Homeowners in northern and transitional agronomic zones have a lawn care season that runs from spring to fall, then they get to take winter off. But not you.

Southern lawns don’t get an off-season. In fact, winter and fall are basically your playoff season, where the great ones truly shine.

Want the best lawn in the neighborhood? Fall lawn care is a competitive sport, and winning doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from preparation and dedication… and fertilization.

So let’s take a look at pro-level fall lawn care tips on how to properly care for your southern lawn over the winter.

Know Your Home Turf: What Type of Grass Do I Have?

The first step is knowing exactly what you’re working with, because different grass types require different maintenance.

In the South, your most common grass types are Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine. How do you know which one you have?

• Bermuda: These blades are very fine and narrow, and you can recognize them by their sharp tips. The texture is soft and slightly wiry. The colors are often a deep green-grey or grey-green.

• St. Augustine: This is the widest and the coarsest grass blade in the South, with a blunt and rounded tip. It can sometimes feel spongy or leathery. The colors are most often blue-green or medium dark green.

• Zoysia: These blades are wider than Bermuda grass, but narrower than St. Augustine. They tend to feel prickly and sometimes carpet-like. The color is most often medium to deep green.

Let’s take a look at how to care for them.

Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine Have Different Fall Needs

Despite the big promises that the fertilizers on the shelf of the hardware store make, there is no cure-all lawn care playbook that works for all types of grasses and all types of soil.

Instead of finding out that a bag of off-the-shelf ‘super food’ fertilizer doesn’t work for you, we recommend talking to a lawn care professional.

They know your area, your soil, and your grass. And they can create a fall lawn care playbook that will help you win the neighborhood.

Is your lawn still growing, or starting to go dormant?

If this is your first fall and winter managing a southern lawn, you might be alarmed by seeing brown patches on your lawn, assuming that it is dying or has some other lawn issue.

Don’t worry! The odds are good your lawn is just going into dormancy, which is a perfectly natural part of its growth cycle. Your grass will conserve its energy for the winter months, which will lead to faded color and slower growth.

Make Your Fall Weed-Control Play Before Winter Weeds Appear

Just because your lawn is entering dormancy does not mean you can sleep on your weed prevention habits.

In many locations across the South, you may consider a pre-emergent application in the fall for winter perennials or annuals. This can go a long way toward a weed-free year.

Was this your first season with weeds? You should know they won’t just go away on their own. Some type of intervention is almost always required.

When should you apply fall pre-emergent?

It’s important to remember that weeds don’t look at calendars; they look at conditions. So there is no set date for applying pre-emergent treatments.

It’s less about sticking to a strict fall lawn care schedule, and more about looking at recent weather and the condition of your grass and soil to determine the best time to apply fall pre-emergent treatments.

Does Your Southern Lawn Need Fall Fertilizer?

Most lawns in the South would benefit from a fall or winter season fertilization to really set yourself up for success.

Should you overseed or aerate a Southern lawn this fall?

Typical Southern grass lawns do not need aeration over the fall or winter months. You can hold off on that until the spring.

On the other hand, you might consider either sod or plug lawns in the South, particularly if you’ve been struggling with coverage or thickness in certain spots.

Adjust mowing and watering as growth slows

Again, you want to base your lawn care habits on conditions, not calendars. If your grass is still actively growing, keep actively mowing. Don’t stop mowing just because you’ve never had to mow this late in the season before. Your grass doesn’t care what the date is.

The same can be said for your watering habits. Typically, your lawn won’t need as much water as it does in the spring and summer months. However, if your area has experienced prolonged dryness or drought conditions, you should consider watering your lawn.

Fall Lawn Care Tips and FAQs

When should I apply fall pre-emergent in the South?

Generally speaking, you want to apply pre-emergent in the South when your temperatures are dropping to about 70°F.

This can take place anytime between August and November, depending on where you live. And we are seeing these dates move later in the season as we experience warmer falls.

Should I fertilize Bermuda grass before winter?

Yes. Fertilizing your lawn in the fall before winter can help Bermuda grass and most other grass types in the South.

Does Zoysia need different fall care than St. Augustine?

Yes. But it’s really more about no two lawns being the exact same, and there are no magic bullet solutions in lawn care.

Your lawn may have completely different soil conditions than someone in the same neighborhood as you. Your lawn might be more exposed to sunlight and rain than your next-door neighbor.

Regardless of your grass type, you always want to meet with a professional lawn care expert who can advise you on exactly what you should do.

Make Us Your Lawn Care MVPs of Fall Lawn Care

Fall is your lawn’s playoff season, where legends are born, and neighborhoods are won. But greatness never happens alone. Weed Man can be the lawn care MVP that takes you to the next level.

“In 5 months time, my lawn has gone from the worst in the neighborhood to the one people turn their heads to as they drive by. It's thick, green, weed-free, and a pleasure to walk in. All thanks to the magic The Weed Man has treated my lawn with. I recommend them to everyone.” - A 5-star Google Review.

Let’s start talking about your lawn right now! Click here to start with a free lawn care quote in a few quick clicks.