Lawn care calendar for Alabama.
Alabama's Auburn-based extension table assigns nitrogen to specific months for five grasses, with a standard and a maximum schedule for each.
Get dates for my ZIP →By LawnYear editorial team · Published · Updated Windows are read from the extension publications listed under Sources; the dates are approximate.
Short answer for Alabama
In Alabama, for bermudagrass, fertilize May 1 to Aug 31, per Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University), 2023.
For centipedegrass, fertilize May 1 to Aug 31, per Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University), 2023.
For St. Augustinegrass, fertilize May 1 to Jul 31, per Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University), 2023.
The table below also covers tall fescue and zoysiagrass.
Approximate dates for your state. Check with your local cooperative extension office before you act.
Windows by grass and task
| Grass | Fertilize | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bermudagrass | May 1 to Aug 31 | Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University), 2023 |
| Centipedegrass | May 1 to Aug 31 | Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University), 2023 |
| St. Augustinegrass | May 1 to Jul 31 | Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University), 2023 |
| Tall fescue | Feb 1 to Apr 30Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University), 2023 |
| Zoysiagrass | May 1 to Jul 31 | Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University), 2023 |
Calendar by grass
Grasses the source covers with one shared calendar are shown together. Open a group for each task, its note and its source. Want dates for your ZIP code? Use the lawn schedule by ZIP tool.
Bermudagrass
1 task
Bermudagrass in Alabama
Fertilize
May 1 – Aug 31
Standard schedule: 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in May, July and August, 3 lb a year. The maximum schedule for a superior lawn is 5 lb a year, adding June and September (September is outside the window shown).
Centipedegrass
1 task
Centipedegrass in Alabama
Fertilize
May 1 – Aug 31
Standard schedule: 1/2 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in May and August, 1 lb a year. The maximum schedule is 2 lb a year, with 1/2 lb each month from May to August.
St. Augustinegrass
1 task
St. Augustinegrass in Alabama
Fertilize
May 1 – Jul 31
Standard schedule: 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in May and July, 2 lb a year. The maximum schedule is 4 lb a year, adding April and August (outside the window shown).
Tall fescue
2 tasks
Tall fescue in Alabama
Fertilize
Feb 1 – Apr 30
Standard schedule: 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in February, April and September, 3 lb a year. The maximum schedule is 4 lb a year and puts the spring doses in February and March.
Tall fescue in Alabama
Fertilize
Sep 1 – Sep 30
1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in September on the standard schedule; the maximum schedule adds a November dose (outside the window shown).
Zoysiagrass
1 task
Zoysiagrass in Alabama
Fertilize
May 1 – Jul 31
Standard schedule: 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in May and July, 2 lb a year. The maximum schedule is 3 lb a year, adding August (outside the window shown).
One table, five grasses, two schedules
Table 2 of ANR-0239 gives, for each grass, a standard schedule for a healthy lawn and a maximum schedule for a superior one, in pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per month. The grasses are bermudagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, tall fescue and zoysiagrass. The calendars below follow the standard schedule and mention the extra months in each note.
Warm-season grasses are fed in May to August
Standard bermudagrass gets 1 lb in May, July and August, 3 lb a year, and zoysiagrass and St. Augustinegrass get 1 lb in May and July. Centipedegrass is the lightest, with 1/2 lb in May and August, 1 lb a year. The publication says to fertilize warm-season grasses in summer, when they grow fastest.
Tall fescue is the exception, with spring and fall doses
Tall fescue is the one cool-season grass in the table. Its standard schedule is 1 lb in February, April and September, 3 lb a year, and the maximum schedule moves the spring doses to February and March and adds November. The text says cool-season grasses are fertilized in early spring and fall. Warm-season lawns overseeded with ryegrass for winter color get 1/4 to 1/2 lb a month from October to March, up to 3 lb in total.
Mowing heights, but no mowing dates
Table 1 gives mowing heights of 1 to 2 in for bermudagrass, centipedegrass and zoysiagrass, 2.5 to 4 in for St. Augustinegrass and 2 to 3.5 in for tall fescue. It gives no season for mowing, and the source used here has no seeding or herbicide windows, so the Alabama calendar shows fertilizing only.
Sources
The dates and figures on this page come from these publications.
- [1]Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University) ↗ (opens in a new tab)ANR-0239, Home Lawn Maintenance (2023); Table 2 monthly nitrogen schedule by grass and Table 1 mowing heights.Publication year 2023 · Read 2026-10-30