get Rid of Crabgrass

• How to Get Rid of Dandelions

• How to Get Rid of Nutsedge

Fall: September, October, November

Test Soil

Early fall is the best time to test soil because it allows you to amend the soil in time for the next growing season. 

Prepare a soil sample and send it to your local cooperative extension for laboratory testing. You’ll then receive comprehensive instructions on how to amend and fertilize your lawn.
Bahiagrass thrives in infertile soil, so fertilizer recommendations are often minimal. It prefers acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. If the soil pH is too high, a soil test may recommend an application of sulfur to help bring it down. 

Remove Leaves

If you live in an area with deciduous trees, it’s important to remove their fallen leaves from the lawn. Too many leaves can suffocate the turfgrass by blocking sunlight and oxygen. And if the leaves become wet for a long period, the damp conditions can invite pests and fungal disease.
Clear leaves from the lawn via a leaf rake, leaf blower, leaf mulcher, or professional leaf removal service. 

Mowing 

Continue to mow the lawn until growth subsides, usually by late fall. Now that summer has come to a close and temperatures are cooler, you can lower the mowing height back down to 3 inches. Lower the height gradually over several mows to avoid removing too much at once. 

Irrigation

Follow the same irrigation instructions listed in spring. Watch for signs of thirst and provide water as needed.

Weed Control

If your lawn is prone to winter weeds, pre-emergent herbicides can help block their growth. Apply pre-emergent herbicide in early to mid-fall when soil temperatures start to drop and approach 70°F. 

Fertilizer

Fertilizer applications can be made in fall, if necessary. Pay attention to how your bahiagrass responds to nitrogen throughout the year. Bahiagrass doesn’t need more than 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year.

Winter: December, January, February 

Bahiagrass may enter winter dormancy in areas with cool winters. However, grass may continue to grow in areas with mild winters, particularly in South Florida. Irrigate, mow, and fertilize as needed. 

If your lawn needs touch ups throughout the winter, GreenPal connects homeowners to local lawn care pros throughout many southern cities, including Miami, FL, Fort Lauderdale, FL, and New Orleans, LA. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Bahiagrass

What Is a Bahiagrass Cultivar For Home Lawns?

According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, the bahiagrass cultivar ‘Argentine’ is popular for home lawns.  

Does Bahiagrass Have Pest and Disease Problems?

Bahiagrass is highly resistant to fungal diseases. However, the most serious insect pest affecting bahiagrass is the mole cricket. 

Can Bahiagrass Be Established From Plugs?

Establishing bahiagrass via plugging or sprigging is not typically recommended. Bahiagrass spreads slowly, and for that reason, weeds are likely to overtake open areas before the plugs or springs have time to spread. 

Find a Lawn Care Pro Near You

Compared to other warm-season grasses, bahiagrass is a low-maintenance turf that doesn’t require frequent fertilizer, water, or thatch removal. 

However, because it prefers the warmer climate of the Southeastern United States, it has a relatively long growing period. Some homeowners may even find themselves tending to the lawn during mild winters. If you’d rather be enjoying a weekend by the pool than mowing the lawn, a local lawn care professional can take the task off your plate.