Home to the Alamo, the Spurs and the beautiful River Walk, San Antonio is one of our favorite places in good ol’ Texas. After giving you the lay of the land for lawn care in San Diego, we’re moving on to this city in the Lone Star State. Read on for answers to all your grass- and yard-related questions!
Know your soil
Step one to San Antonio lawn care (and lawn care anywhere, incidentally) is knowing what type of soil sits under your grass. You’ll find clay soil in much of the region, though it never hurts to perform a soil test or consult a professional to double check. This will also give you an idea of your ground’s health—if it has sub-optimal pH levels, for example, you’ll know that you need to add nutrients through compost and other organic materials.
Work with good grass
There are two things to consider when it comes to grass in San Antonio: its compatibility with the local climate, and its drought-resistance. Buffalo grass is native to the region and requires relatively little water, but it’s prone to weed infestation over time. If you have Buffalo grass, you’ll want to use herbicides to prevent weeds from sprouting.
Bermuda grass is an ever better option; it’s almost as drought-tolerant as Buffalo grass and much easier to maintain. Bermuda grass grows best in the full sun, so home owners with more shade in their yards might want to check out Zoysia grass instead. This variety can tolerate some shade, and it’s also quite good at resisting weeds.
These aren’t your only grass options in San Antonio—St. Augustine and Floratam are other popular types in the region—but they’re some of the most eco-friendly, as they require less water than other varieties. Of course, if you’re not sure which grass is best for your lawn, it’s always best to consult a lawn care specialist.
Growing and maintaining your lawn
Building a solid foundation is only half of the equation; once your San Antonio lawn is green and healthy, you’ll want to keep it that way. That means having a battle plan when it comes to watering, fertilizing, mowing and controlling weeds.
Your lawn needs 1 to 2 inches of water per week (see our definitive guide to watering your lawn for more information). No matter where you live, it’s best to set the sprinklers for early in the morning, so there’s less evaporation and consequently less wasted water.
As for fertilizing, it’s recommended to add nutrients to your grass at least once a year. If you have a warm-season grass, such as Buffalo, Bermuda, Zoysia and other popular varieties in San Antonio, it’s best to fertilize in the spring. Cool-season grass, such as Kentucky bluegrass and several varieties of fescues, does best with fertilizing in the fall. Choose a slow-release fertilizer that will deliver nutrients to your grass over time, rather than all at once.
Next up: mowing. Your grass type will affect how you mow, as blade length varies. As a rule, mow Bermuda grass when it’s 1.5 inches tall, Zoysia grass at 2 inches and Buffalo grass at 5 inches. Make sure you never cut more than one third of the grass blades’ height.
Finally, keeping your lawn healthy means keeping the pests at bay. To help prevent weeds, try to minimize digging when gardening, as this can cause certain buried seeds to get more sunlight and start sprouting into unwanted plants. Using mulch (a layer of organic material such as grass clippings and compost) is another good strategy, since mulch often includes insects that will devour weed seeds.
With these tips to guide you, keeping your San Antonio lawn gorgeous is hopefully a slightly less daunting task. Want to make things even easier? Let Lawn Love take the work out of your hands entirely! Visit our San Antonio page and get a quote now!
