Fall in San Angelo is short. One week it's still 90 degrees, and a couple of weeks later the first freeze arrives. On average, San Angelo's first fall freeze lands around November 10, according to the National Weather Service. What you do between now and then decides how your lawn looks next April.
Here's the checklist our crews follow on Concho Valley lawns every fall.
1. Switch to the winter watering schedule on November 1
The City of San Angelo changes its watering rules with the seasons. From April 1 through October 31, residents in standard conservation can water twice every seven days. Starting November 1, that drops to once every seven days, with no more than 1 inch of water per week.
That lines up well with what your lawn needs. Warm-season grasses like Bermuda, St. Augustine and zoysia slow down as temperatures drop, and they need far less water. Update your sprinkler controller now so you aren't wasting water.
Tip: Water early in the morning. Grass that stays wet overnight in cool weather is more prone to fungus.
2. Keep mowing until the grass stops growing
Don't put the mower away just because it's fall. Keep mowing at your normal height as long as the grass is growing. Never remove more than one-third of the blade in a single cut.
Resist the urge to scalp the lawn now. A very short cut going into winter exposes the crown of the grass to cold and dry wind. Scalping is a spring job, done right before green-up.
3. Deal with leaves before they mat down
A thin layer of leaves can be mulched in place with your mower and will feed the soil. A thick layer that sits for weeks blocks sunlight and holds moisture against the grass, which invites disease. Rake or bag heavy leaf drops, especially under pecans, oaks and other large shade trees.
4. Skip the late-season nitrogen
The last fertilizer application for warm-season lawns in Texas typically goes down between mid-September and mid-October. If you missed that window, don't push a high-nitrogen fertilizer now. It encourages tender growth right before a freeze. Wait until the lawn has fully greened up in spring.
5. Get ahead of winter weeds
Winter weeds like henbit, chickweed and annual bluegrass sprout in fall and stand out against a dormant brown lawn by February. The ideal window for a fall pre-emergent is late August to mid-September, but it isn't too late to put one down now. Winter weeds keep germinating through the fall, so a pre-emergent applied in October or November still stops the seeds that haven't sprouted yet. When it comes to weeds, better late than never.
For weeds that are already up, add a post-emergent treatment. It works best while weeds are young and actively growing, which makes fall the right time to hit them. Use a product labeled for your grass type and follow the label, or let a licensed applicator handle it. Don't water for at least 24 hours afterward, and hold off on mowing for 24–48 hours. Small patches can still be pulled by hand while the ground is soft.
6. Prep your sprinkler system for the first freeze
The most expensive irrigation repairs we see in winter come from one cold night: a cracked backflow preventer or a split pipe on the above-ground assembly. Insulate your backflow device before the first freeze, and know where your irrigation shut-off valve is. We cover this in detail in our post on protecting your sprinkler system from a West Texas freeze.
7. Plan your winter watering
A dormant lawn isn't dead. The roots and crowns are alive and still need occasional moisture, especially during long dry spells and before a hard freeze. In San Angelo, a dormant lawn usually needs only a deep watering at least once a month when there's been little or no rain. Check the soil first: if it's already moist a few inches down, skip it. If you've winterized your irrigation system, that means hand watering once a month until spring.
When to call a pro
Some fall problems need more than a rake. Call us if you notice:
- Irregular brown patches that spread after cool, wet weather
- Thin areas that didn't recover over the summer
- Sprinkler zones that leave dry spots or puddles
- Trees with dead or hanging branches over the roof or driveway, which are best handled before winter winds
Get your lawn ready for spring, starting now
Ascend Landscape & Irrigation provides lawn care, fertilization and weed control (TDA pesticide licensed) and irrigation service across San Angelo and the Concho Valley. Request a free estimate or call (325) 261-3231.
