If you're like most Greensboro homeowners, you want a thick, green lawn — but you're not sure when (or what) to fertilize. You've probably stood in the lawn care aisle at Lowe's on Battleground Ave wondering which bag to pick and when to spread it.
Here's the short answer for Greensboro: Fertilize fescue lawns in late fall and early spring. Fertilize zoysia lawns in late spring and summer. But the timing matters down to the week — especially in our Piedmont climate where the seasons don't always follow the calendar.
This guide gives you a month-by-month fertilizing schedule specifically for Greensboro's Zone 7b climate, plus the exact products to use and mistakes to avoid.
This determines everything. In Greensboro, you've got two main types:
Not sure which you have? Look at your lawn in January. If it's green, it's fescue. If it's brown/tan, it's zoysia or Bermuda (warm-season).
✅ DO: Apply a light application of slow-release nitrogen fertilizer (0.5 lb N per 1,000 sq ft). Use a blend with pre-emergent herbicide (like Dimension or Halts) to prevent crabgrass and henbit.
❌ DON'T: Don't go heavy on nitrogen in spring. Heavy spring feeding on fescue causes lush growth that dies in July's heat and invites brown patch fungus — Greensboro's #1 lawn disease.
Product pick: Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed (or similar slow-release 30-0-4 with pre-emergent).
❌ DON'T: Skip this month for fescue. April feeding is usually unnecessary if you fertilized in March. Let the grass grow naturally. Focus on mowing at 3-4 inches and spot-treating weeds instead.
✅ DO (zoysia): This is when zoysia lawns wake up. Apply a balanced fertilizer (15-5-10 or similar) as soon as the lawn is 50-75% green.
❌ DON'T (fescue): No more nitrogen for fescue after mid-May. Your grass is about to enter summer stress mode. Feeding now encourages disease.
✅ DO (zoysia): Second feeding for zoysia. Use a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer (15-0-15 or 16-4-8). Water in well after application.
❌ DON'T (fescue): Absolutely no fertilizer on fescue in June, July, or August. It's dormant or stressed. Feeding forces growth the roots can't support.
✅ DO: Water deeply (1" per week) during dry spells. Keep mower at 4" to shade the soil. Watch for brown patch — if you see circular tan/brown patches, apply a fungicide (azoxystrobin or propiconazole).
❌ DON'T: No fertilizer for either grass type in July–August. Let the lawn rest.
✅ DO: This is the most important fertilization of the year for fescue. Apply 1 lb of slow-release nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft. This feeding builds strong roots for winter and gives you a head start on spring green-up. If you're also overseeing, apply starter fertilizer instead (high phosphorus, like 18-24-12).
Product pick: Lesco Professional 24-0-11 or Anderson's PGF 16-4-8 for established lawns. Scott's Turf Builder Starter Food for new seed.
✅ DO: Apply a winterizer fertilizer (high potassium, like 13-0-15 or 24-0-12) in late October or early November, after your last mow. Potassium strengthens cell walls and helps fescue survive winter temperatures.
❌ DON'T: Don't use high-nitrogen fertilizer in late fall. You want the grass to focus on root growth, not leaf growth.
❌ DON'T: No fertilizer. No lime (unless a soil test says otherwise). The grass is dormant. Anything you apply will wash away before the roots can use it. Use this time to get your soil tested — NC State Extension offers affordable tests through the Guilford County office.
Short answer: yes, especially if your lawn has never been tested. The NC Department of Agriculture offers soil testing through the Guilford County Cooperative Extension office for $4 per sample (free April through November for NC residents).
A soil test tells you:
You can pick up a soil test kit at the Guilford County Extension office at 3309 Burlington Rd, Greensboro.
We help Greensboro homeowners with full lawn care — fertilization, aeration, seeding, and mowing. Tell us your grass type and property size, and we'll put together a plan that matches our climate.
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