Bermuda is the toughest warm-season grass we install in North Texas. Give it heat, sun and consistent mowing and it will outperform almost anything else — but it is unforgiving about shade. This guide covers what your Bermuda lawn needs, especially in the first weeks after installation.

Transplant shock and heat stress

Brownish or yellow spots on a newly installed lawn are completely normal for the first few months. The sod is rebuilding a root system and it will show stress while it does.

Hand-watering those areas with a hose, in addition to running your sprinklers, is the fastest way to bring them back. Pay particular attention to anywhere the lawn meets stone, brick, driveways, sidewalks, patios or stone mailboxes — those surfaces hold heat well into the evening and dry the adjacent grass far faster than the rest of the yard.

Weak or thinning areas

Bermuda needs a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight. Where dense shade cuts below that, the grass will thin and eventually give up — no amount of watering or fertilizer compensates for missing light.

If you have a large tree canopy casting deep shade, consider having it thinned to let more light through. Where that is not practical, the honest answer is that Bermuda is the wrong grass for that spot: St. Augustine or Zoysia tolerate shade considerably better, and artificial turf is worth considering for areas that will never get sun.

Mowing

• Spring and summer: mow frequently. Shorter cuts require more frequent mowing, not less.
• Fall and winter: every 10–14 days is generally enough.
• Never scalp. Remove no more than one third of the leaf blade in any single mowing — cutting deeper stresses the plant and invites weeds into the gaps.

Fertilizing

Once established, fertilize routinely to keep the lawn dark and growing strong.

• Thick, highly maintained lawn: 3–4 lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per year.
• Lush but lower maintenance: 1.5–3 lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per year.

Your local nursery or the lawn and garden department at Home Depot or Lowe's can recommend a specific product for the season.

Watering a new lawn

Adjust for your yard and the weather, but this schedule works for most North Texas installations:

Through the first 30 days, walk the yard and look at it rather than trusting the timer. Increase run time or hand-water dry spots and edges as needed.

Water early — before 10am is best. Morning watering keeps the turf cooler through the hottest part of the day, which means less stress on the grass and less time sitting wet overnight, which is how fungus starts. As a rough guide, 30 minutes delivers about half an inch, so 10 minutes per zone three times a week gets you close to an inch.

High-wind areas may need more, since water evaporates faster. Watering after mowing is fine; watering immediately before mowing is not ideal.