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Orlando sits in USDA hardiness zone 9b with a ~300+ day growing season — most winters are essentially frost-free. When frost does occur it is usually a brief event in late January or early February, and any first fall frost comes in mid-to-late December, if at all (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals). Orlando lawns are warm-season St. Augustine (Floratam), with Bahia, Zoysia, and Bermuda — so the calendar is driven by pest pressure, fertilizer ordinances, and water rules, not frost:
- St. Augustine cannot be seeded or overseeded — it is installed as sod or plugs, and it stays green nearly year-round, so there is no annual fall overseed.
- Core aeration is a warm-season, active-growth task (spring–summer), not fall.
- Summer nitrogen and phosphorus are restricted: from June 1 through September 30, current City of Orlando guidance allows only fertilizer with zero nitrogen and zero phosphorus, while Orange County’s current rule page prohibits fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus. Check the property’s jurisdiction before applying.
Orlando turf & climate facts (Orange County)
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | 9b (Orange County; ranges 9b–10a) | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) |
| Avg last spring frost | Rare — ~late January/early February in colder years; many winters frost-free | NOAA 1991–2020 normals |
| Avg first fall frost | ~mid-to-late December, if at all | NOAA 1991–2020 normals |
| Growing season | ~300+ days (often year-round) | derived from NOAA normals |
| Primary lawn grasses | St. Augustine (Floratam) (typical lawns), Bahia / Zoysia / Bermuda — all warm-season | UF/IFAS Extension |
| Warm-season note | St. Augustine is installed as sod/plugs (no seed) and is not overseeded | UF/IFAS Extension |
Which fertilizer rule applies to your property?
Checked August 10, 2026. Determine whether the property is inside City of Orlando limits or elsewhere in Orange County before applying fertilizer. Orange County Code Chapter 15, Article XVII says it applies throughout Orange County except in municipalities whose fertilizer standards are no less strict; City of Orlando Code §31.26 applies inside City limits.
| Property location | June 1–September 30 | October 1–May 31 | Waterfront rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside City of Orlando | Current City guidance says use only fertilizer with zero nitrogen and zero phosphorus. Follow City Code §31.26 as well. | Apply only when needed; current City guidance calls for zero phosphorus and at least 65% slow-release nitrogen. | City guidance recommends 25 feet. City Code §31.26(d) states 10 feet, or 3 feet with specified deflector, drop-spreader, or liquid equipment. The guidance distance is not described here as the code minimum. |
| Elsewhere in Orange County | Orange County prohibits fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus. | Phosphorus requires a soil test showing deficiency; nitrogen must be at least 65% slow-release, with no more than 1 lb total nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. per application and 3 lbs per 1,000 sq. ft. per year. | Orange County states no fertilizer within 25 feet of waterways and requires deflector shields in the listed situations. |
If the address or controlling rule is uncertain, confirm it with the municipality or Orange County Environmental Protection before application.
Primary sources checked August 10, 2026: City of Orlando guidance, City Code §31.26, and Orange County fertilizer requirements.
Review step 2 connecting Property Planning to Timing Choices
A = Aeration · P = Planting/Sodding. Mow St. Augustine 3.5–4″. Irrigate within the current SJRWMD day-of-week schedule. St. Augustine is not seeded/overseeded, so there is no overseeding column.
| Month | Aeration window | Planting / sodding | Key lawn-care tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | — (cool) | — | Coolest month; St. Augustine may be off-color after a cold snap. Mow as needed. Hold fertilizer (too cool for uptake). Watch for any rare frost. |
| Feb | — | OK | Spring pre-emergent window — apply when daytime temps hold ~65–70°F for several days (typically February here, earlier than northern zones) for crabgrass/goosegrass. Green-up begins late Feb. |
| Mar | Opens (active growth) | Good | Active green-up. Do not prescribe a March feeding: UF/IFAS gives early April as the general first-application timing for Central Florida. Resume regular mowing and begin chinch-bug and weed scouting. |
| Apr | Open | Excellent | Active growth — aerate during active growth; sod or plug new lawns. If fertilizer is needed, follow UF/IFAS rates and the rule for the property’s jurisdiction. Irrigate within the SJRWMD schedule. |
| May | Peak | Ideal | Peak growth begins; mow weekly 3.5–4″. Aerate/dethatch. Watch chinch bugs in hot, dry spots; large-patch fungus easing. |
| Jun | Continue | OK with irrigation | Rainy season starts. June 1–September 30: do not apply fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus under the current City of Orlando guidance and Orange County rule page. Mow weekly. |
| Jul | Can continue | OK with irrigation | Peak heat and rain — chinch bugs, tropical sod webworm, and gray leaf spot pressure peaks; scout weekly. Hold nitrogen and phosphorus during the restricted period. A zero-N, zero-P iron product may add color, but iron does not correct a nitrogen deficiency. |
| Aug | Closes (late summer) | OK with irrigation | Pest pressure stays high (webworm/chinch); mow weekly. Sod establishes well with irrigation. Keep scouting. |
| Sep | Tail end | Good | Rainy season winding down. The named City and County restricted period ends after September 30; apply fertilizer afterward only if the lawn needs it and the applicable rule allows it. |
| Oct | — | Good | Fall pre-emergent for winter weeds (annual bluegrass/Poa) as nights cool. If the lawn needs fertilizer, follow UF/IFAS rates and the applicable local rule. Growth begins to slow. |
| Nov | — | OK | Growth slowing; mow less often. Do not make a calendar-driven final feeding after growth slows. Step irrigation down within the current SJRWMD schedule. |
| Dec | — | — | Coolest stretch begins; St. Augustine slows. Minimal mowing; no fertilizer. Water before a rare freeze to protect turf. Plan next season. |
Why Orlando’s calendar differs from cool-season regions
- There is no true winter dormancy most years. With a ~300+ day season, the calendar is built around pests, fertilizer ordinances, and water restrictions rather than frost dates.
