March Warm Season Lawn Tips for 2022

Hillary Thompson

Apr 30, 2024 6 min read

Not much going on in this department since your Bermuda, Zoysia, and Centipede lawns are still dormant. In the warmest regions of AL, GA, NC, and SC, your lawns may start waking up toward the end of March.

If you didn't apply pre-emergent last September to control the winter weeds you're seeing now, you'll want to scroll down to read the section about weeding.

Fertilizing Tips for Warm Season Lawns

Yes, it's another "what not to do" section about fertilizing for this March's tips. Hang tight because in late April you'll probably be able to fertilize again.

Whatever you do, don't apply nitrogen this time of year when your warm season lawn is dormant. It's still time to rest. Avoid "weed and feed" and "winterizer" product marketing - these products usually contain nitrogen and nitrogen will push growth during a time that can cause cold damage to your lawn.
Likewise, hold off aerating warm season lawns until they fully green up in the spring.

Mower Tips for Warm Season Lawns

Nothing to mow this month, unless you need to mow any winter weeds that are thriving.

If you're eager to be out on your lawn bonding with it, you can at least wake up your mower.

Start by cleaning off plant debris from last year.
Did you drain the gas last fall? If not, you'll need to address getting your mower started again - if it won't start, now's a good time to take it to the shop for some carburetor work before everyone else takes in theirs.
Inspect your mower blades. Do they need sharpening? (They probably do.) You can take off the blades and take them to be sharpened or you can buy new ones if they're that bad.

Weeding

Right now, the best solution for winter weeds is pulling them by hand. This may not be what you want to hear. Happily, there is hope for preventing a weedy infestation next winter and Clare explains the steps in Tackling Winter Weeds.
If you have a bad infestation and don't want this to happen again, sign up for Lawn Coach and we'll mail you pre-emergent herbicide in September to prevent winter weeds from germinating next year.
Mow your weeds. If you didn't apply pre-emergent in September to stop the weeds you're seeing now (such as chickweed and annual poa), mow those weeds down. Or, turn on your robotic mower to do the mowing/weeding for you when you'd rather not be out in the cold.
Post-emergent herbicide in Warm Season lawns: Weather permitting, you can apply post-emergent liquid herbicides like Quincept and 3-Way Max for weeds you can see now in established warm season lawns. These post-emergents work best above 65 degrees so they will work if we have any other extended warm spells like we did in December. Read the label and follow instructions.
Mulch suppresses winter weeds in flower beds. Spread your favorite mulch 2-4" thick and keep it 1-2" away from touching the trunks or stems of your plants. Rake/blow leaves off your lawn and into your beds and natural areas rather than bagging them.
Hairy bittercress is rampant right now and getting big! Learn about this common lawn weed and how to stop it: March Weed of the Month: Hairy Bittercress