A month-by-month schedule for Georgia lawns — when to fertilize, overseed, aerate, apply pre-emergent, mow, and water, keyed to the state's climate and grass types.
Dominant grasses: Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede, St. Augustine, Tall fescue
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Current month
Peak heat and humidity. Keep mowing and feeding warm-season grass, and stay ahead of disease.
Water: Deep morning watering
Water deeply in the early morning so blades dry by midday. Evening watering in Georgia's humidity feeds dollar spot and brown patch.
Weed Control: Watch for fungus
Hot, humid Georgia summers bring dollar spot and brown patch. Improve airflow and watering timing before reaching for fungicide.
Next Saturday Loadout
Planning date: this Saturday
In Georgia, the next Saturday job is active warm-season maintenance. Water early, feed only growing turf, and skip cool-season seed unless you are intentionally planning a winter overseed.
Step 1
Run irrigation before heat and wind climb, then fix dry edges or overspray before the next mowing cycle bakes the pattern into the lawn.
Step 2
Warm-season grass can use a maintenance feeding while it is actively growing. Keep the spreader pass even and skip dormant or drought-stalled areas.
Step 3
Use Bermuda or zoysia seed only where it matches the existing lawn. Cool-season patch seed is the wrong basket for a summer warm-season repair.
Georgia is mostly warm-season lawn country, though the cooler northern mountains can support tall fescue. The dominant grasses — Bermuda, zoysia, and centipede — are dormant and brown all winter and do all their growing from late spring through the long, hot summer. That single fact drives the whole calendar: the lawn's active season and its dormant season are flipped from the cool-season North, so you scalp and feed in spring, run hard through summer, and shut feeding down before the first fall frost.
The Georgia challenge starts underground with red clay. North Georgia and the Atlanta metro sit on heavy, compaction-prone red clay that sheds water and chokes roots, which makes aeration and a spring scalp critical for getting the warm-season grass off to a strong start. South Georgia's sandier soils drain faster but need more frequent watering and feeding to hold nutrients.
The signature warm-season move here is the spring scalp. When Bermuda or zoysia breaks dormancy, you drop the mower low and bag the dead brown canopy from the previous year. That lets the sun reach the crowns, speeds green-up, and removes the thatch that would otherwise harbor disease. Centipede is the exception — it's a low-input, low-feed grass that hates being pushed, so it gets a gentler version of the same calendar. Know your grass and the rest follows.
Crabgrass pre-emergent
Early-mid March
Time it to soil hitting 55°F — earlier than the North. Plan a second application 8 weeks later.
Spring scalp + green-up
April
Scalp Bermuda and zoysia low as they break dormancy to clear dead thatch and speed green-up.
Summer feeding season
May – August
Warm-season grass does its heavy feeding through the hot months while it's actively growing.
Feeding stops
Late August – early September
Stop nitrogen well before frost so the grass isn't pushing tender growth into dormancy.
Spring
Pre-emergent in March, then scalp Bermuda and zoysia low at green-up in April. Aerate the red clay and begin feeding once the grass is fully active.
Summer
The main growing season. Feed monthly, mow frequently, water deep, and watch for fungus in the humidity.
Fall
Wind it down. Stop feeding by early September, apply a fall pre-emergent for winter weeds, and let the grass harden off for dormancy.
Winter
Dormant and brown. The lawn needs almost nothing — keep leaves cleared and leave the grass alone.
Dormant and brown statewide. The lawn needs nothing. Service equipment for the season ahead.
Mow: Service the mower
Sharpen the blade and service the mower now. Dormant warm-season grass needs no mowing or feeding.
Still dormant, but soil is starting to warm in south Georgia. Plan your pre-emergent and pull a soil test.
Soil Test: Pull a soil test
Georgia clay is often acidic. A soil test tells you whether you need lime and guides your spring feeding — especially important for low-input centipede.
Pre-emergent goes down as soil hits 55°F — early in south Georgia, later in the mountains. Grass still mostly dormant.
Pre-Emergent: Apply crabgrass pre-emergent
Georgia's long warm season means crabgrass germinates early and over a long window. Apply now and plan a second round in 8 weeks. Even coverage prevents breakthrough.
Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX Broadcast Spreader →Cleanup: Clean up and prep
Rake out winter debris and leaves so the soil warms evenly and the spring scalp goes clean.
Green-up. Scalp Bermuda and zoysia low to clear dead thatch, then aerate the clay before the growing season.
Mow: Scalp at green-up
As Bermuda and zoysia green up, drop the mower one or two notches and bag the dead brown canopy. This speeds green-up and clears disease-harboring thatch. Don't scalp centipede or St. Augustine hard.
Toro TimeMaster 30" Personal Pace Self-Propelled Mower →Aerate: Core-aerate the red clay
North Georgia's compacted clay needs aeration to let water and roots through. Do it after green-up while the grass can recover quickly.
Warm-season grass hits full stride. Start the summer feeding program and dial in irrigation.
Fertilize: Begin summer feeding
Bermuda and zoysia are fully active and ready for nitrogen. This kicks off the main feeding season. Go light on centipede — it's a low-feed grass that yellows if overfed.
Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX Broadcast Spreader →Water: Set up irrigation
As the heat builds, deep weekly watering keeps the lawn growing. A smart controller with rain skip prevents the overwatering that breeds fungus in the humidity.
Orbit B-hyve XR Smart Sprinkler Controller (8-Zone) →Hot and growing hard. Mow frequently, feed, and water deep. Watch for the first signs of fungus.
