Lawn care is a year-round effort in Crestview and Fort Walton Beach that begins with applying herbicide and aerating in the spring, mowing and watering in the summer, and fertilizing and attacking fungus and pests in the fall.
A good lawn care regimen is the key to a great lawn. You don’t want to plant new seed in the heat of the summer or fertilize dormant grass.
Key Takeaways
Year-round lawn care: Choose the right grass type. Mow and water as needed. Don’t overfertilize, and use separate fertilizers and herbicides instead of a combined weed and feed.
Spring lawn care: Get your lawn ready for the year by sharpening your blades, applying herbicide, aerating, and fertilizing as needed.
Summer lawn care: Water when as needed, and let your grass grow a little taller to protect against heat. Hand-pluck weeds or use post-emergent herbicide if necessary.
Fall lawn care: Do the last round of fertilizer. Watch out for fungi and sod webworms. Overseed if you want your lawn to pop with a bright green hue all year round.
Winter lawn care: Keep mowing, albeit less frequently. Water as needed. However, if you’ve overseeded with a cool-season grass, you’ll need to carry on with your normal routine. Watch for lawn diseases.
Year-Round Lawn Care Tips: Do This All Year
Some lawn care advice applies to the whole year. For instance, it’s never a good idea to choose the wrong grass type or mow wet grass.
| All-Year Lawn Care Task | How You Should Do it |
| Choosing the right grass | A warm-season grass for most of the year, a cool-season grass for overseeding in the fall if you want your lawn to remain green in the winter |
| Herbicide | Use if you deal with a lot of weeds that you can’t hand-pluck |
| Fertilizing | Test your soil first. Never overfertilize. Always follow the instructions on your fertilizer |
| Mowing | All year, but reduce frequency when grass grows more slowly |
| Watering | When your grass shows signs of dryness |
Choose the Right Grass
Crestview and the surrounding areas are warm and humid, so warm-season grasses thrive here.
These Florida grasses are common in Crestview-FWB-Destin Area’s lawns:
| Grass Type | What It’s Best For |
| St. Augustinegrass | Shade |
| Zoysiagrass | Low maintenance, high disease and weed resistance; also grows in light shade |
| Bermudagrass | Heat, drought resistance, and foot traffic |
| Bahiagrass | Low maintenance and drought resistance |
| Centipedegrass | Low maintenance, weed and disease resistance. Also grows in poor soils |
| Buffalograss | Low maintenance and drought tolerance |
| Seashore paspalum | Low maintenance, drought resistance, relative traffic resistance, and salt tolerance |
However, if you want to overseed in the fall to keep your grass green, you should use a cool-season grass like ryegrass. This grass will then die in the spring. It’s really just to keep your lawn perfectly green and dense all year.
Don’t Use Weed and Feed
Weed and feed products combine fertilizer and pre-emergent herbicide products into one. While this combination may seem convenient, it’s a bad idea. The University of Florida recommends not using weed and feed products because fertilizers and herbicides need to be applied at different times.
As you’ll see further down in this article, you need to apply a pre-emergent herbicide much earlier than fertilizer. Using them at the same time makes them less effective, and it can even harm your trees and shrubs. It may be especially detrimental if you apply them in warm weather above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you need to both fertilize and use herbicide, do so separately. Use herbicide if you deal with too many weeds that you can’t hand-pluck. Otherwise, hand-plucking is better for the environment and local wildlife; it’s always better not to use chemicals.
Don’t Overfertilize
When you fertilize, you use powerful solutions that can harm the local environment or animals when used in excess. Plus, you’ll only damage your grass by overfertilizing.
Before you fertilize, test your soil. Testing your soil will help you find out if it’s lacking any nutrients. Then, you can fertilize accordingly. Always ensure that you follow your fertilizer’s instruction label. Read more about when to fertilize below or in our article The Best Lawn Fertilization Schedule and Tips for Florida.
Pro tip: Leave grass clippings on your lawn after each mow to provide it with a quick nutrient boost. Check out this article for more reasons to use grass clippings.
Mow All Year
Get ready not to put away your lawn mower. Your mowing will decrease in frequency when temperatures go down, but you need to mow all year. If you overseed, keep mowing as needed in the winter.
