Southeast Lawn Mowing Guide
The Southeast sits in the transition zone, so your first mow of the year depends on your latitude as much as the calendar: coastal Georgia greens up weeks before the Carolina foothills. Warm-season grasses dominate, and humid spring and fall weather makes mowing height and timing a disease-prevention tool, not just a cosmetic choice.
What grass do you have?
- Bermuda: full-sun workhorse for lawns and sports fields.
- Zoysia: dense, slow, and shade-tolerant; a low-maintenance favorite.
- Centipede: for the region’s acidic clay soils; low input, low mowing.
Mowing heights for Southeast grasses
| Grass | Mowing height | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bermuda | Georgia: common 1–2 in, hybrid 1–1.5 in. North Carolina: 1–2.5 in | Lower with a reel mower: 0.75–1 in (NC State) |
| Zoysia | 1–2 in | Raise in shade |
| Centipede | 1–2 in | Keep it modest: avoid scalping and over-feeding |
Zoysia and centipede get large patch, a fungal disease active in warm, humid spring and fall weather (NC State, Clemson). Proper watering and thatch control keep it in check, and watering between 2 and 8 a.m. reduces some diseases (NC State, North Carolina).
Southeast mowing calendar
| Month | Mowing & lawn care |
|---|---|
| Jan | Dormant. No mowing. |
| Feb | Dormant. Spring pre-emergent goes down Feb 15–Mar 5 in South Georgia and Mar 1–20 in North Georgia (UGA); mid-February to early March in North Carolina (NC State); mid-February on the coast and in central South Carolina, mid-March in the piedmont and mountains (Clemson). |
| Mar | Green-up begins on the coast; first mow as color returns. |
| Apr | Inland green-up; mow weekly as growth establishes. |
| May | Active growth statewide; weekly cuts. |
| Jun | Heat and humidity: mow every 5–7 days; watch for fungal disease. |
| Jul | Peak season; raise the deck slightly. Water after sunset and before sunrise in Georgia (UGA), or between 2 and 8 a.m. in North Carolina (NC State). |
| Aug | Hot and humid; maintain raised height, sharp blade. |
| Sep | Growth continues. Large patch becomes active again on zoysia and centipede as soil cools to 70°F, usually late September to early October; where it comes back every year, apply a preventive fungicide then (NC State, Clemson). |
| Oct | Strong fall growth; weekly mowing. |
| Nov | Growth slows; last mow late month (earlier inland). |
| Dec | Dormant. Cleanup and rest. |
Mowers & equipment
See our mowing height guide and best lawn mowers for equipment suited to warm-season turf.
Get the full Southeast plan
Lush Lawns Southeast: region-specific mowing heights, seasonal timing, and lawn care for the Southeast (Bermuda, Zoysia, and Centipede).
Printable Southeast lawn care calendar and worksheet
Two PDFs to print at home, built from the extension service publications for the Southeast. Each page lists the publications it draws on.
Southeast Lawn Care Bundle: $5.99
The calendar and the worksheet together, $3.49 less than buying both.
Buy the bundle for $5.99Southeast 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 $4.49Southeast 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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