# Lawn care calendar for Georgia: when to fertilize and seed

> Georgia lawn calendar by month for bermudagrass, zoysia, centipede, St. Augustine and tall fescue, with UGA timing and NOAA frost dates for Atlanta and Macon.

Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/lawn-care-calendar/georgia
Last updated: 2026-10-11

Most Georgia lawns are warm-season grasses, which grow from late spring through summer, while tall fescue lawns follow a cool-season rhythm. The University of Georgia publishes a separate monthly calendar for each grass, and the table below summarizes the two most common cases.

**Feed warm-season grasses from May through August, and tall fescue in February-March and October-November.** UGA rates May through August as the best months to fertilize bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and St. Augustinegrass, and it says to wait until the soil at 4 inches is steadily 65 F and rising. For turf-type tall fescue, the best feeding months are February, March, October and November, and October is the best month to seed. Bermudagrass seed does best from May to July. (University of Georgia Extension)

| Month | Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass | Turf-type tall fescue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Dormant; lime per soil test, any month | Mow and water as needed; lime per soil test |
| February | Crabgrass preventer (best Feb to Mar) | First feeding; crabgrass preventer; best month for sod |
| March | Preventer; no nitrogen until soil is 65 F | Feed; aerate; preventer |
| April | Mowing starts; first light feeding possible; aerate | Aerate; feeding still possible |
| May | Best months begin for feeding, aerating and seeding | No feeding; seeding is marginal |
| June | Feed, aerate, dethatch if thatch tops 1/2 inch | Water about 1 inch a week without rain |
| July | Feed and aerate; bermudagrass seed is still best | Raise the mower 1/2 inch in the heat |
| August | Feed, aerate and sod; last of the best months | No feeding or seeding; treating grassy weeds is marginal |
| September | Last feeding possible; winter weed preventer | Winter weed preventer; seeding possible |
| October | Overseed bermudagrass with ryegrass if you want winter green | Best month to seed, sod, aerate and feed |
| November | Dormant; ryegrass overseeding is still possible | Feed |
| December | Dormant; keep new sod moist | Lime per soil test; sod needs moisture |

Dates shift with the weather; follow the signs in the text.

## Which grasses grow where in Georgia

UGA lists bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and centipedegrass as adapted statewide, and St. Augustinegrass for the Coastal Plain. Tall fescue is the cool-season option, and Kentucky bluegrass also has a UGA calendar. Warm-season grasses grow best at 80 to 95 F and turn brown and dormant in winter, while cool-season grasses grow best at 60 to 75 F and may struggle in summer.

Each grass has its own rules. Centipedegrass wants only 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen a year and 1 to 2 inches of mowing height. St. Augustinegrass cannot be grown from seed and takes sod. Bermudagrass and St. Augustinegrass take 2 to 5 pounds of nitrogen a year, and zoysiagrass 2 to 3 on its calendar, though the species page says 2 to 5.

## Frost dates from NOAA

Dates are the NOAA 1991-2020 normals for the last spring and first fall 32 F freeze at 50% probability. At Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson the average last spring frost is March 15 and the average first fall frost is November 20. At Athens (Ben Epps Airport) the dates are March 23 and November 10. At Macon (Middle Georgia Regional Airport) they are March 21 and November 10, and at Albany (Southwest Georgia Regional Airport) March 8 and November 21.

Albany is the southernmost of these four stations, and its last spring frost comes a week before Atlanta's on these averages (computed from the dates).

## Spring

UGA says not to apply nitrogen in spring until the soil at 4 inches is steadily 65 F and rising, which is why the feeding window opens in April or May and not at the first warm day. Crabgrass preventer is a different matter: February and March are the best months, with April possible.

Mowing begins in April for bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and St. Augustinegrass. Mow bermudagrass at 1 to 2 inches and hybrids at 1 to 1.5 inches, zoysiagrass at 1 to 2 inches, St. Augustinegrass at 2 to 3 inches and centipedegrass at 1 to 2 inches, and raise the blade a half inch in hot weather.

## Summer

Summer is the main season for warm-season lawns. Feeding is best from May to August, aeration from May to August, and dethatching in June and July when thatch is over a half inch. Grassy weeds such as crabgrass can be treated after they emerge, from May to August, but not on drought-stressed grass.

Water about 1 inch a week if there is no rain. Tall fescue needs more help: keep it at 2 to 3 inches, raise the mower in the heat and feed only in the cool months.

## Fall

Fall splits by grass. Tall fescue is seeded at 5 to 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet and does best in October, when seeding, interseeding, sodding, aeration and feeding all peak. Do not apply winter preventer if you plan to seed, interseed or sod within 3 to 4 months.