Mow your grass when it gets to about 3 to 4 inches in height. Let your grass guide how often you mow. Consider factors like:
- Rainfall
- Temperature
- Sunlight exposure
- Grass type
Some grasses need more mowing than others. For example, the fast-growing bermudagrass needs to be mowed more often than the slower-growing Zoysiagrass.
Here are ideal mowing heights for each Crestview grass type:
| Grass Type | Common Mowing Height |
| St. Augustinegrass | 2 to 4 inches |
| Zoysiagrass | 0.5 to 1.5 inches |
| Bermudagrass | 0.5 to 1.5 inches |
| Bahiagrass | 3 to 4 inches |
| Centipedegrass | 1.5 to 2 inches |
| Buffalograss | 2 to 3 inches |
| Seashore paspalum | 1 to 2 inches |
Mow Smart
Keep your blades sharp so that you don’t damage your lawn. Never mow more than one-third of your total grass height at a time. Mow in the morning or in the late afternoon, not during the midday or at night. Alternate between mowing heights to avoid compacting the soil.
Pro tip: Leave grass clippings on the lawn after each mow. This provides a quick snack for your grass, and is an easy way to “fertilize” it naturally.
Check out this article for more lawn mowing tips.
Water Smart
Overwatering is often worse than underwatering. It invites weeds, pests, and diseases in your lawn and makes your grass less resilient. Therefore, don’t water your lawn unless you need to. Your lawn will let you know when it’s thirsty.
Look out for lawn dehydration signs like:
- Folding leaf blades
- Dull color
- Footprints that stay in the grass
Check out this article for more tips on Crestview-Fort Walton Beach lawn watering.
Spring Lawn Care: Get Your Lawn Ready for the Year
In the spring, you should get ready to take care of your grass throughout the growing season.
| Spring Lawn Care Task | When and How |
| Pre-emergent herbicide | Late February to first of March |
| Fertilizing | Mid-April at the earliest |
| Mowing | When grass reaches at least 3 to 4 inches, once a week in the morning or in the late afternoon |
| Watering | Don’t yet |
| Other spring jobs | Clean up the lawn and aerate before you fertilize |
When to Prevent Weeds
Spot treat weeds before they mature. But if needed, you can use a pre-emergent herbicide in late February or the first of March for summer weeds. However, if your weeds haven’t sprouted yet, late March to early April is still a suitable time to use a pre-emergent herbicide, too.
When to Fertilize
Fertilize in mid-April at the earliest. Fertilizing earlier won’t help your grass. Instead, it may lead to leaching or accidentally feeding weeds instead of your beautiful turf. Before you fertilize, test your soil to find out which nutrients are lacking.
When to Mow
Wait until your grass reaches at least 3 or 4 inches in height. Mow around once a week.
When to Water
There’s usually no need to water your grass in the spring, so wait a little longer.
Other Spring Jobs
Get your equipment out, sharpen your blades, and awaken your lawn from its winter slumber. Tidy up your lawn and rake it. Clean up all debris, clutter, sticks, and dead leaves. Before you fertilize, you should aerate your lawn to relieve compaction.
Summer Lawn Care: Help Your Grass Survive the Heat
In the summer, you want to focus on taking care of your grass so that it survives the heat of the summer. Crestview grasses are generally drought-tolerant, but you can still do your part to help them stay in shape.
| Summer Lawn Care Task | When and How |
| Hand-plucking or post-emergent herbicide | When you notice weeds |
| Fertilizing | Avoid it |
| Mowing | Mow taller than normal; don’t mow dormant grass |
| Watering | When you notice signs of dryness |
How to Treat Weeds
If weeds have grown on your lawn, use a post-emergent herbicide. Or, better yet, hand-pluck them.
When to Fertilize
Avoid fertilizing in the summer. It may just lead to runoff and not help your grass at all.
How to Mow
Let your grass grow slightly taller than normal to help it survive in the heat. It will develop deeper roots and tolerate drought better. Stop mowing when your grass goes dormant.
When to Water
Watch out for blue-green color, folding blades, and visible footprints. Start watering when your lawn needs it.
The best time to water is early in the morning. This prevents the water from evaporating during the strongest sunlight. Check out more about when to water your lawn.
