TurnKey Grass, a sod installation and lawn care company serving southeastern Louisiana, has published a detailed resource on Bermuda grass dormancy patterns during Gulf Coast winters, addressing widespread confusion among homeowners who mistake seasonal browning for lawn damage or disease.
The guide, now available on the company's website, explains that Bermuda grass in Louisiana enters a dormant phase following the first hard frost of the season — typically occurring in late November or early December — and remains dormant until soil temperatures rise above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. That threshold is usually reached in mid-to-late March, according to the company's published materials. The surface of the lawn turns from green to a tan or straw-colored appearance during this period, a visible change that prompts many homeowners to conclude their turf has died.
According to TurnKey Grass, that conclusion is almost always incorrect. While leaf blades die back during the cooler months, the crowns, rhizomes, and stolons of Bermuda grass remain alive beneath the surface and resume growth when temperatures allow. The company notes that dormant Bermuda grass can tolerate temperatures as low as approximately 10 degrees Fahrenheit without significant winter kill, provided the lawn was properly hardened off before the cold season began.
"Every year, we hear from homeowners who are convinced their Bermuda lawn is dead when really it's just resting," said the manager at TurnKey Grass. "Understanding the dormancy cycle helps property owners make better decisions about watering, fertilizing, and treatment timing. Acting on bad information — like applying nitrogen fertilizer during dormancy — doesn't help the grass and can actually feed winter weeds instead."
The resource covers a full seasonal timeline, from the initial slowing of growth in late October through full dormancy in December and February, and into the spring green-up period that typically begins in earnest by mid-April. It also outlines how homeowners can distinguish dormant grass from dead grass using a simple inspection of the crown and runners at the base of the lawn. Firm, whitish-tan crowns and pliable runners indicate dormancy, while brittle or crumbling crowns that produce no green tissue when scratched indicate actual death.
The publication addresses winter weed management as a secondary concern during the dormant period. Bermuda grass, because it is not actively growing, provides reduced competition against cool-season weeds such as annual bluegrass, henbit, chickweed, and wild onion. The guide recommends a fall pre-emergent application in late September as the most effective preventive approach, with selective herbicide options available for weeds that have already emerged on fully dormant turf.
The guide also addresses spring preparation, recommending a scalp mow at the end of the dormancy period to remove brown blades and allow sunlight to reach the crowns. It is also recommended to bag the clippings from that scalp mow and to lightly rake the area to clear thatch and debris before applying any fertilizer. The company advises homeowners to wait until the lawn reaches approximately 50 percent green coverage before applying any nitrogen-based fertilizer in the spring, noting that premature application wastes product and does not accelerate green-up.
The resource also touches on cold-tolerant Bermuda varieties, identifying cultivars such as Latitude 36 as better suited to handling temperature extremes below 10 degrees Fahrenheit compared to older hybrid varieties. In regions of southeastern Louisiana where hard freezes occasionally push into that range, variety selection can determine how reliably the lawn rebounds in spring.
TurnKey Grass serves residential and commercial customers across southeastern Louisiana, including communities throughout the greater New Orleans metropolitan area. The company provides installation and ongoing care guidance for Bermuda, St. Augustine, Centipede, and Zoysia grass varieties. The Bermuda dormancy resource represents part of the company's broader content effort to help Gulf Coast property owners maintain healthy lawns through each season.
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For more information about TurnKey Grass, contact the company here:
TurnKey Grass
Ana Condit
504-946-7577
info@turnkeygrass.com
New Orleans, Louisiana
