What Gardening Zone Is St Augustine Fl
21 September, 2017
The sandier your soil, the more frequent watering the St. Augustine will require.
Fertilize the grass again after it has been down from six weeks.
St. Augustine (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is a warm season grass grown throughout the southeastern sections of the United States. Lawns laid with St. Augustine sod are full, lush and green, if maintained properly. Its broad, flat leaves grow dense and turn into a thick carpet of grass. St. Augustine is the most tolerant to partial shade conditions than any other warm season grass.
Kill any weeds or grasses in the planting site several weeks before the St. Augustine is laid. This allows time for the herbicide to work and wash away. Laying the sod too soon after an herbicide application can result in its death.
- St. Augustine (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is a warm season grass grown throughout the southeastern sections of the United States.
- St. Augustine is the most tolerant to partial shade conditions than any other warm season grass.
Remove any debris such as rocks, sticks, branches or roots from the planting site. Till up the first 6 inches of top soil to loosen it. This will allow the sod's root system to have an easier time establishing itself into the soil.
Work compost or manure into the soil. If your soil is clay, work lime into the soil at a rate of 50 lb. for every 1,000 square feet. Add a 5-10-15 fertilizer into the planting area at a rate of 20 lb. for every 1,000 square feet. Rake the planting area level.
- Remove any debris such as rocks, sticks, branches or roots from the planting site.
- Till up the first 6 inches of top soil to loosen it.
Water the fertilizer and compost into the soil. Make sure the planting area is moist when you begin to place the sod. Do not place bare-rooted sod upon dry soil.
Mark the areas you do not want sod to grow with spray paint. Spray around any flowerbeds, trees or other areas where grass is not preferred.
Lay your sod pieces down starting at the farthest and longest section of the planting site. Lay the pieces down one by one. Kick the sides of each piece of sod to push them tightly together as you lay them down next to each other. Continue laying the square sod pieces until you have covered the entire planting area.
- Water the fertilizer and compost into the soil.
- Make sure the planting area is moist when you begin to place the sod.
Trim any pieces of sod that need to fit around flowerbeds or other obstacles with a hatchet, machete or sharp knife.
Add 1 inch of water over the freshly laid sod. Place a cup or other container into the middle of the lawn and keep watering until the container has filled up to 1 inch. Continue watering the sod for the first 10 days, keeping the top portion of grass moist but not soggy. Depending on your weather conditions, you may need to water every day. Once the roots begin establishing themselves, cut back watering to two to three times per week.
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St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is a coarse, tropical grass that grows well in coastal areas. It can be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10, but will go dormant and turn brown is the soil temperature drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Because it spreads quickly, St. Augustine often creeps into flower beds and other unwanted areas. It is easy to remove, however, because of its shallow root system. This grass does not tolerate high amounts of traffic well, so is a good choice for lawns and gardens but not for athletic fields or other high traffic areas. This grass requires moderate to ample amounts of water both immediately after sodding and throughout its lifetime.
Spray a generous application of general weed killer on the area to be sodded two weeks before you lay the sod.
Calculate how much sod you will need and make arrangements to have it delivered 24 hours before you plan to start laying it.
Spread a layer of compost, 1 inch thick, over the area to be sodded. Spread 5-10-5 fertilizer at a rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Spread lime at a rate of 50 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Till these amendments into the soil to a depth of 6 inches. St. Augustine grass requires good fertilization to perform well, so it is important to give the sod a nutrient rich start.
Rake up any rocks or loose debris and flatten the area with a water-filled lawn roller. Fill low or uneven spots with topsoil as needed and roll the dirt flat again.
Water the area to be sodded with one-quarter to one-half inch of water the night before you lay the sod in preparation for this coastal grass' ample water needs.
Lay the St. Augustine sod pieces out on the yard, starting with the longest straight area to be sodded. If working with a large open area you can also start on one side of the lawn and work your way across. No matter where you start, it is important to make sure that your first row is straight. Place the sections of sod very tightly up against each other and place the rows of so that the seams are staggered. Continue working your way around the yard until you have laid all of the large pieces of sod you can.
Cut large pieces of sod into smaller ones using a hatchet or sharp shovel and place them where needed to sod around landscaping, permanent lawn ornaments or other outdoor fixtures.
