Texas Lawn Care: How to Have a Healthy Yard
Lawn envy is real. As Texans, we take pride in our state and in our landscape. There is a special sense of accomplishment when your yard stays soft and green, even through tests and trials from Mother Nature. Let us help you achieve your lawn care goals with these tips and products for creating a healthy lawn.
How do I take care of my lawn?
Texas lawn care can be broken down to these key steps:
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Weed Control
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Fertilizing
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Watering
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Maintenance
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Pest & Disease Control
Creating a healthy lawn does take some upkeep, but it is easy with great products and quality ingredients. First, figure out what type of grass you have in your Texas lawn. Knowing if you have grass like St. Augustine, Bermuda, Zoysia, etc. is key in knowing the direction of care.
Soil tests are available to determine the true needs of your lawn. Also, figure out the proper square footage of your yard. When you know the size of your yard, you will know how much product you will need for the proper application.
How do I fix my yard full of weeds?
An important step in Texas lawn care is weed control. This is the perfect time of year to get started. At Calloway’s and Cornelius, we have many different products to help all phases of proper weed control for your lawn in Houston, Texas, Dallas, Texas or any Texas lawn.
Control your weeds directly with ready-to-spray formulas or spreadable granules that attack the weed at the root. There are organic options for your Texas lawn care, plus pre- and post-emergent control. Fight weeds like crabgrass, dandelions, and chickweed. Suppress growth, prevent new growth, and give your grass access to thriving success. For all herbicide weed control methods, avoid using grass clippings for mulching around vegetables and fruit trees.
What is the difference between Pre-emergent vs. Post-emergent control?
Pre-emergents prevent new weed growth and is step one in your lawn care. It puts a barrier in the soil so weed seeds won’t germinate. With each application, it becomes more effective in preventing weeds in your Texas lawn. Pre-emergents should generally be applied in spring and in early fall and are an important component in your do-it-yourself lawn care services.
A fantastic choice for weed prevention for your Dallas Lawn is Bonide® Crabgrass & Weed Preventer with Dimension®. It can be used on cool season and warm season grasses. Dimension® is a selective turf and landscape herbicide that prevents the emergence of undesirable weeds. It controls crabgrass, foxtail, and many other weeds in established lawns. Bonide® Crabgrass & Weed Preventer with Dimension® can also provide post-emergent control of seedling crabgrass and is effective for up to 4 weeks after crabgrass has germinated. For the best results in your Texas lawn care, apply a few days after mowing. The product will become activated by rainfall or irrigation and it is a great tool for your do-it-yourself lawn care services. For your Houston weed prevention, use Nitro-Phos Barricade®. Nitro-Phos Barricade® contains a selective turf and landscape herbicide that prevents the emergence of undesirable weeds.
Another option for pre-emergent weed control in your lawn care is ferti-lome® Broadleaf Weed Control with Gallery®. Gallery® is a pre-emergent herbicide to control broadleaf weeds from developing. Apply before the targeted weeds can germinate in early spring and early fall. It is recommended for use in established cool and warm season grasses like Bermuda, Ryegrass, and Zoysia.
Post-emergents kill visible weeds, but do not prevent new weeds from germinating. They are a good choice for battling broadleaf weeds, like dandelions and grassy weeds. Always check the label before applying to your lawn and make sure it is safe for the type of grass you have in your Texas lawn. Some post-emergents should not be used on St. Augustine lawns.
Get direct contact in your lawn care with each weed through a spray application. Try these products known for their post-emergent performance. Weed Beater® Ultra, available in ready to use and concentrate, has superior cool weather performance. Excellent post-emergent control of broadleaf weeds, and it is highly selective of established cool and warm season grasses. It will help beat the weeds, not your lawn.
Weed Beater® Southern Lawns RTS covers up to 20,000 sq. ft. The formula comes with a ready to spray, hose-end sprayer, all you need is water. Simply connect hose and start applying to your Texas lawn. Use on St. Augustine, Bahia, Bent, Bermuda, Centipede, and Zoysia grass.
