Environmentally friendly St Augustine lawn care tips and tricks
It's one of the most popular lawn grasses for mild coastal areas all over the world. Although it doesn't stand up to the high traffic of golf courses and athletic fields, St.
In this guide, you'll learn how to create a strong, healthy, and attractive St. Augustine grass lawn. You'll also learn what you need to do after your lawn is complete to keep it looking great for years to come.
We give information regarding how much water to give it, fertilizers and sprays, and where to buy the right weed control, pest and disease products.
Where to Grow St. Augustine Grass?
St. Augustine grows well in USDA zones 8 through 10, from the Carolina Coast across the Gulf Coast region and Southern California. It needs sun, heat, and moisture to thrive, but it performs well under drought conditions, tolerates salty soil, and is resistant to insect pests.
St. Augustine is the best choice for all but the shadiest or wettest lawns.
Care Tips and Tricks
1.Watering
Remove any existing grass or weeds and till the area to prepare it for sod installation. Water the area well after installation.
The grass at your yard needs to be watered about once a week during the growing season. Water during the dormant season only if you are getting no rain for a month.
You shouldn't schedule irrigation if you want to be successful with your St. Augustine lawn. To determine the correct amount of water, observe your lawn. If it appears dry, is dying, or turning a bluish-green color, that's a sign you need more water.
This means the grass needs to be watered. Walk over the lawn, and see how the blades bounce up. If it springs back, there's no need to water. If it remains flat, water the grass before the next day.
2.Fertilizer
Apply fertilizer in late spring when the weather is consistently warm and the grass is fully green. Fertilizer will be most effective if the soil is within the ideal pH range of
Sulfur is very effective in improving turf quality, especially if used before planting. It decreases the amount of nitrogen your grass needs and can also decrease the pH of your soil, so it’s not necessary to use this fertilizer until the end of your summer growing season.
Use a fertilizer that contains more nitrogen. A ratio of 4-1-2 is generally good unless your soil test suggests otherwise. Our comprehensive lawn care guide has more general tips on making sure your grass stays in tip top shape.
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3.Mowing
Mow between 2.5 and 4 inches high, as often as you need to, removing only one third of the height in each cut. Allow the grass to grow too tall between cuts risks damaging the plants at the next cut.
Mowing is more important in early spring when the grass is growing quickly. When the grass is growing normally, mowing every 5 days is often sufficient. In early spring, mow and bag the clippings to remove old brown foliage.
4.Weed Control
Weed control starts with proper maintenance. Keep a tight rein on pesky summer weeds like crabgrass and goosegrass by applying pre-emergent weed killer in late winter, and again 8 to 10 weeks later.
5.Pests & Diseases
A well maintained lawn has few insect and disease pests that cause real damage. Keep an eye out for mole crickets and chinch bugs in late spring.
These pests can cause the grass to brown out, then progress into one area of the yard, then another and so on. A good control is to spray a lawn insecticide at this stage of the infestation. Brown patch fungus can infect St. Augustine when it’s humid, daytime temperatures are mild, and nights are cool.
It appears as one or more large, brown, grassy patches that merge together. The patches have a telltale orange smoke ring around the perimeter. Stop watering and fertilizing while brown patch is active. Also, treat the brown patch with a lawn fungicide.
Bag and remove the grass clippings from your lawn when you mow these areas. St. Augustine grass will make a great moderate-maintenance lawn for mild climate areas, but it's not the best choice for parks or sports fields. It's one of the best for private homes, where foot traffic is light.