Roll the yard again to to make sure you have good contact between the soil and the roots of the fresh sod. This step is crucial to ensure that the shallow roots of the fresh St. Augustine grass make contact with the soil rather than floating above it.
Water the newly laid sod with 1 inch of water immediately after laying. Continue to water sod twice a day for 1 week; you may need to water slightly more or less depending on weather. Keep the soil moist to a depth of 1 inch. Once the sod is established, 1 inch of water a week should suffice.
Planting St Augustine sod is usually the best way to get this turf grass going strong in your yard. It can be done very successfully if you pay close attention to proven guidelines for preparing the soil, laying the sod and caring for it in the important first weeks.
This lawn care guide offers a complete plan for planting St Augustine sod and helping it to thrive in your yard.
Preparing the Soil
Two to three weeks before your sod arrives, spray an existing yard with non-selective weed killer like Roundup. Next, use a heavy-duty tiller and till the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. If the sod grower recommends adding lime or fertilizer to the soil, now is the time to do it.
If you have a new home and the ground is bare, you still need to prepare the soil. If you've got 6 inches of top soil to work with, you're in good shape. If not, you'll have to bring in soil needed to produce a 6-inch bed. Till the soil thoroughly and mix in lime and/or fertilizer.
If you don't have directions for lime and fertilizer from the grower, use these figures. Use 5-10-5 fertilizer and add 15-20 pound for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. For lime, add 30-40 pounds for the same area. Till the fertilizer and lime into the soil. The importance of giving your St Augustine sod the right environment to get its root structure established cannot be overestimated.
Rake stones and debris out of the soil. Make sure there are no low spots. Then roll the soil with a heavy roller, like the type you fill with water.
Laying St Augustine Sod
The evening before you lay the sod, soak the ground so that the moisture penetrates to a depth of 3-4 inches. You want the dirt to be moist but not muddy. Yes, you'll get extra dirty laying the sod, but your St Augustine turf will reward you by getting established more quickly.
Choose a long, straight boundary line to start with. Lay pieces of sod end to end. Stagger the next row, like a bricklayer does, so that end seams are not lined up. A flat shovel works well for trimming sod pieces where necessary.
If you don't complete the job in a single day, leave the remaining sod on the pallets and soak the outer layers to keep them moist.
Once all the sod is down, roll the entire yard again, pressing the roots into the prepared soil.
Watering your New St Augustine Sod Immediately
Watering will be your most important task over the next month as you help your sod get established in your yard. Immediately after the sod is down, add 1 inch of water to the yard.
To determine how long it takes your sprinkler to add 1 inch, place a few containers around the area covered by the sprinkler. Inexpensive rain gauges may also be available at the local gardening store. Measure the water in each after an hour. Then you'll know how long you need to water in order to add 1 inch.
In heavy clay, divide the watering up into 2 sessions, one in the morning and the second just after lunch. This is especially important on hills where water can run off the sod before fully penetrating it. On very sandy soil, you should add an extra quarter-inch of water since it drains so quickly through the soil. You want to make sure the roots of your St Augustine turf can absorb what they need.
A Watering Schedule for New St Augustine Sod
Keep a rain gauge out to measure rainfall. Your sod needs a quarter-inch of rain every 2-3 days for the first 2 weeks. Then it needs one inch of water per week from that point on. Use the sprinkler to make up whatever amount doesn't fall in the form of rain.
If weather conditions are hot and windy, increase the amount of water you give your sod. If conditions are cool and humid, slightly less water is required. Use common sense. If the lawn is green and looks healthy, keep doing what you're doing. If it looks stressed or wilted, it may not be getting enough water. If it starts to turn yellow, it's had too much water. In most cases, you'll get a healthy, happy St Augustine lawn if you follow the watering directions given above.
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St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) comes as sod, plugs and sprigs to plant in your lawn. The ground preparation is the same for all types, although the planting method varies. Planting sod gives you an instant lawn that is entirely covered. Plugs that are planted during the spring when it's 80 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit grow together and fill in the lawn by the fall. Sprigs take longer to fill in the lawn, as each one is a root with a few leaves on top and a runner. St. Augustine is a good choice for coastal areas because it is salt-tolerant and thrives in full sun to partial shade.