Get pre-emergent and post-emergent control for do-it-yourself lawn care services with Bonide® Weed Beater Complete. Bonide® Weed Beater Complete is a highly selective herbicide to help control sedges, annual grass, and broadleaf weeds. Prevent new weeds from germinating and suppress the growth of visible weeds. For best results, apply on a damp lawn and wait 48 hours to water. Use a rotary spreader to apply granular fertilizers. For easy lawn service and care, we have free loaner tools available for use.
For the best results, the Application Rates for North Texas are:
- St. Augustine: 4.36lbs/1,000 SQ FT (2,200 SQ FT per bag)
- Bermuda: 5.74lbs/1,000 SQ FT (1,800 SQ FT per bag)
Need a spreader for your next lawn & garden project? Maybe a sod plugger for those bare patches in your lawn? Calloway’s and Cornelius Nursery will loan you, free of charge, a spreader or plugger to complete your garden project. A refundable deposit is required. See your local Calloway’s or Cornelius Nursery for details.
A spray option for excellent pre-emergent and post-emergent control is Bonide® Sedge Ender®. For pre-emergent applications, use the concentrate or ready to spray formulas with hose-end sprayers. Spray the entirety of your lawn until covered. For post-emergent control, spray the weed directly until covered.
How can I control weeds in a natural and organic way?
Looking for natural ways to control weed growth in your Texas lawn?
An organic post-emergent option is AgraLawn Crabgrass Killer. Tough name, tough product, but it is safe to use around people and pets. Crabgrass Killer is most effective if weeds are wet. Apply directly to weed and allow the dust to cover it fully.
How do I make my lawn green in Texas?
Healthy, green lawns need a healthy soil. Feeding your soil will help create a happy and healthy environment for strong and vibrant plants and lawns. Fertilizing is important to your lawn maintenance. Enhance your lawn with the proper do-it-yourself lawn care services by promoting aeration and improving the soil structure with these all-natural products.
Applying Nature’s Creation® Dried Molasses is the best way to help build beneficial soil microorganism populations. They thrive and are strengthened by its high sugar and carbon content. Nature’s Creation® Fungicide with Corn Meal Horticultural Grade is a natural fungicide that fights soil-borne diseases such as brown patches. Nature’s Creation® Lava Sand is a rock material used in landscaping as a soil amendment. When added to clay soils it modifies the soil structure by separating microscopic clay particles and it is great for moisture retention. Nature’s Creation® Tejas GreenSand is a natural soil amendment mined from areas under water millions of years ago. It is a great source for iron and helps condition the soil. Nature’s Creation® Expanded Shale is a natural soil amendment that loosens compacted soil, improves both aeration and drainage plus assists in retaining moisture. The results are healthier and more extensive root systems in lawns, beds, gardens, and container grown plants.
Calloway’s Premium Lawn Food is preferred for new lawns that have been fed less than three times. Our specialized formula is ideal for proper lawn maintenance, it includes Sure Release, Fx Iron®, and Aqua Turf®. Sure Release allows for season long feeding, with a slow release cycle that will last for weeks beyond most fertilizers. Fx Iron® is an environmentally friendly source of iron. It helps keep your grass green without staining concrete surfaces. With Aqua Turf, you can ensure better water penetration into the soil. Aqua Turf Improves plant root-zone moisture capability and soil drainage allowing water to work more effectively. Your lawn will use less water and maintain consistent growth. Our 21-5-10 formula provides your lawn with triple controlled release nitrogen, trace elements, and iron to establish strong roots with lasting, green color. This lawn food is specially blended for Texas lawns, with a precise mix of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients recommended by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
For do-it-yourself lawn care services in established lawns, Calloway’s Premium Lawn Food Phosphorus Free has similar ingredients to our Calloway’s Premium Lawn Food except it is phosphorus free. It is the ideal fertilizer for lawn maintenance and established lawns that have been fed three or more times, with extra iron to create a deep emerald green. For ideal lawn care, the 21-0-0 formula contains triple controlled release nitrogen, as well as vital iron and micronutrients. Our phosphorus free formula was carefully developed by Calloway’s Nursery Professionals according to the exacting standards of Texas A&M AgriLife Earth-Kind® recommendations.
