Step-By-Step Guide For A Perfect Lawn In Louisiana

At Brothers Lawn Service, we know what it takes to create that perfect lawn you have been striving to attain, and we want to share our knowledge with you! If you have struggled to get your lawn to grow for years, you are not alone. That is why we compiled the lawn care calendar and guide for a perfect lawn below. Follow these steps and tips, and you will have the lawn of your dreams in no time!

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Lawn Care Calendar For Louisiana

January-February

• Leaf Cleanup: Start your lawn care for the year by removing any leaves or debris that may have found its way into your yard over winter. 

• Weed Control: Apply pre-emergent weed control to prevent weeds from taking hold of your lawn as early as possible. 

• Mowing & Watering: You will not likely need to focus on watering or mowing, as your lawn is still in dormancy this early in the year. 

March-April

• Fertilization: Apply your first fertilizer treatment for the year during mid to late March. It is important to not stress your turf so early in the season, so consider using a starter fertilizer that is higher in potassium and lower in nitrogen.

• Weed Control: Continue pre-emergent control to keep weeds down in the dirt instead of up in your lawn. 

• Disease Control: If signs of infection are present, apply a fungicide to control and lawn diseases that may have developed over winter.

• Mowing & Watering: Start a weekly mowing routine in March, when grass starts starts growing again. Mow 1 inch higher than normal to allow your lawn to get established. Start watering every other day, early in the morning. 

May-June

• Fertilization: Begin full fertilization treatments. Check NPK ratios to make sure your lawn gets adequate nitrogen for full growth. 

• Weed Control: If any weeds pushed through the pre-emergent applications, you will need to spot spray them with a herbicide or other product, or you can dig out the roots.

• Mowing & Watering: Never remove more than the top 1/3 of your lawn while mowing, and stick to a weekly mowing schedule. Water only twice per week, but make sure they are deeper, longer sessions for a healthier lawn. 

July-August

• Fertilization: Consider using a slow-release fertilizer with low-to-moderate nitrogen. This is the best kind of fertilizers for warm-season lawns during peak summer heat. 

• Weed Control: Post-emergent herbicide can be used on any broadleaf weeds that are still appearing in your lawn. 

• Mowing & Watering: This is the most important time to mind your mowing and watering routines, as this is the time of year when St. Augustine and centipede grasses peak. Do not mow more than once per week, and try to water early in the morning for about 30 minutes, 2 times per week.   

September-October

• Fertilization: As summer slowly comes to an end and fall creeps in, it’s time to fortify roots! Introduce potash to help roots endure cooler temperatures. Make sure not to apply too much nitrogen, as this is damaging to many warm-season lawns when it is too cold. 

• Weed Control: Always spot-treat any existing weeds this late in the year. The last thing you want is to allow weeds to grow and spread right before lawns enter winter dormancy. 

• Leaf Cleanup: Despite popular misconceptions, many trees in Louisiana do completely shed their leaves and go dormant in winter. Rake up fallen leaves and tree debris as quickly as possible in order to prevent a fungal infection from appearing next spring. 

• Mowing & Watering: Monitor your lawn’s growth closely at this point in the year. Warm-season lawns will enter dormancy early in fall. Lower the blade half an inch each session until growth stops completely. This helps your lawn store nutrients in dormancy. Cut watering frequency/amount by 50% until growth stops. 

November-December

• Fertilization: No treatments will be needed this late in the year, as the temperatures are simply too cold for warm-season lawns to be active.

• Weed Control: Pre-emergent weed control can still be applied to help ensure that your lawn’s soil is as healthy and weed free as possible over winter. This is actually a very important application of pre-emergent, because it will help set your lawn up for success in spring. 

• Disease Control: Fungicide treatments should be applied right before and right after winter in order to ensure that no lawn or leaf diseases develop during winter. 

• Mowing & Watering: Your lawn is likely in dormancy by this point, which means it is no longer growing and in need of water and mowing. If growth is still apparent, mow until your lawn stays at 2 inches and does not grow taller. 