Ground Preparation
Mow the lawn area with a lawnmower, set on the lowest setting, to remove all tall weeds from the area you are planting.
Turn the soil with a garden tiller to a depth of 4 inches. Make passes with a tiller through the lawn from east to west. Then travel in passes from north to south to loosen the soil thoroughly.
Rake out all weeds, grass and rocks from the planting area.
Water the soil with a garden hose or sprinkler so it is damp.
Installing Sod
Pound a wooden stake into the ground with a hammer in the center of one side of the lawn. Tie one end of the string to the stake and walk to the other side of the lawn in a straight line. Pound a wooden stake in the ground directly across from the first stake and tie the string to it to establish a straight line.
Place a sod square next to the string line on the right side at the edge of the lawn. Continue laying sod in a straight line to the other end of the string line. Place each sod section against the previous section so the edges touch tightly.
Cut one piece of sod in half with a hook-bill knife. Start the second row of sod on the left side of the string line with a half piece of sod. Push the second row of sod next to the first row tightly. Continue the second row of sod with full pieces to the end of the second row and finish it with the other half piece.
Lay each row alternating rows beginning with full pieces of sod and half pieces until the ground is covered. Cut off any edges of sod that are next to trees, walkways or flower beds with a hook-bill knife.
Installing Plugs/Sprigs
Make furrows throughout the ground in one direction with a tiller. Space the furrows from six to 12 inches apart for sprigs and six to 24 inches apart for plugs.
Place sprigs in each furrow with each sprig touching the next to make rows of sprigs. Cover the roots or stolons with soil around each sprig, leaving the leaf blades exposed above the soil level.
Space plugs about 12 inches apart in the furrows. Tamp each plug down with a rake handle for good soil to root contact.
Watering
Water the St. Augustine grass thoroughly after planting it.
Apply water to the lawn in short watering sessions of five to 10 minutes throughout the day for a week to 10 days.
Water the lawn for the next seven days once a day to apply 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water a day.
Reduce the watering frequency to two or three times a week to supply the grass with 1/4 to 1/2 inch per irrigation cycle.
Water the lawn on an as-need basis after this watering schedule on a three to four week course.
PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA
Step One: Irrigation
Step one to a great lawn is a great irrigation system. It must have a modern internet-connected timer, a powerful pump, remote-controlled valves, and the right pipe sizes. The layout of the heads must create overlapping spray patterns over the entire lawn – Head A must reach Head B and Head B must reach Head A and C and Head C must reach Head A and B, so on and so on.
Turf Tip: Don't wait until the sod arrives to water your lawn. Turn on the irrigation now and run it like you have the greatest lawn in the county until the sod arrives. This will bring the soil to life. A moist living soil is the best planting medium for sod.
Step Two: Prepare
Step two is the proper preparation of the area to be sodded. If it is bare soil with no existing lawn, just level the bare soil and plant the sod. If you are renovating an existing lawn, the best way to prepare for sod is to remove and replace. This is done with a sod cutter and a dumpster. Set the sod cutter to 1 – 2" deep and cut the existing lawn. Remove the old lawn and throw it in a dumpster. If done correctly, the area to be planted will be ready for sod. Level to remove footprints and place the sod directly on the soil.
Turf Tip: The primary goal of preparing your lawn for sodding is to have soil to soil contact – where the soil side of the sod is in contact with the soil of your lawn. The best way to get the soil to soil contact is to strip the existing weeds and such from your lawn with a sod cutter. This not only exposes the soil for soil to soil contact but often leaves a level surface.
Step Three: Plant
Planting sod is as simple as placing the sod pieces edge to edge and trimming borders. No special technique or tips here – just get the sod on the ground, green side up. There are about 450 pieces of sod per pallet and sodding goes quickly if you get in a quick-paced rhythm of picking up sod and throwing it into place – and set your mind to doing just that – 450 times!
Step Four: Water
Water, water, water! The number one determining factor for the success or failure of your new lawn is water (If you don't have an irrigation system, see step one). The goal is to not let your lawn dry out during the first 30 days. Most drying occurs during the day. Therefore, you should water during the day. I recommend watering at an hour after sunrise and again 8 – 10 hours later.
Turf Tip: You cannot kill your lawn with water, but it will die in hours from the lack of it. If you are going to err, err on the side of a generous amount of water.
