Lawn care in November
There is no single answer for November, and that is the useful part: a warm-season lawn and a cool-season lawn want opposite things from the same month. Find your grass in the grid below and work from its own November page.
Warm-season lawns in November
In November, warm-season lawns run from going dormant to dormant depending on where you are — that is Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine, Centipede and Bahia. Soil temperature across the zones they grow in sits around 40–60°F at 4-inch depth. The work most of them share this month: keep leaves off the dormant lawn; last mow before dormancy.
What most warm-season lawns can skip
- Mowing — a dormant lawn is not growing. Nothing to cut.
- Fertilizer — dormant turf cannot take up nitrogen. It feeds winter weeds instead.
- Regular irrigation — water only to stop crowns drying out in a long dry spell.
Cool-season lawns in November
In November, cool-season lawns run from slowing down to going dormant depending on where you are — that is Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass and Bentgrass. Soil temperature across the zones they grow in sits around 40–46°F at 4-inch depth. The work most of them share this month: final mow of the season; keep leaves off the lawn; spot-treat broadleaf weeds.
Every grass type in November, by region
A blank cell means the grass is not grown in that zone — absent on purpose, not a gap. There is no tall fescue schedule for Miami and there should not be one.
| Grass | South USDA 9+ | Transition USDA 7–8 | North USDA 6 and colder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bermuda Warm season | going dormant ~60°F soil | dormant ~46°F soil | dormant ~40°F soil |
| Zoysia Warm season | going dormant ~60°F soil | dormant ~46°F soil | dormant ~40°F soil |
| St. Augustine Warm season | going dormant ~60°F soil | dormant ~46°F soil | — |
| Centipede Warm season | going dormant ~60°F soil | dormant ~46°F soil | — |
| Bahia Warm season | going dormant ~60°F soil | dormant ~46°F soil | — |
| Tall Fescue Cool season | — | slowing ~46°F soil | going dormant ~40°F soil |
| Kentucky Bluegrass Cool season | — | slowing ~46°F soil | going dormant ~40°F soil |
| Perennial Ryegrass Cool season | — | slowing ~46°F soil | going dormant ~40°F soil |
| Bentgrass Cool season | — | slowing ~46°F soil | going dormant ~40°F soil |
November lawn care: common questions
Should I fertilize my lawn in November?
It depends on your grass, and the answer is not "a little of both". Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass and Perennial Ryegrass carry a nitrogen application somewhere in November; Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine, Centipede, Bahia and Bentgrass do not. The zone matters as much as the grass, so open your grass's November page rather than feeding on the calendar.
Do I still need to mow in November?
Yes — every grass we schedule is still being mown somewhere in November, though the height and the interval differ by grass and by zone.
Which grass types are dormant in November?
Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine, Centipede and Bahia are dormant in at least one zone in November. Dormant is not dead: the crowns and roots are alive and the lawn greens up again when soil temperature comes back. A dormant lawn is not mown, not fed, and watered only to stop the crowns drying out in a long dry spell.
What should I not do in November?
Warm-season lawns: Mowing — a dormant lawn is not growing. Nothing to cut. Fertilizer — dormant turf cannot take up nitrogen. It feeds winter weeds instead.
Sources
- Bermudagrass Yearly Maintenance Program (HGIC 1216) — Clemson Cooperative Extension
- Zoysiagrass Yearly Maintenance Program (HGIC 1217) — Clemson Cooperative Extension
- Bermudagrass Lawn Maintenance Calendar (Carolina Lawns) — NC State Extension
- Centipedegrass Lawn Maintenance Calendar (Carolina Lawns) — NC State Extension
- St. Augustinegrass Lawn Maintenance Calendar (Carolina Lawns) — NC State Extension
- Tall Fescue Lawn Maintenance Calendar — NC State Extension
- Tall Fescue, Hard (Fine) Fescue, and Kentucky Bluegrass Home Lawn Calendar — NC State Extension
- Zoysiagrass Lawn Maintenance Calendar (Carolina Lawns) — NC State Extension
- Colonial and Highland Bentgrass (Beaverturf) — Oregon State University
- Leaves Are Treasure, Not Trash — Penn State Extension
- Turfgrass Species for Pennsylvania — Penn State Extension
- AY-22-W — Fertilizing Established Cool-season Lawns — Purdue University Extension
- Fall broadleaf weed control applications — Purdue University Extension
- Fall Fertilization of Home Lawns: Is it too late? (Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic Laboratory) — Purdue University Extension
- ENH10/LH028 — Mowing Your Florida Lawn — UF/IFAS
- ENH5/LH010 — St. Augustinegrass for Florida Lawns — UF/IFAS
- ENH6/LH006 — Bahiagrass for Florida Lawns — UF/IFAS
- Late Fall Lawn Care — University of Minnesota Extension
- Mowing practices for healthy lawns — University of Minnesota Extension
- Typhula Blight (UW Plant Disease Facts D0119) — University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
Soil temperatures are Lawn HQ estimates for your climate zone. How we work
By Lawn HQ · Last reviewed . Extension or land-grant sources only, matched to this grass and this climate zone. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it and update the date.
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