Fertilization & Weed Control

Focus more on weed control and less on fertilization, as it is a bit too cold at this point in the year to be applying fertilization treatments. However, applying weed control treatments this early in the season is a great way to nip weeds in the bud!

• Apply pre-emergent weed control to prevent any weeds that may have been dormant all winter.
• Apply post-emergent weed control to any areas where weeds currently exist.

Mowing & Watering

Lawn mowing and watering are not typically needed/recommended this early in the year.

Fertilization & Weed Control

This is a good time of year to start thinking about fertilizer treatments. Even introducing a small amount of only potassium will help create a good foundation for your lawn and future fertilizer treatments. Focus at this step should still be on weed control because this is the time of year when weeds typically begin to pop up in lawns. Dandelions, crabgrass, chickweed, clovers, and other types of weeds are all common in Louisiana and should be treated appropriately.

• Introduce potash at this stage to stimulate root development and get your lawn established early in the year.
• Apply pre-emergent weed control to prevent any weeds that may have been dormant all winter.
• Apply post-emergent weed control to any areas where weeds currently exist.
• If needed, this is a good time of year to apply fungicides and pesticides before any kind of infestation has time to spread.

Mowing & Watering

Around mid to late March, depending on the particular condition of your lawn, you should begin a weekly mowing schedule to ensure consistent and uniform growth all season long. Watering routines should begin closer to April, and they can be slightly more frequent this early in the year. Always remember to water your lawn in the early morning to allow enough time for your turf to dry/absorb the water.

• Mow St. Augustine grass at a height of 2-3 inches.
• Mow centipede grass at a height of 1-2 inches.
• Water every other day for 15-30 minutes per zone.
• Water your lawn between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. to avoid fungal lawn diseases.

Fertilization & Weed Control

This is the time of year when full fertilization treatments should start. Depending on the needs of your lawn, the specialists at Brothers utilize either a granular or liquid fertilizer that is specifically designed to improve the color and thickness of your lawn. Weed control efforts should start focusing on perennial weeds that are already above ground.

• Apply a fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK).
• Apply post-emergent weed control to any areas where weeds currently exist.
• If your lawn feels hard and your turf isn't growing as expected, consider liquid aeration at this stage in order to break up the soil/thatch and make nutrients more available.

Mowing & Watering

A weekly mowing schedule should be established by this point to keep your lawn maintained throughout the growing season. Watering routines should begin closer to April, and they can be slightly more frequent this early in the year. Always remember to water your lawn in the early morning to allow enough time for your turf to dry/absorb the water.

• Mow St. Augustine grass at a height of 2-3 inches.
• Mow centipede grass at a height of 1-2 inches.
• Water every other day for 15-30 minutes per zone.
• Water your lawn between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. to avoid fungal lawn diseases.

Fertilization & Weed Control

The majority of our attention at this stage is always on fertilizing your lawn. By now, your lawn should be starting to look green and lush, and early summer fertilization treatments will help preserve that appearance by working to improve the root system in the soil.

• Apply a slow-release fertilizer with low to moderate amounts of nitrogen to avoid turf burn.
• Apply post-emergent weed control to any areas where weeds currently exist.
• If your lawn feels hard and your turf isn't growing as expected, consider aeration at this stage in order to break up the soil/thatch and make nutrients more available.

Mowing & Watering

In addition to your regular weekly mowing, consider incorporating edging and trimming. If it is a typical rainy season here in Louisiana, hard to reach areas may be growing wildly without you even realizing it. As always, allow heavy rainfall to replace a watering session.

• Do not remove more than the top ⅓ of your lawn’s length.
• Mow St. Augustine grass at a height of 2-3 inches.
• Mow centipede grass at a height of 1-2 inches.
• Watering can be cut back to 2-3 times per week, 15-30 minutes per zone.
• Water your lawn between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. to avoid fungal lawn diseases.