Step Five: Fertilizers and Mowing
The sod comes from the sod farm in good shape. There is no need to fertilize. It needs water more than anything else. From May through June it would be wise to start lawn spraying within a week of the sod being laid to protect against sod webworms. Other times of the year start a good lawn spraying program within 4 – 8 weeks.
Allow the sod to root firmly in the soil before mowing. When you do mow, raise the mower as high as it will go and then mow. The higher you mow your lawn, the better your lawn will be.
Rick Orr is the creator of Iloveturf.com, Owner/Operator of APL Pest Control and a graduate from VA Tech in Agronomy (Turf Ecology).
Since 1980, Rick worked in the green industry, mostly with golf courses, resorts and large communities. Rick worked as a Golf Course Superintendent of Fripp Island Resort, agronomist for Seaside, FL and the spray tech for Vinoy Golf Course. Rick has been certified as an arborist, landscape and irrigation contractor and adjunct professor for Environmental Horticulture (SPC) in Pinellas County.
Home Pest Control came naturally. Entomology (bug science) was part of agronomy studies. Nearly every indoor pest problem starts outdoors. Crossing over to home pest control from lawn spraying was a natural process – the technology, methods and materials used for home pest control are modifications of the ones used for lawn spraying.
The results of that work is a one of the top rated pest control companies in Pinellas County – APL Pest Control. APL Pest Control is a family owned business serving residential and commercial properties in Pinellas County, FL.
Free Price Quote for Home Pest Control and/or Lawn Spraying CLICK HERE
To learn more about APL Pest Control CLICK HERE
Speaking Engagements – Does it seem like you are only hearing one side of water restrictions, fertilizer bans, plant restrictions, and many other urban landscape hot topics? Rick Orr is available for speaking engagements for your HOA, Community or Professional Association or Garden Club about a variety of subjects. To contact Rick you can find him on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram for booking information.
How to Plant St Augustine Grass Sod from UF/IFAS Turf Specialist Dr. Laurie Trenholm.
Planting a new lawn with sod is the fastest way to establish a lawn. In this video, your Florida Lawn UF/IFAS Turf Specialist Dr. Laurie Trenholm demonstrates helpful, science-based techniques on establishing a successful St. Augustine lawn.
In my article Planting Grass, I mentioned Lawns can be grown by planting sod grass. When planting sod grass, grading is beneficial for a proper level surface. This is helpful in making sure new sod will grow to its full potential, giving you the results you want to see.
Proper grading also assures good drainage after the lawn is established, to avoid any flooding that can occur during heavy rainfall.
Before planting grass remove all debris such as rocks, dead grass, and weeds. If it is a new home then make sure all construction debris is removed before you begin to install your new lawn. and for existing homes that need small renovation, a shovel and rake is all you need to remove the area needed to be done.
After planting your St Augustine Grass Sod make sure it is watered right away for the root system to start to take hold. Water regularly during the first 30 days, Then you can continue to water on your scheduled watering days.
Fertilize newly planted sod one week after installation. Follow the directions on label and water in fertilizer as soon as possible.
You can mow new turf after it takes hold and is growing, reaching the maximum height required. Mow lawn at a higher level to avoid damage. Do Not apply Weed Control until 30 days after planting grass.
Don't let your remodeling budget go over-board by hidden surprises – understand what the average installed costs for St Augustine Sod is in your zip code by using our handy calculator. If you're looking for 2020 breakdown for Cost of St Augustine Sod materials and what installation cost might be, you've come to the right place.
As an experienced licensed home improvement contractor, I know first hand what it should cost for various levels — from Basic, Better, and of course the best. This St Augustine Sod estimator will provide you with up to date pricing for your area. Simply enter your zip code and the square footage, next click update and you will see a breakdown on what it should cost to have St Augustine Sod installed onto your home
Example: a 10 x 10 area = 100 square feet.
| St Augustine Sod Costs | Zip Code | Sq. ft. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Better | Best | |
| St Augustine Sod – Material Prices | $225.00 – $250.00 | $300.00 – $325.00 | $350.00 – $400.00 |
| St Augustine Sod – Installation Cost | $150.00 – $175.00 | $200.00 – $250.00 | $300.00 – $350.00 |
| St Augustine Sod – Total | $375.00 – $425.00 | $500.00 – $575.00 | $650.00 – $750.00 |
| St Augustine Sod – Total Average Cost per square foot | $0.80 | $1.07 | $1.40 |
- Cost can add up quickly, especially if you're a novice and have never attempted a St Augustine Sod installation before. I would strongly recommend you hire a licensed and Insured St Augustine Sod contractor to perform the installation for you.
