Do I Need to Mow My Lawn in January in North Texas?

If you look out at your lawn in Celina or McKinney right now, you likely see a sea of tan, dormant Bermuda or Zoysia grass. It brings up a common question we get at Mowing Best: "Do I actually need to mow this month?"

The short answer is generally no—but with a few important exceptions.

The "Mowing" Rule for January In North Texas, our warm-season grasses (Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine) are fully dormant in January. They aren't growing, so they don't need cutting. In fact, mowing dormant grass too short can damage the crown (the base of the plant) and leave it exposed to hard freezes.

However, you might need a "maintenance mow" for two reasons:

1. The Winter Weed Takeover Even though your grass is sleeping, weeds like Henbit (purple flowers), Chickweed, and Poa Annua (bluegrass) are having a party. If these weeds are getting tall:

• Mow high: Set your blade deck higher than usual just to top off the weeds so they don't seed.
• Bag the clippings: Do not mulch weed seeds back into your lawn. Bag them and get them off the property.

2. Leaf Mulching If you still have leftover leaves from December, don't leave them wet and matted on the turf. This promotes fungal disease. A quick pass with a mulching mower can shred those leaves into tiny nutritious bits that feed your soil.

What About Watering? Just because you aren't mowing doesn't mean you stop watering. Winter drought is real in DFW. If we haven't had rain in 2-3 weeks, run your sprinklers manually for a cycle. Pro Tip: If a hard freeze is in the forecast, watering your lawn deeply 24 hours before the freeze acts as insulation and protects the roots.

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