Fertilization & Weed Control

Any weeds that may have emerged since your last treatment should be spot treated, and similar fertilization efforts from the previous visit should continue. At Brothers Lawn Service, it is our goal to have the health and appearance of your lawn at its peak by this point.

• Apply a slow-release fertilizer with low to moderate amounts of nitrogen to avoid turf burn.
• Apply post-emergent weed control to any areas where weeds currently exist.
• If necessary, apply pesticides until bugs and insects are no longer present.

Mowing & Watering

In addition to your regular weekly mowing, consider incorporating edging and trimming. If it is a typical rainy season here in Louisiana, hard to reach areas may be growing wildly without you even realizing it. As always, allow heavy rainfall to replace a watering session.

• Do not remove more than the top ⅓ of your lawn’s length.
• Mow St. Augustine grass at a height of 2-3 inches.
• Mow centipede grass at a height of 1-2 inches.
• Water 2-3 times per week.
• Water your lawn between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. to avoid fungal lawn diseases.
• If drought conditions are present, make sure your entire lawn gets up to 2 inches of water per week.

Fertilization & Weed Control

With fall right around the corner, focus at this step will shift back to preventive weed control, though adding more potassium at this stage could prove beneficial. We want to ensure that your turf is prepared to survive through autumn and winter, which means making sure your lawn is as weed free as possible. Pre-emergent weed killers will be used, as well as any necessary spot treatments.

• Introduce potash at this stage to stimulate root development.
• Apply pre-emergent weed control to prevent any weeds that may have been dormant.
• Apply post-emergent weed control to any areas where weeds currently exist.
• If needed, this is a good time of year to apply fungicides and pesticides.

Mowing & Watering

Continue weekly mowing and watering routines. Remember, especially in late summer, watering in the morning will reduce the possibility of a fungal lawn infection, and it will also help deter lawn pests that seek out overly damp lawns.

• Do not remove more than the top ⅓ of your lawn’s length.
• Mow St. Augustine grass at a height of 2-3 inches.
• Mow centipede grass at a height of 1-2 inches.
• Water 2-3 times per week.
• Water your lawn between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. to avoid fungal lawn diseases.
• If drought conditions are present, make sure your entire lawn gets up to 2 inches of water per week.

Fertilization & Weed Control

Similar to our late summer weed control treatment, we recommend applying a pre-emergent to help sustain your lawn through winter. Post-emergents should be used if they are necessary, but many weeds will begin to go dormant at this stage.

• Apply pre-emergent weed control to prevent any weeds that may have been dormant.
• Apply post-emergent weed control to any areas where weeds currently exist.
• Fungicides may be beneficial at this point, especially if temperatures are greatly fluctuating between night and day.
• If your lawn feels hard and your turf isn't growing as expected, consider aeration at this stage in order to break up the soil/thatch and make nutrients more available.

Mowing & Watering

Mowing is generally reduced by this time in the year as temperatures begin to cool. If there is not enough growth to continue with a weekly mowing schedule, switch to a bi-weekly schedule, or simply mow as often as needed. Watering your warm-season turf is still important at this stage.

• Do not remove more than the top ⅓ of your lawn’s length.
• Mow all grass types once per week or less until growth ceases.
• Water 2-3 times per week.
• Water your lawn between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. to avoid fungal lawn diseases.
• If drought conditions are present, make sure your entire lawn gets up to 2 inches of water per week.

Fertilization & Weed Control

At our final visit of the year, we will apply a pre-emergent that is designed to fortify your lawn’s root system and deter any weed seedlings from germinating between this visit and the first visit of the following spring. Fungicides are recommended during this visit to prevent lawn diseases during winter.

• Apply winterizing fertilizer to tide your lawn over until the following spring.
• Apply fall pre-emergent weed control to help ensure that weeds do not germinate until the following spring.
• Apply fungicide to avoid any winter lawn diseases.

Mowing & Watering

As we approach late October and go into November, turf growth will likely slow down drastically or completely stop. Mowing is generally not needed, but mow until growth stops if your turf is still growing. Do not water any later in the year than mid November.