- St. Augustine is sodded, never seeded. Floratam is installed as sod or plugs and is never overseeded — unlike cool-season lawns that need an annual fall seeding to stay thick.
- Aeration happens in active growth (spring–summer), not fall — aerating a warm-season lawn as it slows for winter can set it back.
- Summer nitrogen and phosphorus are restricted. From June 1 through September 30, follow the City of Orlando or Orange County rule identified for the property; do not describe the rule as a ban on every zero-N, zero-P product.
- Watering: SJRWMD enforces year-round day-of-week restrictions (commonly 2 days/week in daylight-saving months, 1 day/week in winter) — check your address’s schedule.
- Pests first: chinch bugs, tropical sod webworm, and gray leaf spot are the main St. Augustine threats — scout weekly through the summer.
Methodology & sources
The Orlando and Orange County schedule below separates its public authorities by subject. UF/IFAS plant guidance must remain labeled statewide, water rules retain their issuing source, and fertilizer language stays unpublished unless the local fact ledger supplies a valid Orlando source.
- Frost dates & growing season: NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (via Almanac.com / Garden.org frost-date tools); frost is rare and treated as an occasional event, not a hard date.
- Review step 8 for property planning connects selection criteria to a property zone and a measurable acceptance point. Items not yet observed remain questions rather than assumptions.
- Turf maintenance timing: UF/IFAS Extension — *Florida Lawn Handbook* and *St. Augustinegrass for Florida Lawns* (warm-season active-growth aeration, post-green-up fertilization, spring/fall pre-emergent timing, pest scouting), plus SJRWMD watering rules and local fertilizer ordinances.
- Review step 7 for property planning connects selection criteria to a property zone and a measurable acceptance point. Items not yet observed remain questions rather than assumptions.
Review step 3 connecting Property Planning to Property Checkpoint 3
Review step 5 connecting Property Planning to Timing Choices
In Orlando, you can establish warm-season grass almost year-round, but spring through early summer (about March to June) is the best window, giving St. Augustine, Zoysia, or Bahia a full warm season to root. Sod and plugs establish faster than seed in Central Florida’s sandy soil. Orlando lawns never go fully dormant, so timing is more flexible than in northern, frost-driven climates – just avoid laying new sod right before the heaviest summer rains or a rare winter freeze.
How often should you mow your lawn in Orlando?
Orlando lawns grow nearly year-round, so mow about weekly from April through October and every 1-2 weeks from November through March. Keep St. Augustine at 3.5-4 inches and Zoysia a little lower, and never remove more than one-third of the blade at once. Year-round growth means Orlando mows far more often than northern lawns that go dormant in winter.
Review step 6 connecting Property Planning to Timing Choices
Aerate Orlando lawns in late spring to early summer (April-June), when warm-season grass is growing fast and recovers quickly. Core aeration relieves compaction and helps water and nutrients reach roots in sandy soil. Avoid aerating in the cool season when growth slows, and topdress with compost afterward to build up Central Florida’s low-organic sand.
When can you fertilize your lawn in Orlando?
First check the property’s jurisdiction. From June 1 through September 30, current City of Orlando guidance allows only zero-nitrogen, zero-phosphorus fertilizer, while Orange County’s rule page prohibits fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus. That does not mean every 0-0 product is prohibited. From October through May, fertilize only if the lawn needs it and follow the applicable City or County rule; current guidance calls for zero phosphorus unless a qualifying deficiency is established and at least 65% slow-release nitrogen when nitrogen is used. See our Orlando fertilizer rules for more detail.
Review step 4 connecting Property Planning to Property Checkpoint 4
Not fully. Orlando sits in USDA zone 9b-10a with an effectively year-round growing season, so warm-season grass keeps growing slowly through winter and only browns briefly during a rare hard freeze. There is no long frost-driven dormancy like northern metros, which is why Orlando lawns are still mowed and irrigated (on the winter 1-day schedule) all year.