My Grass Is Not Growing in San Antonio

My Grass Is Not Growing

I get this call more than almost any other. Someone looks at their yard and the grass just is not doing anything. It is thin, patchy, or just sitting there looking rough. Sometimes it is brown. Sometimes it is just not filling in the way it should.

Here is what I have learned after doing lawn care in San Antonio for a while. There are really only a handful of reasons this happens, and most of them are fixable.

The Grass Is Getting Too Much Shade

This is the number one reason I see in San Antonio yards. Live oaks and cedar elms are beautiful but they block a lot of sun, and St. Augustine grass needs at least four to five hours of direct sunlight to do anything. If you have a big tree that has filled out over the years, the grass underneath it is going to struggle no matter how much you water it.

The fix is either to thin out the canopy a little to let more light through, or to accept that that area is not going to be a grass area and put in mulch or a ground cover that handles shade better.

The Soil Is Compacted

San Antonio has a lot of clay-heavy soil, and over time it compacts. When soil is compacted, water and air cannot get to the roots, and the grass just sits there. Aerating the lawn helps with this. It pulls small plugs of soil out and gives the roots room to breathe.

It Is Being Cut Too Short

A lot of people cut their grass too short thinking it will stay neat longer between mowings. What it actually does is stress the grass and expose the soil to direct sun. For most San Antonio lawns, keep St. Augustine at about three to four inches.

It Is Not Getting Enough Water

Watering in the middle of the day in a Texas summer is mostly a waste. Most of it evaporates before it reaches the roots. Early morning, before the heat kicks in, is when you want to water.

When to Call Someone

If you have looked at all of the above and the yard is still struggling, it might be time to have someone come out and take a look. We do free assessments and we will tell you honestly what is going on. Call us at 817-484-8835 or visit recoverlandscape.com. We serve San Antonio, Helotes, Leon Valley, Schertz, Converse, and the surrounding area.