Florida Warm-Season Lawn Care Guide
Warm-season grasses like bermuda, zoysia, and St. Augustine thrive in Florida's heat but require precise timing for pre-emergent applications and fertilization windows. Professional results come from matching applications to soil temperature, not calendar dates.
Common Grass Types in This Zone
Bermudagrass
A very aggressive, fine-to-medium textured spreader that needs full sun and goes dormant and brown in winter. Extremely common across the Southeast and Southwest.
Zoysiagrass
Slow-growing and dense with some shade tolerance and a stiff texture. Spreads via stolons and rhizomes, with several sub-varieties.
St. Augustinegrass
Coarse-textured with high shade tolerance but no cold tolerance. Most common in Florida and along the Gulf Coast, spreads via stolons only.
Centipedegrass
Low-fertility, slow-growing, apple-green turf that dislikes phosphorus and excess nitrogen. The most forgiving, low-maintenance warm-season grass.
Bahiagrass
Very drought tolerant and low maintenance with a coarse texture and tall seed heads. Common in Florida and the coastal Southeast.
Buffalograss
A native, extremely drought-tolerant, fine-textured grass with very low input needs. Common across the Great Plains, Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado, but not suited to high-traffic or shaded areas.
What to Do This Month (October)
Fertilization
Fall potassium application for winter hardiness.
— The Andersons
Fertilization
Reduced-nitrogen fall feeding — Centipede requires dramatically less nitrogen than Bermuda or Zoysia, especially heading into fall.
— The Andersons
Fertilization
Fall feeding following St. Augustine’s own guidance — its fall nitrogen and potassium needs differ from Bermuda and Zoysia.
— The Andersons
Cleanup
Keep mowing until growth stops, and remove fallen leaves so they don’t smother the still-green turf.
Annual Overview
| Month | Fertilizer | Weed Prevention | Weed Treatment | Soil Amendments | Cultural Practices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | |||||
| February | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| March | |||||
| April | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| May | ✓ | ||||
| June | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| July | |||||
| August | ✓ | ||||
| September | ✓ | ||||
| October | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| November | ✓ | ||||
| December |
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