Why Late January is Critical for North Texas Lawns

It’s late January in North Texas. Your Bermuda grass is brown, the trees are bare, and it looks like nothing is happening in your yard.

But underground, your lawn is preparing for war.

As we approach February, we enter a critical 3-week window that determines whether your lawn will be a weed-free carpet this spring or a patchy mess of crabgrass and dandelions. Here is what you need to be doing right now (before Valentine's Day) to win the season.

1. The "Pre-Emergent" Deadline is Approaching

The biggest mistake homeowners make is waiting until they see weeds to treat them. By then, it’s too late.

• The Science: Summer weeds like Crabgrass and Sandbur start germinating when the soil temperature hits 55°F consistently. In North Texas, that usually happens in late February or early March.
• The Fix: You need to get a pre-emergent herbicide down now (late Jan to mid-Feb). This creates an invisible barrier that stops seeds from sprouting. If you miss this window, you’ll be fighting weeds all summer.

2. Clear the "Suffocation Layer"

Take a look at your flower beds and the corners of your fence. are there still matted leaves or layers of acorns from December? Debris left on top of dormant grass creates a wet, dark environment—perfect for fungal diseases like Brown Patch to take hold.

• The Fix: A thorough January cleanup. We blow out the beds, rake up the acorn "minefields," and cut back any perennials that have turned into mush from the frost. This allows sunlight to hit the soil, warming it up faster for a greener spring startup.

3. The Pruning Golden Hour

Right now, while your Crape Myrtles, Oaks, and shrubs are fully dormant, is the safest time to trim them. You can see the structure of the branches clearly without the leaves, making it easier to shape the plant without shocking it.

• Warning: Avoid "Crape Murder" (topping the trees). A proper dormant prune should look natural, removing only crossing or rubbing branches to open up the canopy.

Summary

Don't let the brown grass fool you. A little effort in these next two weeks will pay off massively in April. If you'd rather stay inside where it's warm, let the Mowing Best team handle the freezing temperatures for you. Contact our sister company, Chorbie for your pre-emergent needs at chorbie.com | wecare@chorbie.com | 972-697-5221 .

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