Florida Lawn Mowing Guide
Florida lawns barely slow down: in Central and South Florida you mow essentially year-round, and the dominant grass, St. Augustine, wants one of the highest cuts of any common turf. Scalp it and you trade a green lawn for weeds and chinch bugs.
What grass do you have?
- St. Augustine: the most common Florida lawn grass; broad blades, loves heat, needs a high cut.
- Bahia: tough, deep-rooted, low-input; the choice for unirrigated yards. Tolerates sandy soil and drought.
- Centipede: slow-growing “lazy man’s grass” for acidic, sandy soils; resents low mowing and heavy feeding.
Mowing heights for Florida grasses
| Grass | Mowing height | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| St. Augustine | 3.5–4 in | For standard cultivars such as Floratam; dwarf cultivars (e.g. Seville) mow at 2–2.5 in |
| Bahia | 3–4 in | Tall seed stalks grow fast in summer. Expect frequent cuts |
| Centipede | 1.5–2 in | Don’t scalp and don’t over-fertilize, or it declines |
Florida mowing calendar
| Month | Mowing & lawn care |
|---|---|
| Jan | North FL slows; Central/South keep mowing every 1–2 weeks. |
| Feb | Light growth statewide; maintain height. |
| Mar | Growth picks up as temps rise; back to weekly mowing in the south. |
| Apr | Active growth; mow weekly. Watch for chinch bugs as it warms. |
| May | Pre-rainy-season growth; weekly cuts. |
| Jun | Summer rains drive fast growth. Mow St. Augustine weekly and Bahia and Centipede every 7–14 days, often enough to remove no more than a third of the blade. |
| Jul | Peak growth and rain; frequent mowing, sharp blade for wet grass. |
| Aug | Same: stay on top of it; bag clippings if growth outpaces mulching. |
| Sep | Still active; watch for fungal disease in humidity. |
| Oct | Growth eases with drier air; weekly mowing. |
| Nov | Slows in the north; South FL continues. |
| Dec | Minimal growth north; light mowing south. No true dormancy. |
Mowers & equipment
St. Augustine’s thick runners reward a sharp blade and a mower that won’t bog down. See our mowing height guide and best lawn mowers.
Get the full Florida plan
Lush Lawns Florida: region-specific mowing heights, seasonal timing, and lawn care for Florida (St. Augustine, Bahia, and Centipede).
Printable Florida lawn care calendar and worksheet
Two PDFs to print at home, built from the extension service publications for Florida. Each page lists the publications it draws on.
Florida Lawn Care Bundle: $5.99
The calendar and the worksheet together, $3.49 less than buying both.
Buy the bundle for $5.99Florida Lawn Care Calendar: $4.49
Find your grass on the first page, then turn to its page for when to mow, water and fertilize, with mowing heights for each grass.
Buy for $4.49Florida Lawn Planning Worksheet: $4.99
Measure your lawn, record a soil test, work out how much fertilizer to spread, test what your sprinklers put down, and log the season month by month.
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