Give it sun
Centipede needs at least 6 hours of full sun a day. Under heavy shade it thins out no matter how it is fed.
Grass guide · Centipede
Centipede grass fertilizer: less than you think.
Centipede grass needs only 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet a year, split into two feedings: one in early May after it has fully greened up, and one in late summer. Feeding it more than that is how Centipede lawns get into trouble.
Clemson's calendar
The Centipede fertilizer calendar.
Centipede is naturally a light, apple green. Feeding it to look darker is where the trouble starts.
- Nitrogen a year, per 1,000 sq ft
- 1–2 lb
- Feedings a year
- 2
- 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. Skip phosphorus unless a soil test calls for it. |
| Between feedingsOnly if it looks yellow | Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ftNone | What to doIron, not more nitrogen: 2 ounces of iron sulfate in 3 to 5 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet, under 80°F, watered in. |
| Late summerBy mid-August | Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft½–1 lb | What to doSecond and last feeding, with a high-potassium fertilizer like 15-0-15. |
| September to DecemberGoing dormant | Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ftNone | What to doNo nitrogen. Potash only if a soil test says it is low. |
That is 1 to 2 pounds a year, the whole range for Centipede. There is no room for a third feeding or a weed-and-feed on top.
The Midlands difference
Three things that matter for Centipede here.
Sandy lawns: more food, one warning
Sandy soil takes 2 pounds a year and clay takes 1. In deep sand, tiny soil worms (nematodes) also thin Centipede, and more fertilizer will not fix that.
Yellow is not always hunger
Centipede likes its soil more acidic than most lawn grasses do, about pH 5.5 to 6.0, so lime sized for Bermuda or Zoysia can take it too high. Yellowing is usually iron, not nitrogen. A soil test tells you which way yours is off, and whether it needs lime, sulfur or neither.
Questions
Common questions about Centipede grass.
How much fertilizer does Centipede grass need?
1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet a year, and no more: the higher amount on sandy soil, the lower on clay. Clemson Extension warns that more than 2 pounds a year can harm Centipede by building up thatch and inviting disease. 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 ½ pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet from 15-0-15: 0.5 ÷ 0.15 = 3.33 pounds of product per 1,000 square feet, or about 17 pounds for the whole lawn. With ordinary fertilizer, keep any one feeding to 1 pound of nitrogen or less.
When should I fertilize Centipede grass?
Twice. Once in early May after the lawn has fully greened up, and once in late summer, by mid-August. Each feeding is ½ to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. No nitrogen from September through April.
Why is my Centipede grass turning yellow?
Usually a lack of iron, not nitrogen. It happens when the soil pH is too high or there is too much phosphorus, and in early spring when the soil is still colder than the air. Spring yellowing usually fades as the soil warms.
What is Centipede grass decline?
Large dead patches that show up in spring after a few years of overfeeding. Extra nitrogen builds a thick layer of runners and dead stems (thatch) that lifts the grass's growing points above the soil, where winter cold reaches them. Keep nitrogen at or under 2 pounds a year and water deeply, only when the lawn needs it.
Sources: Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center: Centipedegrass Yearly Maintenance Program (HGIC 1215), Fertilizing Lawns (HGIC 1201), Centipedegrass (HGIC 1209). 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.
Two light feedings at the right time, nothing extra in between, and weeds handled on the same schedule. Send us the address and we will quote the 7-Step Program for your Centipede.
