September marks the turning point for Southwest Florida lawns — growth starts slowing from its summer peak, but there’s still time to set your grass up for a strong, healthy dormant season. Here’s what to knock out this month.
Adjust Your Mowing Height
St. Augustine and Bahia lawns do well kept slightly taller heading into fall — taller blades mean deeper roots and better drought resistance as rainfall becomes less predictable.
Fertilize Before the Cutoff
Get a final fertilizer application down early in the season — most Florida lawn experts recommend wrapping up nitrogen-heavy feeding before growth slows for the cooler months, so your lawn isn’t pushing tender new growth right as conditions change.
Watch for Fall Pests and Fungus
Lingering humidity plus cooling nights is a classic recipe for fungal outbreaks like brown patch. Water early in the morning rather than evening so grass has time to dry, and keep an eye out for irregular brown or yellow patches that spread quickly.
Overseed and Top-Dress Bare Spots
Thin or bare patches fill in fastest with a light top-dressing of quality topsoil worked into the area before overseeding or laying fresh sod plugs. Unplugged Designs delivers bulk topsoil across the Fort Myers area if you’ve got bare spots to patch before cooler weather sets in.