- Be sure to have a copy of the St Augustine Sod Manufacturer's recommended installation requirements before starting, to make sure your project doesn't end up costing you more money in the long-run.
St Augustine Sod – Pricing and Installation Cost Checklist
- Get at least 3-5 estimates before hiring a St Augustine Sod contractor — estimates are typically free, unless it's a service call for a repair.
- Expect the St Augustine Sod prices to fluctuate between various companies – each and every company have different operation expenses and over-head.
- Try to get prices in late Fall, early winter – you should expect aggressive pricing discounts by waiting for a contractor's down season.
- Try to budget and additional 7-15% more on top of what our calculator gives out for St Augustine Sod costs.
- Visit every supply house that sell your particular brand of St Augustine Sod and try to negotiate a better price with each supplier – I save on average 20%.
- Remember, there are multiple styled homes in the U.S – from: Contemporary, colonial, cape-cod style, ranch, bungalow, victorian, etc. So keep that in mind and try to budget a little more, before starting your St Augustine Sod project.
View other Lawn and Garden Costs:
- Lawn care & Sod
- Landscape Stone & Gravel
- Lawn Irrigation Systems & Edging
External References:
- ASLA – American Society of Landscape Architects. Get helpful landscape planning advice and costs. Added July 24, 2020
- Garden Design – Creative Landscaping ideas. Added June 21, 2020
- DIY Projects: Landscaping: How To Design Your Own Landscape Added April 16, 2020
My landscaper installed St. Augustine sod this weekend. I'm concerned that he did not install it correctly because it is starting to turn brown over about 40% of the yard. My landscaper had the yard scraped with a tractor and then he laid the sod on top of the dirt. My landscaper did not use a lawn starter, till the yard, or use a roller after installation. Is that an issue/concern?
skoot_cat
Sound like they did everything correct, expect roll after the installation.
Have you watered it since it was installed?
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texasjerry
The landscaper set my sprinklers for 20 minutes per day and said that would be sufficient. I doubted that, after the second day of browning, and increased it to 60 minutes per day and the yard is now saturated.
Should I roll it when the sod is saturated or do I need to let it dry some beforehand?
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skoot_cat
The roller is only 1 part of the problem.
First you need to adjust your irrigation schedule. For the first few weeks you want to keep your sod moist not saturated. Lets assume your sod was laid today.
Week 1-2 – Irrigate 3 times a day with 1/4″ of water.(Early morning 5-6am, noon, and early evening 5-6pm)
Week 3 – Irrigate 2 times a day with 1/4″ of water. (early morning and late after noon 3-4pm)
Week 4 – Irrigate 1 time a day with 1/2″ of water.(early morning)
Week 5 – Irrigate every other day with 3/4-1″ of water(early morning)
Week 6 and ongoing water Once, but no more than twice a week with 3/4 to 1″ of water.
To determine the amount of water your irrigation system is applying you need to calibrate your sprinkler system, which is very easy. Link below.
If you can rent a roller, do it tonight. Lightly water the lawn for about 15-20mins first. You dont want the sod/soil to be saturated, just moist. Fill the roller 1/2 to no more than 3/4 full. Go over the entire lawn, making only 1 pass with the roller in a slow to moderate pace. Be careful when making turns, it will tear up new sod.
As for fertilizer: Its not necessary at this time, but if you wanted to you could safely apply Milorganite 6-2-0 at or slightly below the recommended rate. Then, in November apply another dose of fertilizer with as close to equal amount of potassium as nitrogen. ex. 20-0-18 No phosphorus is need at this time.
Here is a link that might be useful: How to calibrate your sprinkler
In Texas, St. Augustine grass is one of the most popular of the turfgrass, or carpet grass, varieties. This type of grass does well in the warmer temperatures, and it has a low dense growth habit. That means it gets very thick so it feels like a carpet beneath your feet, and it does not grow tall quickly, so you get to mow less frequently.
