The three grass types in North Texas
Tarrant County sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a, which supports all three major warm-season grasses used in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Each one behaves differently through the growing season, and the care you give one can harm another.
Bermuda grass
Bermuda is the most common residential grass in Southlake and surrounding cities. It is heat-tolerant, drought-resistant once established, and spreads aggressively by both stolons and rhizomes, filling in bare spots quickly but also invades beds and neighboring properties. Bermuda goes fully dormant and turns tan in winter, then greens up fast when soil temperatures consistently exceed 65°F in spring.
Mow Bermuda at 1 to 1.5 inches for standard varieties. Hybrid Bermudas like TifTuf, Tahoma 31, and Celebration perform best at 0.5 to 1 inch. Cutting too high leads to thatch buildup; cutting too low during heat stress causes browning. Weekly mowing is standard from April through October, with cuts needed every 5 to 6 days at peak summer growth in July and August.
St. Augustine grass
St. Augustine is the second most common grass in the area and is the preferred choice for shaded yards. It does not tolerate low mowing and should be kept at 3 to 4 inches to protect the crown and maintain canopy in partial shade. Unlike Bermuda, it does not spread by rhizomes underground. It spreads by stolons above the soil surface, which makes it slower to establish and recover from damage.
St. Augustine has higher water requirements than Bermuda and is more susceptible to chinch bugs in summer heat and to Brown Patch fungal disease in fall and spring when night temperatures are cool and moisture is present. If you have St. Augustine under large trees in Colleyville or Southlake, monitor for thin or yellowing patches in September and October.
Zoysia grass
Zoysia is a dense, slow-growing grass that handles both heat and partial shade. It has excellent drought tolerance once established and produces a thick carpet that crowds out weeds. The trade-off is slow establishment and slow recovery from damage. A zoysia lawn that is dug up or severely damaged can take a full growing season to fill back in.
Mow zoysia at 1.5 to 2.5 inches. Because it grows slowly, it needs less frequent mowing than Bermuda. Bi-weekly is often sufficient outside of peak summer growth. Zoysia goes dormant in winter later than Bermuda and greens up slightly later in spring.
Seasonal mowing schedule for Tarrant County
The North Texas growing season runs from spring green-up through fall dormancy. Here is the general mowing cadence by month:
- January–February: Dormant. No mowing required. Bermuda and Zoysia are tan; St. Augustine may retain some color in mild winters.
- March: Green-up begins when soil temperatures rise above 65°F. Start bi-weekly mowing as growth resumes. Do not scalp the lawn in early spring. Wait until it is actively growing before lowering the deck.
- April: Transition to weekly mowing for Bermuda and St. Augustine. Begin fertilization after full green-up.
- May–August: Peak growing season. Bermuda may need cuts every 5 to 6 days. Maintain consistent mowing height. Do not skip two weeks and then cut half the blade length at once.
- September–October: Growth begins slowing. Weekly mowing for most of September; transition to bi-weekly in October.
- November–December: Dormancy sets in. Final mowing when growth stops. Do not mow dormant Bermuda low going into winter.
Watering during Tarrant County water restrictions
Most cities in Northeast Tarrant County implement water use restrictions during summer drought conditions, limiting outdoor irrigation to two days per week. The schedule is typically based on the last digit of your street address. Current restrictions are published by each city's water utility:
Under two-day-per-week restrictions, Bermuda grass typically requires 30 to 45 minutes per irrigation zone on each permitted day to reach the 1 to 1.5 inches of weekly water it needs during peak summer heat. Water in the early morning (between 4am and 10am) to reduce evaporation loss and minimize fungal disease pressure.
Fertilization timing for North Texas lawns
The fertilization schedule for warm-season grasses in Tarrant County follows the growing season, not the calendar. The two dates to anchor your program around are spring green-up and the first fall freeze risk, which in the Southlake area typically arrives in November.
A standard 5-application program for Bermuda grass in North Texas:
- Late April to early May: First application after full green-up. Balanced nitrogen fertilizer to kick off the growing season.
