{"id":114904,"date":"2024-09-04T14:21:18","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T17:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=114904"},"modified":"2024-10-04T21:03:56","modified_gmt":"2024-10-05T00:03:56","slug":"year-round-lawn-care-tips-crestview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/florida\/crestview-fl\/year-round-lawn-care-tips-crestview\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawn Care Tips for Crestview, Fort Walton Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>

A good lawn care regimen is the key to a great lawn. You don\u2019t want to plant new seed in the heat of the summer or fertilize dormant grass.<\/p>

Key Takeaways<\/h2>

Year-round lawn care<\/a>:<\/strong> Choose the right grass type. Mow and water as needed. Don\u2019t overfertilize, and use separate fertilizers and herbicides instead of a combined weed and feed.<\/p>

Spring lawn care<\/a>:<\/strong> Get your lawn ready for the year by sharpening your blades, applying herbicide, aerating, and fertilizing as needed.<\/p>

Summer lawn care<\/a>:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>

Fall lawn care<\/a>:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>

Winter lawn care<\/a>:<\/strong> Keep mowing, albeit less frequently. Water as needed. However, if you\u2019ve overseeded with a cool-season grass, you\u2019ll need to carry on with your normal routine. Watch for lawn diseases.<\/p>

Year-Round Lawn Care Tips: Do This All Year<\/h2>

Some lawn care advice applies to the whole year. For instance, it\u2019s never a good idea to choose the wrong grass type or mow wet grass.<\/p>

All-Year Lawn Care Task<\/strong><\/td>How You Should Do it<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Choosing the right grass<\/td>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<\/td><\/tr>
Herbicide<\/td>Use if you deal with a lot of weeds that you can\u2019t hand-pluck<\/td><\/tr>
Fertilizing<\/td>Test your soil first. Never overfertilize. Always follow the instructions on your fertilizer<\/td><\/tr>
Mowing<\/td>All year, but reduce frequency when grass grows more slowly<\/td><\/tr>
Watering<\/td>When your grass shows signs of dryness<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

Choose the Right Grass<\/h3>
\"Ground
Photo Credit: Nick Beer<\/a> \/ Adobe Stock<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Crestview and the surrounding areas are warm and humid, so warm-season grasses<\/a> thrive here.<\/p>

These Florida grasses<\/a> are common in Crestview-FWB-Destin Area\u2019s lawns:<\/p>

Grass Type<\/strong><\/td>What It\u2019s Best For<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
St. Augustinegrass<\/td>Shade<\/td><\/tr>
Zoysiagrass<\/td>Low maintenance, high disease and weed resistance; also grows in light shade<\/td><\/tr>
Bermudagrass<\/td>Heat, drought resistance, and foot traffic<\/td><\/tr>
Bahiagrass<\/td>Low maintenance and drought resistance<\/td><\/tr>
Centipedegrass<\/td>Low maintenance, weed and disease resistance. Also grows in poor soils<\/td><\/tr>
Buffalograss<\/td>Low maintenance and drought tolerance<\/td><\/tr>
Seashore paspalum<\/td>Low maintenance, drought resistance, relative traffic resistance, and salt tolerance<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

However, if you want to overseed in the fall to keep your grass green, you should use a cool-season grass<\/a> like ryegrass. This grass will then die in the spring. It\u2019s really just to keep your lawn perfectly green and dense all year.<\/p>

Don\u2019t Use Weed and Feed<\/h3>

Weed and feed products combine fertilizer and pre-emergent herbicide products into one. While this combination may seem convenient, it\u2019s a bad idea. The University of Florida<\/a> recommends not using weed and feed products because fertilizers and herbicides need to be applied at different times.<\/p>

As you\u2019ll 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.<\/p>

If you need to both fertilize and use herbicide, do so separately. Use herbicide if you deal with too many weeds that you can\u2019t hand-pluck. Otherwise, hand-plucking is better for the environment and local wildlife; it\u2019s always better not to use chemicals.<\/p>

Don\u2019t Overfertilize<\/h3>
\"Hand
Photo Credit: Vitalii<\/a> \/ Adobe Stock Free \/ License<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>

When you fertilize, you use powerful solutions that can harm the local environment or animals when used in excess. Plus, you\u2019ll only damage your grass by overfertilizing. <\/p>

Before you fertilize, test your soil. Testing your soil will help you find out if it\u2019s lacking any nutrients. Then, you can fertilize accordingly. Always ensure that you follow your fertilizer\u2019s instruction label. Read more about when to fertilize below or in our article The Best Lawn Fertilization Schedule and Tips for Florida<\/a>.<\/p>

Pro tip:<\/strong> 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<\/a>.<\/p>

Mow All Year<\/h3>

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.<\/p>

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:<\/p>