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Lawn Care & Maintenance in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

Quick answer

Dallas-Fort Worth lawns are warm-season grasses: Bermuda in sun, St. Augustine and zoysia where there's some shade, and buffalograss for low-water areas. Fertilize during active growth from spring into late summer, mow at the right height for your grass, and water deeply on your city's allowed days. A Texas A&M soil test shows what the soil needs.

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Lawn care in Dallas-Fort Worth is warm-season lawn care. Nearly every lawn in the metro is Bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass or buffalograss. These grasses grow from spring into fall, slow down in the worst of the summer heat when water is short, and go dormant and tan after hard freezes. A good program is built around which grass you have, how much sun it gets, and your city's watering limits.

Know your grass first

  • Bermudagrass: the most common sunny-lawn grass in the metro. Heat and drought tolerant and quick to recover from wear, but it needs plenty of direct sun and thins out in shade.
  • St. Augustinegrass: the most shade-tolerant warm-season option, according to Texas A&M AgriLife. It needs more water than Bermuda or zoysia, doesn't handle heavy traffic well, and can be hurt by severe winters in North Texas.
  • Zoysiagrass: dense and fairly shade tolerant, with better wear tolerance than St. Augustine. Slow to establish and slow to recover from damage.
  • Buffalograss: a native prairie grass that needs little water or fertilizer once established. It needs full sun and doesn't take heavy traffic, so it suits low-use areas.

Cool-season grasses such as tall fescue struggle in North Texas summers and aren't a practical permanent lawn here. Some homeowners overseed dormant Bermuda with ryegrass for winter color, but check first: some cities limit or bar winter sprinkler watering, and Dallas excludes cool-season grasses from its new-landscape watering variance.

Seasonal timing

Warm-season lawns are fertilized during active growth, roughly from a few weeks after spring green-up into late summer, not in winter while they're dormant. Pre-emergent weed control is timed to soil temperatures in late winter and early fall. A company applying the same schedule to every yard, no matter the grass, is a red flag. Texas A&M AgriLife's turfgrass publications are a good check against any program you're quoted.

Mowing and watering basics

  • Remove no more than about one-third of the blade at a time.
  • Bermuda and zoysia are mowed lower; St. Augustine and buffalograss are kept taller. Mowing too short is a common cause of thin lawns.
  • Water deeply on your allowed days instead of lightly and often. Free services such as WaterMyYard, sponsored by the North Texas Municipal Water District and Texas A&M AgriLife, send weekly watering suggestions based on local weather.
  • Leave clippings on the lawn when you can.

Soil testing beats guessing

Many DFW soils are alkaline clay, and many lawns get products they don't need. The Texas A&M AgriLife Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory runs homeowner soil tests, and your county AgriLife Extension office can help with forms and sampling.

Pesticide licensing in Texas

Mowing and basic yard maintenance don't need a state license. Applying pesticides, including weed killers, to lawns, trees or shrubs for hire is a different story: the Texas Department of Agriculture says those applicators must be licensed through either its agricultural applicator program or the Structural Pest Control Service. Applying fertilizer only doesn't require a license. If your program includes weed or insect control, ask which license the company holds.

What to ask before signing up

  • What's included in each visit, and how many visits per year?
  • Is the program tailored to my grass type and soil test?
  • Who on the crew is licensed for pesticide applications?
  • How much notice do you give before treatments, and when is it safe for kids and pets?
  • Can I pause or cancel, and how is billing handled?

Ready for help in Dallas-Fort Worth? Request a lawn care company and tell us your grass type if you know it.

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How a sprinkler zone waters a lawn. Press the buttons to run each step and see what happens inside. Made with Colorfigures ·
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Frequently asked questions

What is the best grass for Dallas-Fort Worth?

It depends on sun and use. Bermuda suits full sun and heavy traffic, St. Augustine handles the most shade but needs more water, zoysia balances shade and wear tolerance, and buffalograss suits sunny, low-traffic, low-water areas.

Does a lawn care company need a license in Texas?

Mowing and fertilizing alone don't. Applying pesticides, including herbicides, to lawns, trees or shrubs for hire requires a license through the Texas Department of Agriculture or its Structural Pest Control Service.

How much should I water my lawn in summer?

Water deeply on your allowed days rather than a little every day, and follow your city's limits. Free services like WaterMyYard send weekly watering amounts based on local weather in much of North Texas.

Sources and further reading

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