Southeast Lawn Care Guide

Do you know what grass is growing in your yard? Common grasses found in Southeastern lawns include Bahia, Bermuda, Centipede, St. Augustine, Tall fescue, and Zoysia; each comes with its own set of pros and cons.

Pros

• Coarse-textured, tough turf
• Good tolerance to shade, drought, and wear

Cons

• Produces numerous seedheads

Pros

• Dense, medium-fine texture
• Excellent heat and drought tolerance
• Rapid establishment and growth rate

Cons

• Poor low temperature and shade tolerance
• Becomes dormant and browns during winter months

Pros

• Low-growing, medium-textured turf
• Can handle light shade
• Drought-tolerant

Cons

• Slow growing (but this could be a pro if you don’t like mowing often!)
• Poor wear tolerance
• Browns in winter
• Requires high iron levels

Pros

• Coarse-textured turf
• Shade-tolerant

Cons

• Poor low-temperature tolerance
• Can enter dormancy and discolor in winter months
• Produces heavy thatch

Pros

• Will grow in either partial shade or sun
• Tolerant of drought and blazing summers

Cons

• Not compatible with other turfgrasses
• Prone to thinning

Pros

• Dense, tough turf
• Good heat and drought tolerance
• Better cold tolerance than most warm-season grasses

Cons

• Slow to establish
• Becomes dormant and browns during winter months

Once you know your grass type, it becomes much easier to gauge the best watering technique and optimum mowing height for your lawn. Need help identifying the type of grass in your lawn? Our expert TruGreen specialists can provide you with helpful insights during a Healthy Lawn Analysis.

Unfortunately, even the healthiest lawn requires both preventative and reactionary efforts. Below, we explore potential weeds, lawn diseases and pests that can invade your lawn. Keep these in mind as you work with a TruGreen specialist to evaluate your lawn’s needs.

There are two types of nutsedge: purple and yellow. Both are grass-like perennials that spread across your lawn using a complex underground system of tubers or "nuts" that allow new weeds to sprout. This hidden reserve of tubers make the weed quite difficult to manage.

You can spot this troublesome weed by looking for a triangular stem and three rows of leaves.

Clover is a notorious creeping, broadleaf weed that's tough to get rid of once its settled into your lawn. These perennials can take over large patches of turfgrass.

Clover is typically pretty easy to spot.The two most common types of clover, red and white, have flowers that stand out in turfgrass.

Black medic is an annual broadleaf weed that typically appears during the summer. Some of its most notable characteristics include globe-like clusters of yellow flowers and a small stem with three leaflets.

These coarse-textured grassy weed will spread across your lawn in circular clumps, growing out from the center and depriving your turfgrass of the air and nutrients necessary for survival.

Keep an eye out for its yellow-green color. You can also identify dallisgrass by its stems, which often have three to six spiky seedheads.

The spurge family includes fast-growing summer weeds that grow low to the ground. Spurge is known as a prolific seed producer and plants mature in just a few days during hot weather.

Flat and fan-shaped, barnyardgrass is an annual weed that has aggressive growth habits. It will steal the nutrients from your turfgrass and quickly dominate your lawn. Its bristly, purple seedhead is a dead giveaway that barnyardgrass is living in your backyard.

Annual bluegrass is tricky. It almost looks like Kentucky bluegrass, but will quickly start to stand out due to its lighter green color and numerous seedheads. Annual bluegrass grows in patches. If faced with hot, dry conditions, it will brown out and leave big empty spaces on your lawn.

Don't let common weeds get the best of your lawn. TruGreen's TruComplete Lawn Plan, which includes pre-emergent and targeted weed control, can help develop a plan specific to your lawn.

Common lawn diseases include brown patch, gray leaf spot, dollar spot, pythium, and large patch.

These lawn diseases can be pretty serious, but they shouldn't stand in the way of a healthy lawn. To ensure your lawn has everything it needs to battle disease, consider TruGreen's TruHealth Lawn Plan.

Common lawn pests include chinch bugs, sod webworms, armyworms, and white grubs.

If you spot one of these creepy crawlers in your yard, don’t panic. TruGreen’s TruShield Lawn Pest Control can help significantly reduce the number of pests on your turf. If mosquitos are a problem, you can turn to TruGreen Mosquito Defense. This added layer of protection can help eradicate biting mosquitoes from your property.

Your lawn's needs are constantly changing. From month to month and season to season, we have tips for you to get the most out of your lawn and TruGreen service.

While your TruGreen specialist will help your lawn stay healthy, there are ways you can care for your lawn as a homeowner to keep a lush, healthy yard.

• With warm temperate, grass will grow quickly. Mow regularly to stay on top of rapid growth.
• Mow at the recommended height for your grass type to avoid injury to your turf.
• Aim to provide your lawn with two inches of water per week. If it rains, adjust accordingly.
• Aerating in August may help with summer stress from high temperatures. Ask your specialist about TruGreen's aeration services.

• Winterize your sprinkler system and check for leaks.
• Tune up your lawn mower and sharpen the blade in preparation for lawn care season.
• In dry weather, water your lawn for about 15 minutes once a week and after TruGreen treatments.

The Southeast's unique grasses and weather mean your lawn needs special care. TruGreen will help you throughout the year, applying seasonally appropriate pre- and post-emergent weed treatments. TruGreen's fertilizer treatments will help stimulate your lawn's color and growth and to fortify it against extreme weather.

As your partner in the journey toward a healthy lawn, we ask that you receive regular service visits. Following the homeowner tips in this guide will also to help you achieve the best results possible.

If you’re not signed up yet for regular services, click here to find a local branch near you or fill out the green box on the left to get a personal quote today!