March Lawn Care Update

Written by

Gabrielle LaTora

March 7, 2024

Warm-Season Lawn Tips for March

Warm-season lawns include bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, and St. Augustinegrass.

There’s not much to be done with warm-season lawns at this time of year except wait for them to green up and apply pre- and post-emergent herbicides as necessary. Remember: always follow the label instructions for how and when to apply herbicides or reach out to your county Extension office for recommendations.
This is the best time to lime your lawn, but wait until green-up to begin fertilizing (May-August). Applying nitrogen fertilizer now, while your warm-season turf is still dormant, could cause it to green up too early and get damaged by the cold temperatures. Always apply lime based on your recent soil test results. Bermudagrass and St. Augustinegrass like a pH between 5.5-6.5, while zoysiagrass likes a pH of 6.0-7.0.
Hold off on aerating warm-season turf until after green up (May-August).
If you laid dormant sod over the winter, continue watering ~1″ per week.

Cool-season lawns include tall fescue, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, rough bluegrass, and ryegrass.

Continue mowing and watering cool-season lawns regularly. Mow tall fescue to a height of 2”-3” and never remove more than 1/3 of the total height at one time. Turf should get about 1” of water per week. Keep in mind that rainfall contributes to this amount, and adjust your irrigation as necessary.
This is a great time to fertilize and lime your lawn. In general, tall fescue requires 2 – 4 lbs. nitrogen per 1000 square feet per year, but always follow your soil test recommendations. Applying lime raises your soil pH to a level that turfgrass likes. You will also want to apply lime based on recent soil test results. Contact your county Extension office for soil testing information.
Seeding and sodding are both possible in March. However, keep in mind that October is the best month to seed, and February is the ideal time to lay new sod. Before laying new sod, make sure that you’re testing, amending, tilling, and grading your soil. Check out this article for more information: Laying Sod in Georgia for Best Results.
Continue applying pre-emergent herbicides for summer weeds and post-emergents for winter weeds following label directions.

If you have questions about your lawn, don’t hesitate to contact us at one of our offices.