Spring (and Beyond) Bermuda Lawn Care in Fair Oaks Ranch: What I Wish I’d Known Five Years Ago
As I begin preparing for the next lawncare season, it occurred to me how much I’ve learned since moving here five years ago. Mostly by doing a few things at the wrong time, wondering why nothing worked, and then finally getting serious about understanding why the schedule matters. If you’re new to Bermuda in the Hill Country (or you’ve lived here forever and just enjoy comparing notes), my hope is this saves you some wasted weekends.
This post is based on a simple Bermuda spring care plan I previously pulled together for our area, but rewritten into something you can actually use as a practical “why + when” guide instead of a shopping list.
The big idea: Bermuda runs on temperature, not your calendar
Bermuda is a warm-season grass. That means it’s basically asleep in winter, then “wakes up” when conditions are right. If you try to push growth before it’s ready, you usually waste product (or worse, feed weeds). Texas A&M’s turf guidance is blunt on this: don’t apply nutrients before full spring green-up and don’t fertilize when the lawn isn’t actively growing.
So instead of thinking “March = lawn time,” think in triggers:
Soil temps drive weed germination.
Green-up and mowing confirm Bermuda is actively growing and can use nitrogen efficiently.
Rain forecasts matter because fertilizer and some pesticides can run off if you time it poorly.
Step 1 (late winter): Pre-emergent — because the best weed is the one that never shows up
What it is
A pre-emergent herbicide forms a barrier in the upper soil layer that stops many weed seeds (crabgrass is the classic one) from establishing after they germinate.
Why timing is everything
Pre-emergent doesn’t kill existing weeds. It prevents new ones. If you put it down late, you can still get a lawn full of problems—just slightly delayed.
Texas A&M notes that crabgrass germination timing varies across the state, with earlier timing in warmer regions, and the practical takeaway is: apply before germination and avoid pairing pre-emergent applications with a bunch of nitrogen if your Bermuda isn’t actively growing yet.
When to apply (for our area)
Use soil temperature as your trigger, not a date on the calendar. The common rule of thumb is when soil temps are holding around the mid-50s Fahrenheit for several days, weed seeds start waking up. Practically, this often lands around late February into early March in South-Central Texas, but don’t treat that as gospel—watch the soil temp trend.
A “novice mistake” I made
I used to think, “If I’m early, I’m safe.” Not necessarily. Too early and you can lose effectiveness before the real germination window—especially if you get heavy rain events or you don’t water it in properly.
Step 2 (green-up / early spring): Fertilizer — feed the grass only when the grass is awake
The Bermuda rule: nitrogen drives the show
For an established Bermuda lawn, nitrogen is the primary driver of growth and color. Texas A&M guidance for Bermuda emphasizes modest, controlled nitrogen rates and timing it when Bermuda is actively growing.
A widely used extension guideline is: don’t exceed about 0.5 to 1.0 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per application. It’s enough to push growth without turning your lawn into a high-maintenance science project.
When to apply
A very usable “real life” trigger from Texas extension guidance is: after the lawn has been mowed twice (meaning Bermuda is growing, not just weeds). That tends to line up roughly with several weeks after the average last frost, but the mowing trigger is the part that keeps you honest.
Why you don’t fertilize early
If Bermuda isn’t actively growing, it can’t take up much of what you apply. That increases the odds the nutrients either feed weeds, wash away, or leach below where the roots can use them. Texas A&M explicitly warns against fertilizing when Bermuda is dormant or heading into dormancy.
The three numbers on the bag: N-P-K (and why you should care)
If you’ve ever stared at a label like 15-5-10 and thought “that looks… scientific,” here’s what it actually means.
Those three numbers are the percent by weight of:
N = Nitrogen
P = Phosphorus (as phosphate)
K = Potassium (as potash)
So a 15-5-10 fertilizer is 15% nitrogen, 5% phosphorus, 10% potassium.
Nitrogen (N): top growth, color, density
Bermuda is basically all leaf blade. Nitrogen supports vigorous leafy growth and green color. Too little and the lawn looks thin and pale; too much and you can create excessive growth, mowing headaches, and higher disease risk—especially if you push it during stress.
