USDA Zone 10B Lawn Care Guide

St. Augustine is the most popular grass in Zone 10b, dominating residential lawns throughout South Florida and performing well in Hawaii. Floratam is the most common St. Augustine cultivar, offering good chinch bug resistance and a thick, dark green appearance. Bermuda grass excels in full-sun sports fields and commercial landscapes. In Hawaii, kikuyu grass and seashore paspalum are increasingly popular for their salt tolerance and aggressive growth.

Lawn care in Zone 10b never stops—there is no dormancy period. You’ll mow year-round, typically weekly from March through October and biweekly from November through February. Fertilize every 6–8 weeks during the growing season with a slow-release product. Pre-emergent applications still matter—apply in January and again in August to catch the two main weed germination windows.

Year-round warmth in Zone 10b means pests never fully die off, cycling through multiple generations annually. Chinch bugs, sod webworms, tropical sod webworms, and mole crickets are the most damaging lawn pests in this zone. Inspect your lawn weekly by parting the grass at the edges of any yellowing patches and looking for insects at the soil surface. Preventive treatments with systemic insecticides in spring and fall reduce the worst outbreaks, but a healthy, properly fertilized lawn is your best long-term defense.