Houston Lawn Care Advice for St. Augustine, Bermuda & Zoysia
Our heat, humidity, gumbo clay and swinging rainfall break the national rules. Here's what actually works in Houston yards, from someone who has fixed them since 1991.
- St. Augustine
- Bermuda
- Zoysia
What's actually wrong with your lawn?
The 12 problems we see most in Houston yards: what each one looks like, what to do, and what Todd actually uses.
Brown patch & large patch
Looks like: Brown or yellow circles, often with a darker ring at the edge, in spring and fall.
Do this: Water only in the early morning, skip fall nitrogen, and use a lawn fungicide at the first sign.
Take-all root rot
Looks like: Irregular yellow patches that thin out. Roots and runners look dark and rotted.
Do this: Fix the drainage, ease off water, and treat with the right fungicide. Send Todd a photo to confirm it first.
Gray leaf spot
Looks like: Small gray-tan spots with dark edges on St. Augustine blades. The lawn looks scorched.
Do this: Hold off on summer nitrogen, water in the morning, and use a fungicide made for gray leaf spot.
Chinch bugs
Looks like: Yellow, then brown, patches near the street or driveway that don't green up when you water.
Do this: Check the edge of the damage, where green meets brown, before you buy anything. Then treat that area and a few feet beyond.
Sod webworms
Looks like: Ragged, chewed blades and small tan moths flying up when you mow.
Do this: A soapy-water drench brings the caterpillars to the surface so you can confirm, then treat.
Fall armyworms
Looks like: The lawn turns brown almost overnight, often right after a rain.
Do this: Look for green or brown caterpillars at dusk. Treat quickly. They move fast.
Grubs
Looks like: Grass lifts up like loose carpet and the roots are gone.
Do this: Dig up a square foot and count the white C-shaped grubs. Send Todd a photo before you treat.
Yellow even though you fed it
Looks like: Pale yellow grass with green veins, or yellowing right after an early feeding.
Do this: Often it's iron, not nitrogen, in our alkaline soil. Liquid iron greens it up. Time your feeding with the Two-Step.
Nutgrass (nutsedge)
Looks like: Shiny, bright green blades that grow faster than the lawn and come back when you pull them.
Do this: Pulling makes more. Use a product that travels down to the nut, sprayed while it's young.
Weeds: crabgrass, dallisgrass, doveweed & more
Looks like: Anything that isn't your grass. Each weed needs a different fix.
Do this: Identify it first, then spot-spray. Never use weed-and-feed. It's the wrong timing for both jobs.
Heat stress & watering
Looks like: Gray-blue grass, footprints that stay, blades folding in the afternoon.
Do this: Water deeply and less often, early in the morning, and measure in inches, not minutes. Mow a little higher in summer.
Bare patches & thin spots
Looks like: Spots that never fill in, no matter what you put on them.
Do this: Usually it's the soil, not the grass. St. Augustine doesn't grow from seed: scrape, till 4–6", add good topsoil, and lay sod.
Not sure which one it is? Send Todd a photo.
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Know your grass, then treat it right
- Water early in the morning, deeply and less often.
- Feed by soil temperature, not the calendar.
- Never use weed-and-feed.
- Fix the soil before you blame the grass.
| St. Augustine | Bermuda | Zoysia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mowing height | 3–4 inches | 1–2 inches | 1½–2½ inches |
| Sun it needs | Full sun to part shade | Full sun only | Full sun to light shade |
| Summer water | About 1 inch a week, rain included | About 1 inch a week | About 1 inch a week |
| Grows from seed? | No, sod or plugs only | Seed or sod | Sod is best |
| Watch out for | Chinch bugs, brown patch, gray leaf spot | Shade and weeds moving in | Slow to recover; large patch |
Everything we've written for Houston lawns
Todd Farber, Aggie horticulturist
Todd studied horticulture at Texas A&M and has designed, installed and fixed Houston landscapes since 1991. He and Sabrina run Garden Guy as a Fort Bend County family business. Todd answers every question himself.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Harris County Master Gardeners are excellent research-based sources. We add the hands-on, yard-by-yard side: what we've seen work in real Houston lawns.
Todd & Sabrina Farber
Have a specific lawn problem? Let's look at it.
Ask a quick question
Send a photo and a few words. Todd writes back within 24 hours with what he'd do and what to use.
Ask FreeBook a call with Todd
For several problems at once or a full lawn plan. Works anywhere, not just Houston.
Book a CallNeed it done for you?
We fix the soil and lay new sod as part of our landscape design and installation work. Todd is on site for every install.
See Our WorkThe questions we get every week
Short answers. For your yard specifically, send Todd a photo.
Where can I get Houston-specific lawn care advice?
Garden Guy's Todd Farber, an Aggie horticulturist who has worked on Houston landscapes since 1991, answers lawn questions free at askgardenguy.com. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Harris County Master Gardeners are also excellent research-based sources.
What is the best mowing height for St. Augustine in Houston?
Keep St. Augustine at about 3 to 4 inches. Taller grass shades the soil, holds moisture through the summer and crowds out weeds. Never take off more than a third of the blade at once.
Why is my St. Augustine turning brown?
The most common causes in Houston are chinch bugs in hot, sunny spots, brown patch or large patch in cool, wet weather, gray leaf spot in summer, and plain heat stress. Check where the damage is and what season it is, or send Todd a photo.
How often should I water my lawn in Houston?
In summer, aim for about an inch of water a week, rain included, applied deeply in one or two early-morning waterings. Water less in spring and fall, and measure with a can instead of guessing by sprinkler minutes.
When should I fertilize my lawn in Houston?
Feed once the soil has warmed in spring and the grass is actively growing, not on a calendar date. Our Texas Two-Step Lawn Method lays out the timing and order. Avoid weed-and-feed products.
How do I get rid of nutgrass in my Houston lawn?
Don't pull it. Nutgrass grows back from underground nuts. Spray it while it's young with a product that moves down to the nut, and expect to repeat over a couple of seasons.
Can I grow St. Augustine from seed?
No. St. Augustine doesn't grow from seed, so bare spots are fixed with sod or plugs. Most bare spots are a soil problem, so loosen and improve the soil before you lay new sod.
Your lawn is a Houston lawn. Treat it like one.
Send a photo and Todd will tell you what he'd actually do, or start with the free Two-Step method.