Mow: Mow frequently
Bermuda may need mowing twice a week in June. Keep it low and tight — Bermuda is a low-cut grass, unlike St. Augustine — and keep the blade sharp.
Fertilize: Continue feeding
Keep nitrogen coming for actively growing Bermuda and zoysia. Spread it evenly with a calibrated spreader to avoid streaking.
Peak heat and humidity. Keep mowing and feeding warm-season grass, and stay ahead of disease.
Water: Deep morning watering
Water deeply in the early morning so blades dry by midday. Evening watering in Georgia's humidity feeds dollar spot and brown patch.
Weed Control: Watch for fungus
Hot, humid Georgia summers bring dollar spot and brown patch. Improve airflow and watering timing before reaching for fungicide.
Still hot and growing. Get the last feeding in early, before the late-summer cutoff.
Fertilize: Final summer feeding
Get your last nitrogen application down by late August. Feeding past that pushes tender growth that the first fall frost will burn.
Mow: Keep mowing
Growth is still strong. Maintain the regular mowing rhythm with a sharp blade.
Growth slows as nights cool. Stop feeding warm-season grass and apply a fall pre-emergent for winter weeds.
Pre-Emergent: Fall pre-emergent
A fall pre-emergent suppresses Poa annua and other cool-season weeds that invade dormant warm-season lawns over winter.
Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX Broadcast Spreader →Mow: Slow the mowing pace
Raise the cut slightly as growth slows. Don't feed — the grass is preparing for dormancy.
The lawn winds down toward dormancy. Begin leaf cleanup and do a potassium feeding if winter hardiness is a concern.
Cleanup: Begin leaf cleanup
Stay ahead of the leaf drop — even dormant-bound warm-season grass suffers under a packed leaf layer.
EGO Power+ 650 CFM Cordless Leaf Blower (LB6504) →Fertilize: Optional potassium feeding
A potassium-only (no nitrogen) application improves winter hardiness in north Georgia without pushing tender top growth.
First frosts brown the grass into dormancy. Final leaf cleanup and a last mow.
Cleanup: Final leaf cleanup
Clear leaves before they pack down over the dormant turf. A backpack blower makes short work of large Georgia lots.
DeWalt 40V MAX Brushless Backpack Leaf Blower (DCBL590X1) →Mow: Last mow before dormancy
Give it a final clean cut as it browns out. After this the lawn rests until spring.
Dormant and brown. The lawn needs nothing. Winterize equipment and rest.
Cleanup: Winterize equipment
Clean and store the mower dry. Leave the dormant grass alone until spring green-up.
Continue at Premium Grass Seeds
Start with the state guide. If it says to wait, do not buy starter fertilizer for immediate use; save the remaining links for the next viable warm-season establishment window, then check local fertilizer rules.
1 · Decide timing and seed
Confirm a viable warm-season establishment window before comparing Bermuda, zoysia, centipede, and other Georgia options.
Open: Georgia seed and timing guide → (opens in a new tab)2 · Later: starter
Do not apply now. Revisit this only after the state guide confirms an active seeding window, then check the soil test, label, and county fertilizer rules.
Open: Plan establishment fertilizer → (opens in a new tab)3 · Later: equipment
Compare tools only after the project timing is valid; a spreader or prep tool cannot make an off-season planting succeed.
Open: Plan the prep equipment → (opens in a new tab)The spreaders, controllers, seed, and tools that show up most often in the Georgia calendar above — built around the green-up push after the last frost — spreaders, irrigation timing, and warm-season seed do the heavy lifting once the lawn wakes up.
Scotts
The default broadcast spreader recommendation for most homeowners. Especially for lawns with sidewalks, beds, and edges that need spread control.
Scotts
Southern homeowners in zones 7-10 with full-sun yards who want a tough, heat-loving, low-cost lawn.
Pennington
Homeowners establishing a new Zenith zoysiagrass lawn in full sun who can follow Pennington's late-spring or early-summer planting directions.
Orbit
Buyers who want smart irrigation savings without paying Rachio's premium. Owners of Orbit hose timers who want a unified ecosystem.
DeWalt
Long cleanup sessions where backpack ergonomics matter more than peak CFM, especially for DeWalt 40V owners or closeout-kit shoppers.
In April, as the Bermuda or zoysia breaks dormancy and starts to green up. Drop the mower one or two notches below your normal height and bag the clippings to remove the dead brown canopy from last year. That lets sunlight reach the crowns, speeds the green-up, and clears thatch that would otherwise harbor disease. Don't scalp centipede or St. Augustine hard — they don't tolerate it.
By late August into early September. Feeding warm-season grass after that pushes out tender new growth that the first fall frost will burn, weakening the lawn going into winter. Warm-season feeding runs from full green-up in May through late summer. An optional potassium-only application in October improves winter hardiness without pushing top growth.
North Georgia and the Atlanta metro sit on heavy red clay that compacts hard and sheds water instead of absorbing it. Core-aerating after spring green-up pulls plugs of soil, relieves compaction, and lets water and roots penetrate — giving warm-season grass a much stronger start to its growing season.
Deeply about once or twice a week, in the early morning so the blades dry by midday. Georgia's heat and humidity make evening watering a disease risk — it feeds dollar spot and brown patch. A smart controller with a rain skip prevents both overwatering and fungal problems.
Georgia is in the warm-season south group. These states follow similar seasonal logic, though local soil, elevation, and weather still matter.
Calendars are general regional guidance for The Lawn Report. Local microclimates, soil, and current weather always come first.