Austin Lawn Care Guide

Everything we know about growing a great lawn in Greater Austin — search any question, or browse by topic below.

Austin New Sod Care Guide

The first few weeks after installation decide whether new sod roots or struggles. Here's the schedule we walk every Castillo Grass customer through, whether it's St. Augustine, Bermuda or Zoysia. Feel free to link to this page — it's meant as a reference for homeowners, HOAs and realtors across Greater Austin.

Watering Schedule by Week

Day of install: water thoroughly right away, about 1.5–2 inches, until the soil underneath feels wet.
Weeks 1–3: water twice a day, once in the early morning and once in the evening, never during midday heat, until the roots take hold. Bermuda often roots by the 2-week mark; Zoysia is the slowest to establish and can take the full 2–3 weeks or a little more.
Tug test: gently tug a corner of the sod. Resistance means the roots have taken hold and you can slow down to an established schedule.
Once established: about 1 inch of water a week in spring and fall, 1 to 1.5 inches in peak summer split into two sessions, and minimal watering in winter.
Always water early morning (5–10am), never in the evening — overnight moisture on St. Augustine invites brown patch and gray leaf spot in Austin's humidity.

Full watering schedule for St. Augustine →

First Mow Timing

Wait for roots: the first mow comes 2–3 weeks after install, once the tug test shows resistance — not on a fixed calendar date.
Set the mower high for that first cut on every grass type, then gradually bring the height down to normal over the following mows.
St. Augustine: mow at 3.5–4 inches. Never cut more than a third of the blade at once.
Bermuda: start high (2–2.5 inches) and step down gradually. Don't scalp new Bermuda.

Mowing height reference for every variety →

Fertilizing with MicroLife

Don't fertilize for the first 30 days. New roots can burn easily, and weed-and-feed or atrazine-based products actively stunt root growth on new sod — skip them entirely.
First feeding (day 30): MicroLife Multi-Purpose 6-2-4, applied at half the label rate. It's 100% slow release, won't burn, and works on every grass type we sell.
Bermuda lawns: we often recommend MicroLife Hybrid 20-0-5 instead for the extra nitrogen boost Bermuda responds well to.
Zoysia: wait 30–45 days for the first feeding, also at half rate — Zoysia establishes more slowly and doesn't need to be pushed early.

Shop MicroLife fertilizers →

Not sure when to plant, or what your yard needs before sod goes down?

When to Plant Sod in Austin