When higher N makes sense: spring and early summer when Bermuda is actively growing and you’re building density.
When to back off: during extreme heat/drought stress or when the lawn is not growing actively.
Phosphorus (P): roots and establishment — usually not needed for established lawns
Phosphorus supports root development and is most helpful when you’re establishing turf or repairing significant damage.
But here’s the part that surprised me: multiple extension sources say mature/established lawns usually don’t need extra phosphorus unless a soil test shows a deficiency. Purdue’s turf guidance is direct about this, and it aligns with other extension recommendations: don’t keep applying P “just because it’s in the bag.”
Why avoid unnecessary P: phosphorus is a major contributor to water quality issues when it runs off into waterways, and there’s little upside if your soil already has enough.
Potassium (K): stress tolerance and overall resilience
Potassium is often described as the “toughness” nutrient: it supports processes tied to water regulation and stress tolerance (heat, drought, disease pressure).
When higher K can make sense: if your soil test shows low K, if you have sandy soil that doesn’t hold nutrients well, or if you’re trying to improve resilience heading into stressful periods.
Step 3 (spring): Post-emergent weed control — only if you actually need it
Once Bermuda is growing, you can address existing weeds with post-emergent herbicides. But here’s the trap: if you’re relying on post-emergent every year, it usually means the pre-emergent timing (or coverage) wasn’t dialed in.
Also, spraying weeds when temperatures are outside label ranges can lead to poor control or turf stress. The most neighborly advice I can give is: read the label temperature window and follow it, because warm-season lawns plus Texas spring weather is a recipe for “I scorched my grass” stories.
Step 4 (spring): Pests — treat preventively only when it’s rational
Fire ants
In spring, you’re usually trying to reduce colonies before they explode. Baits work best when ants are actively foraging and conditions are right (not right before heavy rain). This is one of those areas where “doing something” feels productive, but timing and method matter more than brute force.
Grubs
Grub control is the poster child for “correct timing beats everything.” Preventive treatments are aimed at the lifecycle (before hatch/early development), while curative treatments are for active infestations. If you’ve never had grub damage, don’t assume you need to treat every year—inspect and decide.
Summer rhythm: keep Bermuda healthy without turning your life into lawn maintenance
Once you’re in the growing season, Bermuda care becomes a repeating pattern:
Feed lightly and consistently rather than hammering it once.
Water deeply but not constantly (encourage deeper roots instead of shallow dependency).
Mow often enough that you’re not scalping it.
Spot treat weeds instead of carpet-bombing the whole yard.
Texas A&M notes Bermuda programs can range from 1–4 fertilizer applications per year depending on desired quality and maintenance level, and reiterates the “modest nitrogen per application” principle.
The one thing I’ll push hard: get a soil test every couple years
This is the part that feels boring until you realize it prevents years of guessing.
Texas A&M’s Bermuda calendar recommends soil testing to select the right nutrient balance and avoid unnecessary applications.
It answers questions like:
Do I actually need phosphorus?
Am I low on potassium?
Is pH part of why things don’t respond the way I expect?
And it keeps you from paying for nutrients your lawn can’t use.
A simple season-at-a-glance (not a shopping list)
In Fair Oaks Ranch / 78015, a practical Bermuda sequence looks like this:
Late winter: pre-emergent before spring weeds germinate (soil-temp driven).
Green-up: first nitrogen application only after Bermuda is actively growing (think “second mowing”).
Spring: post-emergent only where needed; watch temperature windows.
Spring: ant control as colonies become active; grub prevention only if history/risk supports it.
Summer: repeat modest nitrogen applications as needed, spaced out, and avoid feeding during severe stress.
Closing thought (from one “former lawn optimist” to another)
When we moved here, I assumed lawn care was basically: mow it, water it, fertilize it when the bag says so. Bermuda in South Central Texas has other ideas.
If you take nothing else from this, take the principle: Bermuda rewards timing and restraint. You don’t win by throwing more stuff at it. You win by putting the right category of product down at the right point in the plant’s (and the weeds’) lifecycle—and knowing what those N-P-K numbers are actually doing.