To fertilize in a natural and organic way, Calloway’s Natural Lawn & Garden Food is our best natural fertilizer for your lawn care! Ideal for lawns, flowerbeds, vegetables, fruits, trees, and shrubs, Natural Lawn & Garden Food is the perfect fertilizer for an organic landscape. With a 10-3-1 formula containing Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Soluble Potash to help produce better results for your lawn. It contains COFFEE-K™, an activated organic matter product made with GeoJava’s™ real coffee grounds. Infused with Sigma Agriscience Biologicals™ to create a living environment for beneficial microorganisms to flourish! Increases soil organic matter, provides beneficial fungi and bacteria, and promotes organic Chelation of iron.
Making sure your soil is full of every nutrient is essential. Azomite® has natural trace minerals and micronutrients that your plants crave. This natural mineral fertilizer is easy and safe to use, plus it’s good for the environment. Spreading Azomite® on your lawn and flowerbeds re-mineralizes the soil for optimum growth. It improves root systems, yields, and overall plant health. It spreads easily on lawns, flowerbeds and vegetable gardens and is a natural way to add extra vitality. Made for all soil types and it even has the OMRI seal which assures it is compliant with organic standards. Mined directly from the Utah desert.
When should I start watering my lawn?
Do-it-yourself lawn care services and lawn maintenance is important to creating the best lawn that you can! First, watering is vital to your lawn care services. A typical Dallas lawn, Houston lawns, and most Texas lawns need at least 1 inch of water per week from rainfall or a sprinkler system. Make sure the water is soaking into the soil as opposed to running down the street. Watering early in the day reduces evaporation and is normally compliant with many city regulations.
Other do-it-yourself lawn services or care services needed for a brag-worthy lawn is mowing. Mow as frequently as needed to keep up with growth and proper lawn maintenance. The blade on your lawn mower should be sharp and you should cut no more than 1/3 of the grass leaf surface.
How can I control disease and pests with my Texas lawn care?
Take your do-it-yourself Texas lawn care services a bit further with disease and pest control. BioAdvanced Complete Insect Killer is a ready-to-spray 2 way formula. It will attack those harmful pests like ants, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and grubs and it will keep working for 3 months after the application. This product is ideal for soil and turf use.
Bonide® Infuse™ Lawn & Landscape is a systemic fungicide for turf and ornamentals. It also prevents and controls diseases of plants, groundcovers, and trees and shrubs. Use on cool and warm season grasses like Bentgrass, Bluegrass, St. Augustine, Zoysia, and more. Apply in dry or moist conditions. Activate the application with irrigation or rainfall within 24 hours. Use this great product as a prevention method or treat when first signs of disease appear.
For control of plant diseases in your Texas lawn care, Bonide® Fung-onil™ is a multi-purpose fungicide. It controls diseases like leaf spots, rust, fruit rots, mildew, molds, and scabs. Spray your vegetable plants, fruit trees, flowers, shrubs, and shade trees. Use for complete protection and lawn care.
Creating a healthy and vibrant Texas lawn is possible with lawn care! With quality ingredients and the tools for success, you can make your neighbors green with envy when they see your gorgeous lawn! Give your family the best lawn with help from Calloway’s and Cornelius! Stop by our store nearest you today for all your lawn care needs. Check out our location in Dallas, Texas on Greenville or our other 18 locations in the DFW. We have 3 locations in the Houston area, including our new store in Sugar Land, open now! Make us your home for your do-it-yourself lawn care services and needs.
Let us plant for you! Try our landscaping services for your design needs! Our landscaping services design team will create the garden of your dreams! Learn more about creating your perfect landscape with our design & landscaping services at our Garden Services page here!