- Mid-June: Second application. Higher nitrogen to support peak summer growth.
- Early August: Third application. Taper nitrogen slightly; increase potassium to support drought tolerance.
- Mid-September: Light fall feeding. Prepares turf for dormancy without stimulating vulnerable new growth.
- Pre-emergent applications: Spring pre-emergent in late February to mid-March (soil temp 50 to 55°F). Fall pre-emergent in September (soil temp below 70°F).
For fertilization and weed control service in Southlake and Northeast Tarrant County, Backyard Boys offers seasonal programs timed to Tarrant County growing conditions. Request a free quote to get your program started.
Common lawn problems in North Texas
Several issues occur frequently in Tarrant County yards. Correct diagnosis before treatment matters: watering a fungal problem makes it worse; withholding water from a drought-stressed lawn accelerates damage.
Chinch bugs damage St. Augustine from June through September, feeding at the soil level and producing irregular brown patches that expand in hot, dry conditions. The damage is often mistaken for drought stress. If the brown areas do not respond to irrigation, part the grass near the edge of the damaged zone and look for small black and white insects at the soil surface.
Brown Patch fungus affects St. Augustine and occasionally Zoysia in fall and spring. It produces circular or irregular brown patches with a smoke ring border at the perimeter. Conditions that favor Brown Patch are cool nights below 70°F with high humidity and moisture on the leaf blades. Reduce evening watering and apply a labeled fungicide at the first sign of the disease.
Grubs feed on grass roots in late summer. Signs are turf that pulls up easily like a rolled carpet, often accompanied by armadillo or bird activity as they dig for the grubs. Apply grub control in July when young grubs are near the soil surface and most susceptible.
Scalping (cutting more than one-third of the blade in a single mow) browns out turf rapidly in summer heat. It is the most common mistake made when skipping a mowing week. Never cut more than one-third of the current blade height in a single visit. If the lawn has gotten too long, lower the deck height gradually over two to three mowings.
Frequently asked questions
Bermuda grass is the most widely used and best-performing warm-season grass in Southlake and Northeast Tarrant County. It handles the heat, recovers quickly from drought and heavy use, and produces a dense, attractive turf when properly maintained. St. Augustine performs well in shadier yards. Zoysia is a lower-maintenance option that grows slowly and tolerates both heat and partial shade.
Most North Texas warm-season lawns need weekly mowing from April through October. Bermuda grass in Tarrant County may need cutting every 5 to 6 days during peak summer growth. In March and November, bi-weekly service is typically sufficient as growth slows. Most lawns go dormant in winter and do not require mowing.
For Bermuda grass in North Texas, the first fertilizer application should go down after the lawn fully greens up in spring, typically late April to early May. A second application in June and a third in August supports peak summer growth. A light fall feeding in September helps harden the turf before dormancy. Avoid fertilizing after mid-October, which can stimulate growth that is vulnerable to early freezes.
Spring pre-emergent for crabgrass should be applied when soil temperatures reach 50 to 55°F, usually late February to mid-March in Southlake. Missing this window means crabgrass and summer annual weeds germinate before the barrier is in place. A fall pre-emergent application in September blocks winter annual weeds like annual bluegrass. Soil temperature is more reliable than calendar date for timing these applications.
Under typical Stage 1 restrictions in Tarrant County cities, residential irrigation is limited to two days per week based on your address. The City of Southlake, City of Keller, and Trophy Club MUD each publish their current restriction schedules. During peak summer heat, Bermuda grass typically needs about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week total, between irrigation and rainfall.
Brown patches in North Texas lawns have several common causes: drought stress from insufficient watering, mowing too short (scalping) that damages the growing crown, fungal disease such as Brown Patch or Large Patch that affects St. Augustine in fall and spring, chinch bugs that feed on St. Augustine during hot dry periods, and grubs that damage roots in late summer. Correct diagnosis matters: a brown patch from drought responds to water; a brown patch from fungus will worsen with extra irrigation.