Springtime in Southeast Texas typically brings lots of rain, and with it, the native St Augustine, Bermuda, and Zoysia grasses in our local area come to life.  Unfortunately, along with all of the beautiful growth of desirable plants and flowers and beautiful lawns – pests, crabgrass and weeds also spring to life.  The weather can also be a little unpredictable in Beaumont.   You might see excessive heat, one or two freezes, and volatile temperatures during this time.  All of these things can wreak havoc on your lawn and landscaping.  Here are some tips for how to care for your lawn during spring.

Step 1:  Evaluate Your Lawn and Flower Beds 

• What kind of grasses are in my lawn?
• Is my lawn filled with weeds and crabgrass?
• Does my lawn look healthy and green?
• Does my lawn have brown patches?
• How much should I water my lawn?
• Are any of the flowers and plants in my beds susceptible to sudden freeze?
• How much mulch should I put in my flower beds?

Identify what kind of grass you have:

You can find several different types of grasses in Southeast Texas, but the 3 most common grasses are St Augustine, Bermuda, and more recently, Zoysia grasses. Bermuda and Zoysia are similar, but have different requirements and will appear different in color and coverage.  Top to Bottom, we have: St Augustine, Bermuda, and Zoysia grasses.

Step 2: Understanding the Health of Your Lawn

Step 3: Take A Soil Test for Best Lawn Results

For best results when choosing a fertilizer for your lawn, you can conduct a soil test.  Many local home improvement stores will have test kits that you can use. You can find soil test kits available at Lowe’s, or Home Depot

Step 4: Fertilize and Maintain your Lawn Properly

Spring and Fall are usually the best times to fertilize your lawn.  We randomly get at least 1 or 2 freezes into late March in Southeast Texas, so we recommend applying your spring fertilizer in early to mid-April, depending on how hot the weather is.  It is also important to fertilize just before a day or two of rain.  If not, you will have to make sure to thoroughly water your lawn after application.  While all of the native lawns in Southeast Texas are hardy, applying fertilizer without water will burn and damage your lawn.  Spring fertilizer should not be applied until the grass is actively growing.  409 Lawns recommends waiting until the lawn is at least 50% green before fertilizing.  For the fall season, we recommend an application in early to mid-September. 

Step 5: Remove weeds for the Most Beautiful Lawn

Crabgrass, Dollar Weed, and Clover are some of the worst weeds in Southeast Texas. Solving these types of issues is at the core of how to care for your lawn during spring.  The flooding has also brought in multiple kinds of weeds into lawns where they had never been before.  Weed and Feed fertilizer can handle killing weeds, but in some extreme cases it will take additional measures to get the best results for your lawn.  The ideal way to do this is to kill the seeds that current weeds are producing.  Most lawn weeds are annuals, which means they grow one season, produce seeds, and die.  The right application of a good herbicide can kill weeds in your lawn and make it the envy of the neighborhood.

You will want to apply weed killers in mid-February to early March.  In the fall, early October is the best time to apply herbicides and fungicides.  409 Lawns always uses the best chemicals that are safe and effective for your lawn.  We also have organic options available.

If you have St. Augustine grass, you could potentially struggle with brown patch disease, which is caused by the Rhizoctonia fungus. Brown patch creates brown circular-shaped lesions in your grass.  Typically, they start forming in the spring and persist into summer.  Left untreated, brown patch can spread throughout the yard.  Use a fungicide labeled for brown patch disease to treat this common problem.  Warning:  brown patch usually needs to be treated multiple times before it can be controlled.

Step 6:  Check for Bugs in Your Lawn and Control Pests, and Watch for Brown Patch

Fire ants, grub worms, and grasshoppers are some of the most pervasive pests in the Southeast Texas area.  These and other pests can cause real issues with your lawn, causing patches, disease and an unhealthy environment that prevents your lawn from thriving.  The best way to get rid of fire ants, grubs and other bugs is to use a safe, effective product like Sevin dust, or Amdro fire ant killer.  Other pests that can cause damage to lawns and flower beds are snails.  Snails require snail bait, which they ingest and die from.  Unfortunately, snails are much harder to eliminate if there are a lot of them.  409 Lawns can help you get rid of pests in your lawn and landscaping.

Step 7:  Water and Maintain Your Lawn Properly

Your yard’s grass type can also affect how much water is necessary for your lawn. Each grass variety has different tolerances for heat and water, so these guidelines are good to keep in mind.

St. Augustine: This is a common choice for yards, but is rather vulnerable to lawn diseases and pests that Texas summers can bring. You will typically want to water your St Augustine lawn at least once per week, up to once per day in the dead heat of summer.  Since we typically get afternoon thundershowers during the Summer months in Southeast Texas, mother nature takes care of most of the watering chores.  St Augustine grass requires a lot of water to stay healthy, which can present a problem if you are in an area with restricted water access. 

Bermuda: Bermuda grass is great in the sun and is very resistant to drought. It can grow and thrive even with very little watering.  Bermuda is a vining grass, and is very hardy.  409 Lawns recommends watering a Bermuda lawn once per week as needed.

Zoysia: Another drought-resistant grass, Zoysia can also survive without excessive watering. It will often stay lush even in the shade, staying true to its soft and luxurious texture.  Caring for Zoysia grass is very similar to caring for Bermuda grass.

The main thing to remember when maintaining your lawn in Southeast Texas, is to keep an eye out for discoloration, brown patches, and “dry” lawn.  If your lawn makes a “crunching” sound when you walk on it, water it immediately to prevent further damage. 

Bottom Line:  A Healthy Lawn Requires Some Work

Healthy lawns in Southeast Texas require care and maintenance.  Many of our clients at 409 Lawns are busy with family, friends, and work. They find that allowing a professional lawn service, like 409 Lawns, to keep their lawn and landscaping beautiful is the most effective way to have the most beautiful lawn in their neighborhood.  Time is valuable, and 409 Lawns offers top-rated service at the lowest price.

When you are ready to remove the worry of doing lawn and landscaping jobs, 409 Lawns is a smart choice.  You will love our easy payments, surveys after every job, and dedicated personal service.  We have clients in Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Port Neches, and Nederland, that have all benefited from our lawn maintenance packages.   You can get an immediate quote by visiting our page at https://409lawns.com