Shade decides it first
Bermuda needs full sun. Under the mature trees on a lot of Midlands lots, it stays thin however well it is fed.
Grass guide · Bermuda
Bermuda grass care in the Midlands.
Bermuda grass needs full sun, mowing at 1 to 2 inches, and three feedings of ½ to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet: early May after it greens up, June or July, and one last time in late summer. From September through April it gets no nitrogen at all.
Clemson's calendar
When to fertilize Bermuda.
Bermuda cannot use fertilizer until it is green and growing, so the schedule starts in May.
- Nitrogen a year, per 1,000 sq ft
- 2–4 lb
- Feedings a year
- 3
- Mowing height
- 1–2 in
| When | Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| January to AprilWhile the lawn is brown | Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ftNone | What to doNo nitrogen yet. A late frost burns back early growth. Good time for a soil test. |
| Early MayOnce it is fully green | Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft½–1 lb | What to doFirst feeding. Higher rate on sandy soil, lower on clay. |
| June or JulyMidsummer | Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft½–1 lb | What to doSecond feeding, with a high-potassium fertilizer like 15-0-15. |
| Late summerBy mid-August | Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft½–1 lb | What to doThird feeding, high in potassium again. It helps the grass through winter. |
| September to DecemberGoing dormant | Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ftNone | What to doNo nitrogen. Potash only if a soil test says it is low. |
Over a year that is 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, less on clay and more on sand. Keep any one feeding of ordinary fertilizer to 1 pound or less.
The Midlands difference
What changes for Bermuda around here.
Sand or clay sets the amount
Sandy ground south of the Fall Line, around Lexington and Gilbert, takes the higher rate. Heavier clay toward Irmo, Chapin and Blythewood takes the lower.
Wait for green-up, even if the bag says April
Inland, Bermuda can stay brown into mid-May, and a late frost burns back anything pushed out early.
Zoysia vs Bermuda
Zoysia vs Bermuda: which fits your yard.
They get fed the same way, so fertilizer does not decide this. Sun, traffic and mowing do.
| Compared on | Bermuda | Zoysia |
|---|---|---|
| Shade | BermudaVery poor. Needs full sun all day. | ZoysiaExcellent in partial shade. Thins out under dense shade. |
| Foot traffic | BermudaExcellent. Recovers fast. | ZoysiaVery good. |
| How often you mow | BermudaOften. Twice a week when it is growing hard. | ZoysiaAbout once a week. |
| How it spreads | BermudaFast, and into flower beds. | ZoysiaSlowly. Bare spots take a while to fill. |
| Cold | BermudaGood. | ZoysiaVery good. |
Full sun and kids or dogs on it? Bermuda. Trees shading part of it, or you would rather not mow twice a week in July? Zoysia.
Questions
Common questions about Bermuda grass.
When should I fertilize Bermuda grass?
Three times: in early May once the lawn has fully greened up, in June or July, and one last time in late summer, by mid-August. Each feeding is ½ to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Nothing with nitrogen goes down from September through April.
How much fertilizer do I put down on Bermuda?
Enough to deliver ½ to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each feeding. To turn that into pounds of fertilizer, divide the pounds of nitrogen you want by the percent nitrogen on the bag (the first of the three numbers). For a 5,000 square foot lawn getting 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet from 15-0-15: 1 ÷ 0.15 = 6.67 pounds of product per 1,000 square feet, or about 33 pounds for the whole lawn. With ordinary fertilizer, keep any one feeding to 1 pound of nitrogen or less.
Will Bermuda grass grow in shade?
Not well. It needs full sun and does poorly under trees or building overhangs. Under real canopy, Zoysia is the usual answer.
What are these small straw-colored spots in my Bermuda?
Often dollar spot, a lawn fungus that makes straw-colored spots 2 to 6 inches across. It shows up from late spring through fall when days are warm, nights are cool and there is heavy dew. A lawn that is fed enough fights it off better, along with early-morning watering and keeping thatch down.
Sources: Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center: Bermudagrass Yearly Maintenance Program (HGIC 1216), Fertilizing Lawns (HGIC 1201), Bermudagrass (HGIC 1208), Selecting a Lawn Grass (HGIC 1214), Leaf Diseases of Lawns (HGIC 2152). Last checked in September 2026.
Photo: Michael Rivera, University of Georgia Research and Education Garden, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.
Let us keep the calendar.
Feedings timed to green-up, the right amount for your soil, and weeds handled on the same schedule. Send us the address and we will quote the 7-Step Program for your Bermuda.
