Developing a calendar has two primary obstacles: inconsistent weather and varying location. The weather is not the same every month, so it’s best to gear your calendar off soil temps (and in some rare occasions, air temps). Additionally, everyone’s location is different. Parts of Texas and Florida might not go dormant every year, while multiple months of dormancy is likely in places like North Carolina. In the anecdotes below, we’ll use North Texas (DFW) as a guide.
There is another calendar/schedule on our homepage and then calendars for Arkansas, Texas and the Carolinas linked at the bottom.
January
If you didn’t apply pre-emergent in the fall, late is better than never. Specticle Flo liquid pre-emergent is a good option. If you get green-looking “grass” this time of year, it’s probably poa annua, better known as annual bluegrass. You can spray this with Certainty if you want to kill it. It dies by itself come the summer heat if you prefer to not worry. However, they will release seeds and come back worse next year. They also leave holes in your lawn when they die.
As for your soil, you should do a soil test, and then drop any pH adjuster. In North Texas, you’ll probably need sulfur to lower PH. Lime increases and is not as commonly needed in the clay. Get sulfur or lime from Lowe’s, Home Depot, or preferably SiteOne. If you plan to drop something for pH, consider doing the soil test before. Your test won’t read correctly if you do a soil test 1-3 months after putting down an amendment.
February
Continuation of what you didn’t do in January. I would start thinking about ordering a pre-emergent as sometimes certain brands have inventory issues. SpecFlo is good in the fall, but in the spring, you can use cheaper stuff. Prodiamine is great.
Once your soil hits 55 degrees, you’ll apply your spring pre-emergent. It normally doesn’t happen in February, but in 2024 and 2025 it did.
March
Although this calendar is grouped by month, the exact time of application is best if you follow soil temperature. You can get your own meter, look it up using the Syngenta website, or if you’re in DFW, you can look at the 10-year average chart above.
Summer weeds germinate when soil temperature (4 inches down) reaches 55 degree for 3 or more days. Historically, the average in DFW has been March 1st. However, if Feb is warm, this can easily shift. Applying early is better than late. Split applications are the best if you don’t mind doing it 2 or 3 times. Do half the amount say early Feb and then another half 45-60 days later. This will extend coverage right into summer. The label of your pre-emergent will tell you the exact waiting time between split apps – my numbers are just estimations based on some pre-emergents I’ve recently used.
Once you see some green and the risk of frost is in the past, you can scalp and bag your lawn to remove the brown grass and encourage growth.
April
You want to put down nitrogen when the forecast is starting to look warm. If you see your lawn starting to green up, or other bermuda lawns in the area, then you hit it with nitrogen once your lawn is about 50% green. Bermudagrass loves nitrogen.
Apply 0.5 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 sqft. Check the percentage of your fertilizer. I like to use 10-10-10 for a balance, or ammonium sulfate (AS) 21-0-0. AS is great because it helps lower pH. So you can feed nitrogen while fixing your pH which will increase absorption. Run your sprinklers a bit after nitrogen application, or turn on rain notifications on your phone and put it down before rain.
Now is a good time to apply grub prevention. If you don’t understand the lifecycle of grubs and how the effective chemicals change based on season, be sure to read the grubs guide.
I’d also drop something for water absorption while there’s plenty of rain. This will help prep for a dry summer. Hydretain in liquid form is great for this.
May
With nitrogen down, you’re probably now starting to mow. Remember to mow low, frequent, and consider using a reel mower.
After 30 days from your last nitrogen application, do another. I would mix in something like a 10-10-10, once in the spring if you haven’t applied any yet. Something with a ratio of 4-1-2 is also good. In most cases, you’ll only need one annual application with phosphorus and the rest can be nitrogen-only. Low phosphorous is better than high phosphorus so be conservative with balanced fertilizer frequency.
June
We’re cooking now. It’s heating up, so if you haven’t already, turn on the sprinklers. Measure your sprinklers with a tuna can to figure out how long they need to run to throw down at least 1 inch of water per week. In March, April and May, you may be able to water minimally while relying on rain. If you want something that adjusts daily based on the weather, get a smart controller. We’re in a tech age, so use tech. The Rachio is a good option. It adjusts for so many variables to ensure you’re doing it right.
I’d drop some more nitrogen (ammonium sulfate or urea).
July
This is lawn leveling season. When your grass is growing like crazy, this is your window to level your lawn. Avoid it any other time because you can suffocate your lawn and make it look brutal. Ask me how I know.
To level, scalp it, then drag sand around. There are videos on it and some articles on here about it.
Your sprinklers will need to be adjusted for this heat if you’re in Texas, Arizona or somewhere that’s hot. Probably closer to 1.5 inches of water per week, or if your efficiency is low, 2 inches.
Similar to leveling, if you want to aerate, peak growing season is a good time to do that. Avoid doing it during the spring and fall when disrupting the pre-emergent barrier can have a pronounced effect. Aeration in the spring and fall is more popular with cool season lawns.
Put down another spray of Hydretain. Drop some more nitrogen. Your lawn should look 10/10. Put down some iron if you aren’t getting a deep green.
August
I’d do my last nitrogen-only application here. Put down potassium to prep for winter. Start thinking about pre-emergent. Prodiamine is fine, but the best option in the fall is Specticle Flo. It’s expensive so look at splitting a bottle of the liquid with a couple buddies. It does well against poa annua (a winter weed) whereas prodiamine does not.
September
First pre-emergent application is often now for people in DFW. You’re watching for soil temps to reach 70 degrees. If it hits 75, I like to put down my first application if I’m doing a split triple application. That’s often mid Sept. Otherwise wait a bit longer if you’re not doing triple app, as Sept is still early for a single app.
You might put down a bit more fertilizer, but be mindful of it. Nitrogen can keep your lawn awake, if you want. I personally often don’t, because it can lead to fungus and I like the peace in the winter. However, some people can mow year-round by applying nitrogen. If you have Christmas decor/lights on your lawn at Christmas, you will want to back off nitrogen so you don’t have to cut grass during December.
October
Second split app of pre-emergent.
November
Final pre emergent application. It’s late now and many varieties of bermudagrass are dormant, but this app will push you through the winter. Turn off your sprinkler system, and bleed the lines.
December
Watch football.
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