How to Plant and Care for a Centipede Grass Lawn

Top view of a centipede grass lawn. — How to Plant and Care for a Centipede Grass Lawn

The low-maintenance grass that asks for less mowing, less feeding, and less fuss overall.

If mowing every weekend isn't your idea of a good time, centipede grass might be your lawn's best match. It's a low-maintenance warm-season grass built for the Southeast's acidic, sandy soils, and it needs less feeding and less frequent mowing than almost any other lawn grass.

The tradeoff is durability. Centipede is slower to recover from heavy foot traffic than tougher grasses like bermuda. Here's how to plant and care for it.

What Is Centipede Grass and Is It Right for Your Lawn?

Centipede grass is a slow-spreading, low-maintenance warm-season grass that thrives in the acidic, sandy soils common across the Southeast, and requires less mowing and feeding than most other warm-season lawn grasses.

Best for: homeowners who want a good-looking, low-traffic lawn without a heavy mowing or feeding schedule.
What it looks like: light-to-medium green, coarse-textured blades that form a fairly even, low-growing turf.
Good to know: Centipede prefers acidic soil and needs very little nitrogen; over-feeding it is a common mistake that actually weakens the lawn. It spreads slowly, so it's not the right pick if you need fast edge-to-edge coverage or heavy-traffic durability.

A side cut-away view of a centipede grass lawn

How and When Do You Plant Centipede Grass?

The best time to plant centipede grass is late spring into early summer, once the air temperature is consistently at or above 80°F. For good seed germination, aim for a soil temperature between 65°F and 90°F, leaning toward the warmer end of that range. Centipede is slower to germinate in cooler soil than other warm-season grasses.

Step 1: Clear the Area

Clear rocks, sticks, and debris, and remove existing grass or weeds so new seed has a clean start.

Step 2: Prep the Soil

Loosen the top layer of soil and add a layer of fresh soil, like Turf Builder LawnSoil. Centipede does best in acidic, sandy soil, so a soil test beforehand can flag whether you need to adjust pH.

Step 3: Spread the Seed

Use your Scotts spreader set to the new lawn rate on the bag to apply the centipede grass seed. Walk at a steady pace with slightly overlapping passes for even coverage.

Step 4: Add Starter Fertilizer

Applying a granular starter fertilizer for new lawns, like Turf Builder Starter Food, helps seedlings establish.

Step 5: Rake It In

Lightly rake the seed into the surface so it's covered but not buried.

Step 6: Water Consistently

Keep the soil consistently moist by watering lightly multiple times a day until seedlings reach about 2 inches tall which can take longer than other warm-season grasses.

How Do You Care for a Centipede Grass Lawn?

How Much Water Does Centipede Grass Need?

Give your centipede lawn about an inch of water when the grass shows early signs of wilting or takes on a grayish-green cast. Soak the soil 6-8 inches deep. Centipede doesn't need—or want—a rigid watering schedule once established.

What Height Should You Mow Centipede Grass?

Mow your centipede lawn at 1.5 to 2 inches with a sharp blade, removing no more than the top third of the blade height at once.

How Often Should You Feed Centipede Grass?

Feed centipede grass just twice a year—mid-spring and mid-summer—with a Southern lawn food containing slow-release nitrogen at the lowest recommended rate. Centipede grass needs very little nitrogen, and over-feeding is the most common way to unintentionally weaken it.

What Problems Should You Watch For With Centipede Grass?

Why Does Centipede Grass Recover Slowly From Foot Traffic and Damage?

Centipede's slow, low-vigor growth habit—the same trait that keeps mowing and feeding light—also means it recovers more slowly from heavy foot traffic than tougher grasses like Bermuda. Keep play areas and high-traffic paths in mind when you're deciding where to plant it.

How Do You Repair Bare Spots in a Centipede Grass Lawn?

To repair the bare spots caused by foot traffic and other damage, use a Centipede-specific patching product, like EZ Seed. Do not repair bare spots with a faster-spreading grass that wouldn’t match or could outcompete your centipede lawn.

How Do You Control Weeds in a Centipede Grass Lawn?

Apply a crabgrass preventer in early spring before weeds germinate, and hold off on using a southern weed-and-feed product, like Bonus S, until after your lawn's third or fourth mowing so young centipede grass isn't stressed too early in the season.

Applying EZ Seed Centipedegrass to a bare spot in the lawn using the shaker jug.

How Do You Keep Centipede Grass Green in Winter?

Centipede goes dormant and browns once temperatures drop in late fall or early winter. Because it's slow to recover from stress, most centipede lawns are better left dormant through winter rather than overseeded. The traffic and competition from an overseeded grass can set an already-slow-growing lawn back further than the winter color is worth.