Spring in Augusta includes a countdown to the Masters Tournament, and you may feel a similar countdown to your first mow of spring. Our Spring Lawn Care Checklist should help you to get your lawn all set up for that first mow and so that it thrives through the summer heat.
While you might feel pressure to get your yard looking like the fairways on Washington Road, rushing into lawn care can hurt your grass more than it helps.
Augusta winters are mild, but they still send our warm-season grasses like bermudagrass and Zoysia into dormancy. Your lawn needs time to wake up properly before you hit it with nitrogen fertilizer or aggressive mowing.
In this article, I’ll detail 10 spring lawn care tasks to set your grass up for success all year long.
1. Inspect your lawn mower and other tools
Aim to get your lawn mower serviced in late February or early March to beat the rush at local repair shops. Augusta’s warm-season grasses usually do not need regular mowing until they start greening up in April, so this window lets you fix problems without stressing new growth.
How to prepare your lawn tools:
- Sharpen or replace lawn mower blades, tighten loose bolts, and make sure the deck sits level across the width.
- Change the engine oil, air filter, and spark plug on gas mowers; follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule for spring.
- Clean and lightly oil hand tools, check cords and safety switches, and store everything together for quick access.
Read more: Best Lawn Mower Maintenance Practices
2. Clean up winter debris
Start cleaning up winter debris on your lawn in late February or early March. Over the winter, layers of pine straw and leaves accumulate, suffocating your grass and inviting lawn pests or fungal diseases. Clearing this mess allows the soil to warm up for spring growth.
Rake leaves, pine straw, and small branches into piles for weekly pickup.
Good to know: Raking also helps to minimize thatch buildup. A thin layer of thatch acts as mulch and benefits the lawn. But once thatch exceeds one-half inch thick, it becomes an attractive place for lawn diseases and pests to overwinter.
Important: Avoid mowing wet soil. After winter rains, soggy ground becomes compacted by mower wheels, suffocating grass roots and creating deep ruts. Wait until soil firms up — typically 24 to 48 hours after rain — before mowing to prevent soil damage and equipment strain.
Augusta yard waste pickup schedule: Yard waste is collected weekly with garbage and recycling. Limit debris to 10 cubic yards per collection day, with individual items no longer than 5 feet. Place yard waste in paper Kraft bags or 32-gallon containers — not plastic bags.
3. Test your soil
Test your soil in early spring (late February to early March) before green-up (if you didn’t test your soil in fall).
Augusta soils vary from sandy loam near the river to heavy red clay in West Augusta. You cannot guess what nutrients your lawn needs. Applying the wrong fertilizer wastes money and might harm your grass.
At-home soil tests are available, but these won’t reveal as much about your soil as a laboratory soil test will. You can take your soil sample to the Richmond County Extension Office at 501 Greene Street. The extension office charges $8 for a basic test. The report takes about 7 to 10 days.
Good to know: UGA Extension recommends performing a soil test in the fall (September to November), when soil pH and nutrient levels are at their lowest points, to obtain the most representative readings of your growing season conditions.
Read more: How to Soil Test Your Lawn
4. Treat lawn diseases
As Augusta warms up in March and April, fluctuating temperatures and frequent spring showers create perfect conditions for fungal infections. Lawn diseases often become active right alongside your grass, threatening to ruin your home’s curb appeal.
While many fungicides work best when applied preventatively in the fall, spot-treating active outbreaks of lawn diseases now can save your grass from extensive damage. Watch closely for discolored circles or thinning patches as your warm season grass begins to green up.
Here are some common spring lawn diseases:
- Spring dead spot: Symptoms appear as bleached patches as bermudagrass greens up. Fungicides are ineffective now; apply them in October. Focus on proper fertilization to encourage recovery this spring.
- Dollar spot: Look for silver-dollar-sized spots when daytime temperatures reach 60 degrees to 85 degrees with high humidity and extended leaf wetness. Maintain adequate nitrogen levels based on your soil report to help your lawn outgrow this infection.
- Large patch: Infections occur in fall and early spring when soil temperatures stay between 50 and 70 degrees. Spring patches fill in naturally as temperatures warm.
Note: If you suspect an lawn disease infection, contact the county Extension Office for a proper diagnosis before applying chemicals to ensure effective treatment.
Good to know: Healthy lawns are less susceptible to disease than unhealthy lawns.
5. Prevent weeds
Weeds love the mild Augusta spring. The best defense is a pre-emergent herbicide. This creates a barrier in the soil that stops weed seeds from germinating. Timing is important for this step.
You need to apply pre-emergent herbicides before the soil temperature consistently reaches 55 degrees. In our area this usually happens in late February or early March. A good local indicator is the blooming forsythia bushes. When you see their yellow flowers it is time to apply your pre-emergent weed blocker.
If you wait until you see the weeds it is too late for prevention. You will need to apply a post-emergent herbicide instead
Here are some common spring weeds in Augusta include:
- Crabgrass: Coarse light green clumps appear in summer. Apply a crabgrass preventer with prodiamine in late February or dig out small seedlings by hand before they develop seed heads.
- Henbit: Square stems with purple flowers appear in early spring. Pull henbit easily by hand in moist soil or treat with broadleaf herbicides containing 2,4-D during active growth.
Read more: When to Apply Pre- and Post-Emergent Weed Control in Georgia
6. Control lawn pests
Insects become active as the soil warms up in April and May. Some lawn pests are a nuisance while others cause physical damage to grass roots. Check for these lawn pests if you see irregular brown patches that do not improve with water. Treat only if you confirm their presence because these treatments also can harm or kill beneficial insects.
