June is where late-spring routines break. Across most of Texas, daytime temperatures push into the 95–105°F range, soil evaporation accelerates, and the window between “fine” and “stressed” narrows fast. Bermuda hits its peak growth rate and may need mowing twice a week. St. Augustine in sunny spots becomes vulnerable to chinch bug infestation if irrigation slips. Zoysia holds on better than either, but isn’t immune.
The grass type you’re working with drives every decision that follows. Texas lawns run on three warm-season species, and within those species the cultivar matters for both care and pest risk. If you’re just finishing the seasonal transition to warm-season grass, what’s below picks up from that starting point.
To get ahead on the full season’s care, the Lush Lawns guide at GardeningByZone covers warm-season grass care with regional breakdowns for how Texas heat actually varies by sub-region.
Texas Warm-Season Grasses: What You’re Working With
Bermuda is heat- and drought-tolerant, a strong performer in full sun, but has no shade tolerance. Common Bermuda mows at 1.5–3 inches; hybrid varieties run 1–2.5 inches.
St. Augustine ‘Floratam’ is the dominant cultivar in Texas. It offers good drought avoidance but lacks shade tolerance and needs more consistent irrigation than Bermuda. One point worth knowing: ‘Floratam’ was historically listed as chinch-bug resistant. AgriLife’s 2025 chinch bug publication states that ‘Floratam’ no longer appears chinch-bug resistant, and there is no commercially available chinch-resistant St. Augustine currently on the market. Manage St. Augustine as fully susceptible.
Zoysia comes in two main species in Texas. Zoysia japonica has a coarser blade and better cold tolerance; it mows at 1–2.5 inches. Zoysia matrella is finer-textured and more shade-tolerant; it mows at 1–2 inches. Neither species hosts chinch bugs.
| Grass | Summer Mow Height | Key Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Common Bermuda | 1.5–3 in | Heat/drought-tolerant; no shade tolerance |
| Hybrid Bermuda | 1–2.5 in | Heat/drought-tolerant; no shade tolerance |
| St. Augustine ‘Floratam’ | 2.5–4 in | Good drought avoidance; no longer chinch-resistant |
| Zoysia japonica | 1–2.5 in | Coarser blade; more cold-tolerant |
| Zoysia matrella | 1–2 in | Finer blade; more shade-tolerant |
Raise St. Augustine to the top of its height range in summer. Taller blades shade the crown, slow surface evaporation, and reduce heat stress at the base of the plant.
Watering: Depth, Timing, and Wilt
Move off a calendar and onto what you can observe. Water no more than once or twice a week in summer, each time pushing moisture to roughly 6 inches of depth. Six inches reaches Bermuda’s root system during active growth and encourages deeper rooting over time compared to light, frequent cycles.
Visible wilt is the most reliable trigger. Catching those signals the same day allows a single watering cycle to fix the problem. Waiting two or three days means crown damage that takes weeks to recover.
Water between 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. Watering later in the day means more evaporates before it soaks in; watering in the evening leaves foliage wet for hours longer than necessary.
Some Texas soils shed water at the surface after extended drought rather than absorbing it. The fix is cycle-and-soak: two shorter irrigation runs with a rest interval between them, so each pass has time to penetrate before the next begins.
Consistent irrigation on St. Augustine is also a pest-prevention measure. Drought-stressed St. Augustine is the primary entry condition for chinch bugs. Letting the lawn wilt before watering creates the thinning, stressed turf that chinch bugs prefer.
Early Summer Pest Pressure
Chinch Bugs
Chinch bugs are the dominant early-summer pest on St. Augustine. They concentrate in sunny areas during hot, dry weather, feed at the blade base, and produce expanding patches of yellow-orange turf that look nearly identical to drought stress. Watering more does not help an active infestation.
To distinguish pest damage from drought, inspect the patch perimeter at ground level for the insects themselves. Scout weekly through June and July; the action threshold is roughly 20–25 chinch bugs per square foot. A contact insecticide applied to the affected zone controls an active infestation. Follow product label instructions; some pesticides require restricted-use applicator licenses.
Bermuda and Zoysia do not host chinch bugs. Similar discoloration in those grasses points to a different pest and requires a different diagnosis.
White Grubs
White grubs feed on grass roots below the soil line. Timing matters by latitude: adult beetles emerge in late May in south Texas, but not until early July in north Texas. Treat in June in the south and early July in the north, while larvae are small and near the surface where contact products reach them. Sample by cutting a 1-square-foot section 3–4 inches deep; the treatment threshold is 5–10 grubs per square foot.
Fire Ants
Fire ants build mounds aggressively in early summer and create real hazards for anyone mowing or using the yard barefoot. They don’t damage turf directly. Texas AgriLife recommends the Two-Step Method: broadcast a granular bait across the full lawn (mid-April and again in September), then treat individual mounds as they appear between broadcast applications. The broadcast step handles colony pressure across the yard; mound treatment cleans up what persists. Follow product label instructions.
Looking Ahead: Fall Armyworms
Fall armyworms peak in late summer and early fall, not in June, so they’re not an immediate concern. Watch for them from August onward: the threshold is roughly 3 worms per square foot in turf, and populations can build quickly. Maintaining your lawn through Texas’ late-summer heat covers that transition window.
Fertilization Rates
Feed Bermuda at 0.5–1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per application during active summer growth, up to four applications per year. St. Augustine takes 1–4 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft over the full year; cap at 2 lb total in shaded areas to avoid forcing soft, disease-prone growth.
Don’t apply fertilizer when the lawn is drought-stressed. Water first, confirm the grass is actively growing, then treat. For a complete seasonal plan, transitioning from summer to fall in Texas covers what comes next once the peak heat breaks.