If you water your St, Augustine grass properly, and feed it the right fertilizers, at the right time, then you will have a beautiful lawn with few weeds.
According to the author, Lisa Bohler, of the Fixin To Texas blog, providing your St. Augustine sod with the right fertilizer, at the right time of year, is the key to having healthy grass.
What Fertilizer to Use
When you feed your St. Augustine grass it is important that you use a fertilizer that contains the right balance of nutrients. Your St. Augustine grass needs one pound of soluble nitrogen for every 1,000 feet of lawn.
When you buy fertilizer the label will have numbers on it, like 15 – 5 – 10, or 10 – 3 – 10. Those numbers refer to the ratio of nitrogen – phosphorus – potassium that the mixture contains. To buy the proper amount of fertilizer you need to divide 100 by the first number that is listed on the label. The label may list the first number as, "ammonium sulfate", that means nitrogen.
If you are buying 10 – 10 – 10, then you need 10 pounds of that fertilizer for each 1,000 square feet of grass. If you buy a product that is labeled 15 – 5 – 10, then you need to use 6.6 pounds of product on 1,000 square feet.
If your yard has 6,000 square feet and you buy a product with 10 as the first number, then you need 60 pounds of that fertilizer to feed your grass.
Your new sod needs a fertilizer that contains very little phosphorus. When your grass gets an over-abundance of phosphorus then it can become depleted of zinc, and iron.
When to Fertilize
You want to apply the fertilizer in the spring when there is no longer a chance of a frost. This will generally be about three weeks after your grass starts to turn green in the spring.
Then you should continue to fertilize your grass every 8 weeks. There are some fertilizers that contain slow release nitrogen. If you use one of these products you will fertilize every 10 weeks, but you have to increase the amount of fertilizer you use. You will use 1 ½ pounds of soluble nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
Stop putting fertilizer on the grass in September and resume your schedule the following spring in late February, or in early March.
Best Time Of Year To Plant A New St Augustine Lawn
Saint Augustine grass can be planted out at most times of the year in the warmer regions where winter is not expected to be too cold, however different regions will differ as to the best time of year to plant new Saint Augustine lawns, and this is usually based on climate and rainfall conditions, winter temperatures etc.
Besides these considerations, planting a new Saint Augustine lawn at different times of the year will also impact the amount of lawn care we must provide to that newly laid lawn, including such things as watering the lawn regularly during its establishment period.
Planting A Saint Augustine Lawn In Spring
Spring is a brilliant time of the year to establish a new Saint Augustine lawn. Warm season lawns are coming out of semi dormancy and are beginning to grow again, meaning the new sod can send down new roots into the soil much quicker than in winter. The weather is still fairly mild and warming up slowly as the new Saint Augustine lawn is also becoming more established and can cope more and more with the increasing heat as Summer arrives, and should be fully established by the onset of Summer.
Planting a new lawn in Spring also means the newly laid sod will need far less regular watering during its establishment, both of which can be fit around our busy work schedules. And of course if there are any rains, then we can forget the lawn watering for the time being.
Planting A Saint Augustine Lawn In Summer
Saint Augustine can of course be planted easily in Summer time. However there are some extra considerations when doing so. During its establishment phase while the new sod is setting down roots, the roll on lawn will need to be kept moist at all times and cannot be allowed to dry out from heat. If the new Saint Augustine lawn dries out during establishment, then the turf can easily and very quickly suffer, with little chance of saving the new turf, because it still has no root system to support the sod growing in its new home.
In reality, the hotter the weather the more we need to water the new Saint Augustine sod every day until it's established. Which can equate to watering several times a day for the first few weeks after laying the new Saint Augustine grass sod, because we can never allow it to dry out. Of course as the weeks go by, this watering can be reduced slowly.
So the main problem for planting a new Saint Augustine lawn in Summer is that we must be able to water the new lawn several times a day during peak heat periods.
Other than that, Saint Augustine Grass will establish the fastest when planted in Summer, as this is the peak growing season for this grass.
Planting A Saint Augustine Lawn In Fall
Fall is also a great time of year to plant that new St Augustine lawn, and is environmentally friendly too. We're out of the heat of Summer, so we won't need to water the new turf as often, and the new sod will be under far less stress than if we planted in the middle of summer.