Fall Lawn Care: Get Ready for Winter
In the fall, the weather begins to cool down, and grasses begin to grow slower. It’s time to get ready for winter.
| Fall Lawn Care Task | When and How |
| Pre-emergent herbicide | October 1 |
| Fertilizing | September at the latest |
| Mowing | Weekly if your grass isn’t dormant; bi-weekly as growth slows down |
| Watering | Only in the morning |
| Other fall jobs | Apply fungicide if you need to; look out for sod webworms; rake leaves; overseed if you want to |
When to Prevent Weeds
Use a pre-emergent herbicide on October 1st to prevent winter weeds. Overseeding with a cool-season grass may help prevent weeds.
When to Fertilize
The latest you should fertilize is September. Don’t fertilize during the winter unless you overseed. Fertilizing too late may encourage your grass to grow during the coldest months, making it more sensitive to the weather. Don’t stress if you skip fertilizer in the fall.
Avoid using excess nitrogen, particularly if you have St. Augustinegrass or centipedegrass. These grasses are susceptible to fungus.
When to Mow
Start mowing weekly again when your grass returns from dormancy. As your grass’s growth rate slows down, start mowing every other week.
When to Water
Take extra care that you water early in the morning, or you may make your lawn more susceptible to fungal diseases. This especially applies to St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass.
Other Fall Jobs
Apply fungicide if you need to. Look out for sod webworms (see our article on how to get rid of Florida lawn pests). Rake leaves. If you want a greener lawn with fewer weeds, overseed it from October to November (see our guide on how to overseed). When you overseed, the temperatures should be consistently in the low to mid 70°F range.
You can use a cool-season grass like ryegrass. An overseeded lawn needs lots of watering until it’s established. Once the seed has grown, fertilize it, mow it, and water it as usual. This grass will die out in the late spring. Don’t fertilize it, and water it infrequently after March.
Winter Lawn Care: Set Your Next Growing Season Up for Success
Much like the rest of Florida, the winters in Crestview, Destin and Fort Walton Beach are short and windy. Winter lawn care tasks involve setting up your lawn for the year ahead.
| Winter Lawn Care Task | When and How |
| Hand-plucking or post-emergent herbicide | When you notice weeds |
| Fertilizing | Don’t, unless you’ve overseeded; then, wait for the new grass to become established |
| Mowing | Every three to four weeks; taller than usual; if you’ve overseeded, continue mowing weekly |
| Watering | Only if your grass shows signs of dehydration |
| Other winter jobs | Watch out for lawn diseases; apply fungicide if needed |
How to Treat Weeds
Winter weeds like lawn burweed, chickweed, henbit, and annual bluegrass may appear on your lawn. Hand-pluck winter weeds or use a post-emergent herbicide as needed.
When to Fertilize
Normally, you should stop fertilizing by October. However, if you’ve overseeded, that’s a different story. Fertilize your overseeded grass after four to six weeks of establishment if you want your grass to grow dense and green.
How Often to Mow
Mow every three to four weeks and keep your grass a bit taller than usual. If you’ve overseeded, mow weekly.
When to Water
Water only if your grass shows the signs of dehydration mentioned above. You should also winterize your irrigation system.
Other Winter Jobs
Watch out for lawn diseases in your dormant grass. Signs of lawn diseases include brown patches (learn how to deal with the disease of the same name in our brown patch control article), discolored areas, and thinning grass. Apply fungicide if needed.
FAQ
Should I mow all year in Crestview?
Yes, much like the rest of Florida, Crestview lawns get mowed year round because grass never really stops growing here. However, you can get away with mowing less often in the winter unless you overseed with a cool-season grass to keep your lawn green.
When should I start cutting grass in Crestview?
As mentioned above, Crestview mowing is a year-round thing. But you want to start mowing more frequently in the spring, when your grass reaches 3 to 4 inches.
Are hurricanes common in Crestview?
All of Florida is vulnerable to hurricane damage, and homes on the coast are at an extra risk. Check out this article about hurricane-resistant landscaping ideas.
Which plants are native to Florida?
Some of Florida’s native plants are:
- Beach sunflower
- Railroad vine
- Scarlet sage
- Azaleas
- Bahama cassia
Keep a Stunning Lawn in Crestview-FWB-Destin Area
As you can see, there are plenty of jobs to check off your to-do list if you want to keep a stunning lawn.
With so much to do all year in Florida’s hot weather, you might as well call a pro to take care of your lawn. Lawnstarter will provide you with an expert at an affordable price. Get an instant quote now.
Expert sources
Main Image Credit: logopop / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
