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Best fertilizer to make your grass fuller?

Posted on 8/9/26 at 7:26 pm
Posted by King of New Orleans
In front of The Hungry Tiger
Member since Jul 2011
11112 posts
Posted on 8/9/26 at 7:26 pm
Recently moved into a new home we just built. The backyard looks better than the front. Mainly because of the morning sun it gets in comparison to the middle of the day sun the front gets (but what do I know?)

If I wanted to lay something to give it a fuller healthier look, what is the best route?

Also, being that the yard is still new, I’m assuming in time it’ll get fuller on its own. Grass was probably laid in late April, early May.
Posted by PillageUrVillage
Mordor
Member since Mar 2011
16204 posts
Posted on 8/9/26 at 7:33 pm to
Best way to make the lawn fuller is to promote lateral growth. Best way to do that is to mow more often.
Posted by Civildawg
Member since May 2012
10558 posts
Posted on 8/9/26 at 7:41 pm to
Letting us know what type of grass it is would be a start
Posted by Yewkindewit
Near Birmingham, Alabama
Member since Apr 2012
22008 posts
Posted on 8/9/26 at 7:56 pm to
I watch for a stretch of rain and I drop 13-13-13 on my lawn, a mixture of Bermuda, centipede, and field grass.
Posted by King of New Orleans
In front of The Hungry Tiger
Member since Jul 2011
11112 posts
Posted on 8/9/26 at 9:47 pm to
I have centipede.

If I laid a Bermuda centipede mix, it doesn’t come up looking like a weird mixture?

Sorry. I’m awful when it comes to landscaping. I can cut the yard and make it look great but doing things to take it to another level is what I am horrible at
Posted by LSUA 75
Colfax,La.
Member since Jan 2019
5106 posts
Posted on 8/9/26 at 11:15 pm to
When we built our house I sodded about a 1/3 around the house(18 pallets)
of centipede.
The rest I hydroseeded.,It was a mixture of Bermuda and Centipede.
Bermuda is fast germinating,centipede is slower.
Bermuda requires more fertilizer than centipede,the centipede took over and the Bermuda died out over a couple of years.
Posted by ApisMellifera
SWLA
Member since Apr 2023
809 posts
Posted on 8/10/26 at 4:18 am to
quote:

I have centipede.


Careful with the fertilizer then. Centipede is known as the lazy man's grass in that it is generally low maintenance. Slow growing and doesn't like a lot of fertilizer, it thrives in poor soil where other grasses struggle. Over fertilizing is one of the most common ways people kill centipede. Also, it's going to take a while for centipede for really fill in.

quote:

If I laid a Bermuda centipede mix, it doesn’t come up looking like a weird mixture?


If you do this, depending on how much sun your lawn gets and if you fertilize regularly, expect for the bermuda to take over. Bermuda is the opposite of what I stated above about centipede. It's a nitrogen hog and fast grower. As long as you have enough sun, water, and nitrogen that bermuda will eventually overtake the centipede.

You have a choice to make, bermuda or centipede. If you have limited sun and want a low maintenance yard that you don't need to mow often, centipede is your choice. If you have full sun and don't mind fertilizing a couple of times of year and mowing 2X a week, bermuda would be the option.

Me personally, as long as I have full sun, I'm going bermuda. It is quick to recover from damage (dogs and kids) and weed control is very easy in that celsius knocks out 90% of weeds.
Posted by tide06
Member since Oct 2011
24595 posts
Posted on 8/10/26 at 6:39 am to
If you don’t have a ton of experience with grass I’d seed Bermuda, figure out how to keep it watered 2x/day for two weeks.

Get the fertilizer spray at Lowe’s or Home Depot that attaches to your hose and spray the yard after the first cut.

After that:
-Set your mower to 2” or lower for cutting it and cut it at every 4-7 days depending on growth but don’t let it get too tall
-water twice a week in the morning
-spray weed and feed that attaches to your hose every month during growing season
-apply preemergent each spring and fall
-if you see brown spots pop up spray it with a fungicide/bug killer attachment

That’s pretty much it.
Posted by Civildawg
Member since May 2012
10558 posts
Posted on 8/10/26 at 8:10 am to
How big is your yard? Are we talking 1/2 acre or less or like 2 acres?
Posted by Tifway419
Member since Sep 2022
2382 posts
Posted on 8/10/26 at 11:48 am to
quote:

Careful with the fertilizer then. Centipede is known as the lazy man's grass in that it is generally low maintenance. Slow growing and doesn't like a lot of fertilizer
This is important. I use Milorganite only on my centipede. It won’t ever have that dark green look, although you can supplement with Iron if you’d like.

My neighbor likes his grass to be dark green. Fertilizes his centipede with 13-13-13 and it looks great for a few weeks and then gets bare spots where weeds fill in. I would not do that, it looks like crap after 2 years of doing that and there’s no going back.

Contrary to popular belief (especially from pros on this board), Centipede can look great; healthy and weed free with little work. Just stay on top of your pre-emergents, light fertilizer twice per growing season, water, and mow once per week.

It’s called a lazy man’s grass for a reason. If you do too much, it will die. The harder you try, the more you will fail.
Posted by CrawDude
Baton Rouge
Member since Apr 2019
6027 posts
Posted on 8/10/26 at 11:50 am to
Centipede - 15-0-15 (N-P-K) lawn fertilizer or something very close, with 0 phosphorus (middle number) or near 0. Apply at a rate of 1/2 pound of Nitrogen per 1000 sq ft, which equates to 3 1/3 pound of 15-0-15 per 1000 sq ft. Apply a single application by April 1-15, and if you think it necessary (based on looks) another application at the same rate July 1-15. Often you can skip the mid-summer application. If you want to apply fertilizer now, so do ASAP and water it in. I’m only suggesting that b/c I assume you are in NOLA with a slightly longer growing season, otherwise I’d suggest waiting until next spring to fertilize.

As stated centipede requires very little fertilizer compared to other warm season grasses. It has a naturally yellowish tint, i.e., not as dark green as St Augustine, so don’t over fertilize with nitrogen to make it so.

Most importantly cut it at the proper height, 2 to 2 1/2 inches, which is higher Bermudagrass and shorter than St. Augustine.

If you paid for centipede sod, give a chance to see how you like it and it performs for you. As with all warm season turf grasses, it has pros & cons.

University of FL has the best general guidelines on centipede lawn management Centipede for FL Lawn - this information is applicable to Louisiana lawns as well.
Posted by King of New Orleans
In front of The Hungry Tiger
Member since Jul 2011
11112 posts
Posted on 8/10/26 at 2:38 pm to
I get really full sun from about 11am til it goes down. Sets in my front yard. Rises in my back.

I’ve always been envious of really manicured full green yards. From what y’all are saying, it sounds like if I just give the centipede time and be patient, it’ll grow nice.

This is my first home I’ve where I get to take care of my own lawn so thank yall for the help! Lots of good info here!
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