How To Grow A Green Lawn In North Texas

a healthy green lawn
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Here in North Texas, growing a green and healthy lawn can be quite a challenge. From hail to freezes to snow to drought to heatwaves to lawn pests to blight, it seems like our area is dead set on doing everything it can to ruin your nice green grass. If you don’t keep on it all year long, you’ll wind up with a dead yard. The good news is that there are a few things you can do on your own to keep your grass healthy and defend your lawn and landscaping from pests like grasshoppers and chinch bugs. If you find you can’t keep up with the ever-changing weather here in Texas, you can also consider opting for professional lawn care services.

Most Common Grass In North Texas Used In Lawns

The most common grass in the North Texas area is Bermuda grass. This grass is popular in our area because it’s highly drought tolerant and comparatively cold-tolerant. That means Bermuda grass is a lower-maintenance grass that requires less work than other grass types in the North Texas area.

Bermuda grass goes dormant as soon as the nights get cold, so you can expect your lawn to stop growing and even turn brown when the outside temperature falls below freezing. However, don’t worry about your grass – Bermuda will spring right back up as soon as winter is over. The only major issue with this grass is that it cannot grow in the shade. So if you have lots of trees, you might be better off going with a more shade-tolerant variety like St. Augustine.

Tips To Care For Your Lawn In North Texas

Caring for your lawn is going to depend a lot on the kind of grass you have. For example, if you have Bermuda, you’ll be spending lots of time trimming trees and shrubs to give it sufficient sun. If you have St. Augustine, you’ll be putting in some hours watering it and protecting it from pests. St. Augustine’s low drought tolerance may require you to opt for lawn care services to keep it healthy. If you want to tackle your yard yourself, however, take measures like:

  • Install a sprinkler system and water according to your grass type.
  • Keep your lawn trimmed short to discourage pest activity.
  • Make sure your soil has plenty of organic matter and nutrients.
  • Fix drainage issues to prevent your grass from drowning in puddles.
  • Keep shade trees and shrubs trimmed back as far as possible to allow lots of sun.

Pests That Can Infest North Texas Lawns

Keeping pests away from your lawn is another big thing you can do to protect your yard. Common area pests to watch out for include:

  • Chinch Bugs: Chinch bugs damage grasses and shrubs by sucking the fluids out of these plants. A bad enough chinch bug infestation can easily dehydrate your lawn and landscaping to death. 
  • Grasshoppers: Grasshoppers can destroy your lawn by eating all its leaves. Grass blades, shrub leaves, and even veggie leaves are all vulnerable to these little hopping pests. 
  • Stink Bugs: Stink bugs are more of a problem for shrubs and gardens. These stinky insects will eat just about anything – from fruits and veggies to leaves and even flowers. That means stink bugs can damage all your flowering or fruiting trees.
  • Voles: Voles are a type of underground rodent that loves to eat roots. These tiny rodents can devastate grasses and shrubs by feasting on their root systems from underground. 

How Lawn Care Can Help With North Texas Lawns

Keeping lawn pests out of your yard can be a huge hassle. That’s why professional lawn care services can be the most convenient and sometimes even the most cost-effective option. Here at Shoop’s Texas Termite & Pest Control, we provide the ultimate headache-free lawn care services at equally headache-free prices. So visit our contact page or give us a call to get started today!