The Lone Star State is home to some of the biggest and most beautiful lawns in the country. Most of Texas is made up of warm season grasses, but even those still experience frost and dormancy. Because of these conditions, and the opposing high temperatures during Texas summers, lawns are prone to problems like drought distress, root rot, and even discoloration.

In order to avoid issues like these, it is important to choose the proper fertilizers and know when and how often to apply them. We've created a custom Lone Star Lawn Plan for every zip code in the state that automatically pauses when grass stops growing in your region.

As always, we recommend an educated approach to properly and responsibly fertilize your grass. This approach will always begin with a soil test kit. We recommend soil testing to know what your soil DNA looks like and what nutrients you need in your core fertilizer.

We know it's never a good time to dig up your dirt, so we tested thousands of your neighbors' soil and formulated Lone Star Lawn Food just for you, the ideal core fertilizer for most Texas lawns.

Northern Texas & Panhandle: 

Mid Spring to Early Fall Growing Season

Core Fertilizer Applications:

• For North Texas, in the panhandle area, we recommend at least 1 application early spring, 1 early summer, 1 early fall, and 1 last fertilization mid fall.

Timing:

• First application: Late April to Early May
• Second: Early to Mid-June
• Third: Mid-September
• Last Application: Early to Mid-October 

If you live in the North Texas Panhandle Region, chances are you have cool season grass. Some of these grass types include Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass and Texas Hybrid Bluegrass. For these areas we recommend applications based on weather or waiting 4-6 weeks after the last frost will be the most effective time to start. Fertilizing your lawn when the roots are growing will optimize fertilizer performance.

This means soil temperatures of at least ~40 for cool season varieties. Early season applications will help catalyze growth as your grass comes out of dormancy and late season applications will maintain your green color and protect your roots heading into winter/dormancy. Cool Season Grasses usually have two growing periods. The first is after the lawn’s return from winter dormancy in the spring, and the second is late summer through early fall when temperatures drop and precipitation increases. 

Below North Texas and Panhandle: 

Early Spring to Mid Fall Growing Season

Core Fertilizer Applications:

• For the rest of the state, we recommend at least 1 application early spring, 1 early summer, 1 early fall, and 1 last fertilization mid fall. For best results, we recommend fertilizing monthly when grass is actively growing and boosting your soil health with non-Nitrogen amendments like Liquid Lush when the turf is dormant.

Timing:

• First application: Early April/ Early May
• Second: Early / Mid-June
• Third: Mid-September
• Last Application: Mid October / early November

If you live in regions outside of north Texas and the panhandle, chances are you have warm season grass. Some of these grass types include St. Augustine grass, Bermuda grass, Centipede grass, and zoysia grass. For these areas we recommend applications starting May 1. Additionally, you shouldn’t fertilize with Nitrogen products if air temps are over 95 degrees Fahrenheit, as this can cause lawn burn.

Water & Drought:

With several regions in Texas prone to drought, it's imperative to follow best watering practices and use products that promote a drought-tolerant lawn. Grass needs water year-round, even when dormant, but most homeowners water too often and too shallow. We recommend watering deeply, infrequently, and taking advantage of rainfall for irrigation whenever possible.

Most grass needs around an inch of water each week, but newly planted lawns are especially thirsty. Try to time seeding or over-seeding when there is precipitation in the forecast to minimize your water bill and apply fertilizer when the forecast is clear of rain.

The best time to water is in the morning (before 9 AM) or evening (after 5 PM) so that your grass has a chance to absorb the moisture before it evaporates from the sun. Avoid watering in peak, mid-day heat if possible.

Conclusion

Before you fertilize, make sure you know exactly what your lawn needs with a care plan tailored to your climate and soil. Gnome's Lone Star Lawn Plan is the first custom lawn care plan designed specifically for Texas soil and turf. It includes a free soil test and monthly shipments based on your soil's unique nutrient needs.

If you have any questions shoot us an email at hello@trygnome.com, and we will be happy to help provide more information.