St. Augustine — the shade-tolerant favorite
Broad, dark-green blades and the best shade tolerance of the three — which is why it dominates older DFW neighborhoods with mature trees. It likes to be cut high (3–4 inches) and hates being scalped.
Its weakness: it needs consistent water in summer and it's the most disease-prone of the three in humid stretches. If your St. Augustine is thinning, the usual culprits are cutting too short, too much shade, or compacted soil — not a lack of fertilizer.
Bermuda — the sun-lover
Fine-bladed, dense, and aggressive — Bermuda loves full sun and heat, which is why builders plant it on new DFW developments. It wants to be cut short (1–2 inches) and mowed often; let it get tall and it gets stemmy and brown underneath.
Its weakness: shade. Bermuda in heavy shade just gives up, and no amount of feeding fixes that. It's also the thirstiest-looking of the three when it goes dormant — brown in winter is normal, not dead.
Zoysia — the slow, dense luxury pick
Thick, carpet-like, and weed-resistant once established — Zoysia is the premium choice and the slowest to establish. It handles partial shade better than Bermuda and needs less water than St. Augustine once rooted.
Its weakness: patience. It establishes slowly from sod and recovers slowly from damage. It also wants consistent mowing — let it get shaggy and it thatches.
How to tell what you have
Broad flat blades that feel soft underfoot: St. Augustine. Fine, dense blades that feel almost prickly: Bermuda. Thick, carpet-dense turf that's slow to show footprints: Zoysia. Still not sure? Send us a photo with your quote request and we'll identify it.
The bottom line
Whatever grass you have, the fundamentals are the same: right mowing height, consistent schedule, seasonal feeding. We handle all three across DFW — tell us what you've got and we'll take it from there.
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