You should check for fire ants foraging near the surface. Grubs and mole crickets can also damage grass roots in Augusta.
- Mole crickets: Tunneling ridges appear in late spring (May to June). Flush with soapy water to identify. Apply insecticides like bifenthrin in June or July when young nymphs are close to the soil surface.
- Fire ants: Reddish mounds appear when temperatures reach 65 to 90 degrees. Spread hydramethylnon bait starting in April, or dust individual mounds with acephate for quick control within days. Verify soil temperature at 1-inch depth is 70 to 95 degrees for best results.
Read more: Guide to Using Pesticides on Your Lawn
7. Check sprinklers and start watering
Augusta averages about 4 to 5 inches of rain per month in spring, often reducing the need for supplemental irrigation until later in the season. Relying on natural rainfall early encourages grass to grow deeper roots in search of moisture.
Turning your sprinkler system on too early invites fungal diseases like large patch and wastes water. Instead, watch your lawn: If footprints remain visible after walking on the grass, it is time to water.
Check your sprinkler system in March to get it ready for summer heat:
- Inspect and adjust the sprinkler heads: Turn on each zone one at a time to look for broken heads, clogged nozzles, or sprays that point at pavement instead of grass.
- Water at the right time: Water between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. This cuts down on water loss to evaporation and keeps grass leaves from staying wet too long.
- Measure how much water your system puts out: Aim for about 1 inch of water per week total, counting rain and sprinkler water together. Water in one or two deep sessions instead of many light sessions.
Warning: If you use a standard sprinkler system Augusta has outdoor watering restrictions. You can water your lawn only between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. Your street address (odd or even house number) determines which days you can water.
Call Augusta Utilities or check its website to find out your specific watering days.
8. Know when to mow
In Augusta, your warm-season grass needs to be fully green and actively growing, usually by mid-to-late April, before the first cut. Mowing too early or too short damages the grass roots and encourages weeds to invade.
A good general rule is to wait until your grass is roughly one-third taller than its ideal height before mowing.
Once you start, stick to the “one-third rule”: Never cut off more than one-third of the grass blade at a time. This reduces stress on the plant and encourages your lawn to grow thick and dense rather than tall and thin.
- Bermudagrass: Start mowing when it reaches 2 inches. Maintain its height at 1 to 1.5 inches by mowing every 5 to 7 days.
- Zoysiagrass: Start mowing when it reaches 2.5 inches. Maintain a height of 1 to 2 inches by mowing every 7 to 10 days.
- Centipedegrass: Start mowing when it reaches 2.5 inches. Maintain your lawn at 1 to 2 inches by cutting your grass every 10 to 14 days.
- St. Augustinegrass: Start mowing when it reaches 4 inches. Maintain a height of 2 to 3 inches by mowing every 7 to 10 days.
Read more:
Month-to-Month Lawn Care Calendar for Georgia
4 Best Grass Types for Augusta
Fall Lawn Care Checklist for Augusta
9. Dethatching, aeration, and overseeding
The best time to dethatch, aerate, or overseed your Augusta lawn is late spring or early summer (late May through June) when the grass is fully green and growing vigorously. Wait until soil temperatures consistently reach 65 degrees to ensure your grass can recover quickly from the damage.
If you dethatch, aerate, or overseed too soon, while your lawn is still waking up from winter dormancy, the grass roots cannot recover, and weeds will immediately take over the open soil. A good rule of thumb is to wait until you have mowed your grass at least twice.
Warning: If your lawn looks healthy and water soaks in easily, you can likely skip these chores this year.
- Dethatching: Use a vertical mower in late May if the spongy layer of dead grass exceeds one-half inch. This removes debris so water and fertilizer can reach the soil.
- Aeration: Core aerate in late spring to break up compacted Augusta clay soil. This opens up the soil, allowing oxygen, water, and nutrients to reach deep grass roots.
- Overseeding or sodding: Fill bare spots in late May. Note that many residential lawns (like hybrid bermuda or Zoysia) require sod or plugs rather than seed to match correctly.
Read more:
How to Dethatch Your Lawn
Why, When, and How to Aerate Your Lawn
How to Overseed a Lawn
10. Fertilize
Warm-season grasses do not need fertilizer until they are fully green. Wait until soil temperatures reach around 65 degrees. This is usually in May for the Augusta area. Use the results from your soil test to choose the right fertilizer.
Good to know: Centipedegrass prefers low nitrogen, while bermudagrass needs more nitrogen to stay thick. Apply the fertilizer evenly using a spreader. Sweep any granules off the driveway or sidewalk to prevent runoff into storm drains.
Watering your lawn after applying fertilizer helps move the nutrients into the soil where the roots can access them.
Read more: How to Fertilize Your Lawn
Too much work? Hire a Lawn Love lawn care pro
From mowing to removing thatch, getting your yard ready for spring can take hours of hard work. Maybe you don’t have the time or the dethatcher looks too complicated to start, so call a lawn care expert for help.
Lawn Love’s Augusta lawn care pros make it easy to get your grass green and healthy without lifting a finger.
Read next:
The Best Grass Seed for Georgia Lawns
What Zone is Georgia for Planting?
Main Image: Lawn mowed by a Lawn Love pro in Augusta, GA. Illustration by Amy Stenglein / Lawn Love
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