Your pre-emergent window closes this month. Here's the move.

March is a tease. We get a handful of 75-degree days and suddenly everyone wants to fertilize and mow like it’s May. Don’t do it.

Here’s what’s actually happening in the ground right now. Soil temps across our NW Austin ZIPs are sitting in the 60-68 degree range - right at the edge where your grass starts thinking about waking up but hasn’t committed yet. Bermuda shows a little green at the base, St. Augustine looks almost alive, and Zoysia is still deciding. None of them are ready to be pushed.

The most important thing you can do this month is get pre-emergent down before soil temps hit 70 degrees. That’s probably the next 2-3 weeks. Once the ground warms past that threshold, the window closes and crabgrass moves in for the summer. Pre-emergent works by forming a chemical barrier at the soil surface - it doesn’t kill existing weeds, it stops new seeds from germinating. Timing is everything.

When you do mow for the first time this season, set the deck high. For St. Augustine, that’s 3.5 to 4 inches. Bermuda, 2 to 2.5 inches. Your grass is coming out of dormancy like an athlete off the couch - it doesn’t need to sprint yet. Cutting it low right now just stresses it before it’s had a chance to build any root strength back.

Hold off on fertilizer until your lawn is at least 50% green. Fertilizing dormant or semi-dormant turf is basically money in the trash - the grass can’t use it and you’re just feeding the weeds. Mulch the beds this month if you haven’t. It holds moisture, moderates soil temps, and makes the whole yard look like someone actually cares about it.

Quick one for March:

Wells Branch MUD Community Garden has 10×20 plots available for $50 a season, lease running February through December. First-come, first-served. If you’ve been thinking about growing your own tomatoes this spring, now’s the time. Details at wellsbranchmud.com/parks-a-recreation/community-gardens

Got something happening in your neighborhood? Reply to this email and tell me. If it’s relevant to the yards and community around here, I’ll include it next month.

Those clumps of grass-looking stuff with the little white bulbs at the base? That’s wild garlic or wild onion. Both are all over NW Austin right now - in beds, along fence lines, pushing up through lawns. They’re perennials that come back every fall and spring from underground bulb clusters sitting 4 to 6 inches deep. Mowing them just trims the tops. The bulbs stay put.

March is actually one of the better months to deal with them. They’re actively growing, and you can get ahead of the next round of bulblets if you act now.

For small patches in beds, dig them out with a trowel or garden fork. The key is getting the whole bulb cluster - don’t just pull the stalks. They’ll snap and leave the bulb behind every time. Loosen the soil around the base first, then lift the whole thing out. Bag it, don’t compost it.

Consistent mowing at the right height helps slow their spread in lawns. Full eradication without chemical intervention takes 2 to 3 seasons. That’s just the honest truth.

If wild onion or garlic has spread across a significant portion of your lawn, it’s worth a professional assessment. A licensed applicator can look at your specific turf type and recommend a treatment plan that won’t make things worse. Guessing at solutions usually does.

We’re going to spotlight a real NW Austin yard transformation every month right here. First issue gets a pass - we’re one week in and the trucks just hit the road. Check back next month.

The pre-emergent window closes around mid-March. After that, the chance to get ahead of summer weeds is gone until fall. Spring slots are open now. If you want to get on the schedule before the rush, give us a call or text.

We’re The Grounds Guys of NW Austin. We cover 78717, 78726, 78727, 78728, 78729, 78750, and 78759. We look forward to serving our amazing community.

(512) 387-6069

Keep Austin Mowed!