Bermudagrass can be overseeded with 5 to 10 pounds of ryegrass per 1,000 square feet, best in October. UGA does not recommend overseeding zoysiagrass or centipedegrass with ryegrass. For winter weeds such as chickweed, September is the best month for a preventer.

## UGA Extension and soil testing

UGA Extension publishes the lawn calendars biennially in its Turfgrass Pest Control Recommendations for Professionals, and each calendar says to follow the fertilizer advice on a soil test report. Bermudagrass and tall fescue like a pH of 5.5 to 6.5, zoysiagrass 6.0 to 7.0 and centipedegrass 5.0 to 6.0, and lime can go on any month.

Soil, plant tissue and water testing is offered through county Extension offices in Georgia, and availability varies by county, so ask your local office.

## Frequently asked questions

### When should I fertilize my bermudagrass lawn in Georgia?

May through August are the best months, with April and September possible. Wait until soil at 4 inches is steadily 65 F and rising. UGA suggests 2 to 5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year.

### When should I seed a fescue lawn in Georgia?

October is the best month, with February, March, September and November possible. Use 5 to 6 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet for a new lawn and 3 to 5 pounds to interseed.

### When should I overseed bermudagrass with ryegrass in Georgia?

October is best, September and November are possible. Use 5 to 10 pounds of ryegrass seed per 1,000 square feet. UGA says not to overseed zoysiagrass this way.

### Can I grow St. Augustinegrass from seed in Georgia?

No. UGA says St. Augustinegrass cannot be established from seed, and sod goes down from April to September, best May to August.

### Can Lawnzo help me follow a Georgia lawn schedule?

Lawnzo, a lawn-care planner for iPhone, builds a seasonal plan from your grass, sun and irrigation, checks each task against the forecast and shows why it keeps, delays or skips a job. Its journal records products and photos.

## Sources (checked 2026-10-01)

- [UGA Turfgrass, Lawn Care Calendars](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/publications/Lawn_Care_Calendars.html)
- [UGA Turfgrass, Bermudagrass Lawn Calendar (PDF)](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/content/dam/caes-subsite/georgiaturf/docs/pcrp2024/2024_Bermudagrass_Calendar.pdf)
- [UGA Turfgrass, Zoysiagrass Lawn Calendar (PDF)](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/content/dam/caes-subsite/georgiaturf/docs/pcrp2024/2024_Zoysiagrass_Calendar.pdf)
- [UGA Turfgrass, Turf-Type Tall Fescue Lawn Calendar (PDF)](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/content/dam/caes-subsite/georgiaturf/docs/pcrp2024/2024_Tall_Fescue_Calendar.pdf)
- [UGA Turfgrass, Centipedegrass Lawn Calendar (PDF)](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/content/dam/caes-subsite/georgiaturf/docs/pcrp2024/2024_Centipedegrass_Calendar.pdf)
- [UGA Turfgrass, St. Augustinegrass Lawn Calendar (PDF)](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/content/dam/caes-subsite/georgiaturf/docs/pcrp2024/2024_StAug_Calendar.pdf)
- [UGA Turfgrass, Species (warm-season and cool-season)](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/turfgrass-species.html)
- [UGA Turfgrass, Bermudagrass species page](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/turfgrass-species/warm-season-turfgrass/bermudagrass.html)
- [UGA Turfgrass, Centipedegrass species page](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/turfgrass-species/warm-season-turfgrass/centipedegrass.html)
- [UGA Turfgrass, St. Augustinegrass species page](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/turfgrass-species/warm-season-turfgrass/staugustinegrass.html)
- [UGA Turfgrass, Zoysiagrass species page](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/turfgrass-species/warm-season-turfgrass/zoysiagrass.html)
- [UGA Turfgrass, Tall Fescue species page](https://turf.caes.uga.edu/turfgrass-species/cool-season-turfgrass/tall-fescue.html)
- [UGA Extension, Lawn Care and Landscaping (topic index)](https://extension.uga.edu/topic-areas/lawn-garden-landscapes/lawn-care-landscaping.html)
- [UGA Extension, Soil and Water Testing Services](https://extension.uga.edu/programs-services/detail/42/HORTICULTURAL_ENVIRONMENTAL_TESTING_SERVICES.html)
- [NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals: frost dates for Atlanta, Athens, Macon and Albany (API query)](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-annualseasonal-1991-2020&stations=USW00013874,USW00013873,USW00003813,USW00013869&dataTypes=ANN-TMIN-PRBLST-T32FP50,ANN-TMIN-PRBFST-T32FP50&format=json)
- [NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (product page)](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/land-based-station/us-climate-normals)
- [NOAA NCEI, station inventory (GHCN-Daily station list)](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/ghcn/daily/ghcnd-stations.txt)