However, when planting our new lawn in the Fall, we want to ensure it grows to be as established as possible before the onset of Winter. And the colder the winter where we live, then the more established the new turf will need to be before winter arrives.
So for regions which will experience colder winters, we must plant the new St Augustine lawn as early in the Fall as possible to ensure it is as established as possible before the onset of Winter.
For warmer regions, there is far less rush or urgency as the winter weather does not get cold enough to cause any major issues to new turf. However, the colder weather does slow down growth even in these regions and can still cause some possible damage to the new lawn. So it would still be wise to establish the new St Augustine lawn at least before the worst of the Winter arrives. Do this, and we'll achieve the best results for our new Saint Augustine lawn over its first winter.
Planting A Saint Augustine Lawn In Winter
Planting new roll on Saint Augustine grass lawn in Winter is never a good idea for all the cooler regions. So it would probably be best to wait a few more weeks until Spring arrives and use that extra Winter time to prepare the lawn soil in advance, spray out or remove lawn weeds which are growing in the new lawn area, improve the lawn soil etc. As all these things will do wonders for our new Saint Augustine lawn when we plant it in Spring.
Going back to the warmest regions, and we do have some more options open for us. Because winters in these regions can be so mild, we can plant our new St Augustine lawn all the way through the Fall and even into Winter without any real issues arising, and of course the lawn will need far less water during establishment at these times too, or perhaps no watering from us at all.
In most cases we can also safely plant the new St Augustine sod towards the end of the winter months with ease, and without worry in these warmer areas. However the homeowner should always be aware of the weather conditions at the time to ensure the coldest part of the winter is indeed finished.
The only exception to this rule would be to try and avoid planting the new Saint Augustine lawn in the coldest parts in the middle of winter, even in these warmest regions. It's much better to do the soil preparation and weed control in these few weeks, and to instead wait a few more weeks for the worst of the winter to be over, and this will ensure our greatest opportunity for success in planting our new Saint Augustine lawn.
Home » Lawn Care » St Augustine – Planting Sod
St Augustine – Planting Sod
St Augustine – Planting Sod
Kill all weeds by spraying the area with a non-selective weed killer two weeks before planting.
• Till the soil thoroughly to a depth of six inches, mixing in the recommended amount of lime and fertilizer (1-800-ASKUGA-1)
• If you have not had the soil tested for its lime and fertilizer needs, dig in 50 pounds of lime and 20 pounds of 5-10-15 fertilizer per 1000 square feet. In addition, cover the entire area with a layer of composted material one inch thick. Mix the lime, fertilizer and organic matter thoroughly with the soil.
• Rake the area smooth, removing rocks, clumps and grassy debris.
• Roll the area with a water-filled roller to reveal low spots.
• Fill low spots with soil.
• Important: Irrigate with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water the night before laying sod. The soil should be damp when you start working.
• Starting along the longest straight edge of the area, lay sod pieces end-to-end.
• Make sure each piece is tightly placed next to its neighbor.
• Stagger sod pieces in adjacent rows so seams do not line up.
• Use a small hatchet or sharp shovel to trim pieces to fit around obstructions.
• Roll the entire area once more, to insure good sod-to-soil contact.
• Water the sod thoroughly (see below).
WATERING
The best time to water a lawn is in the morning, preferably before noon. This allows the grass to dry before nightfall, reducing the risk of disease. Take into account recent rainfall when deciding how much to apply. Watering restrictions may impact how often you can irrigate. Check www.georgiadrought.org for the latest information. If restrictions mandate watering every other day, the schedules below may be modified to fit the rules.
How to measure the amount of water applied by irrigation:
• Place six identical containers randomly in the area wetted by your sprinkler.
• Plastic cups can be used but weight them down with a heavy washer in the bottom of each.
• Let your sprinkler run for an hour.
• Measure the depth of water that has accumulated in each cup.
• Calculate the average of the depths. This gives you the amount (in inches) that has been applied in an hour.
• Make a mental calculation of how long it will take to apply an inch of water.
• Don't be surprised if your sprinkler must run for more than an hour to apply the water your lawn needs.
WATERING NEW SOD
• One inch of water immediately after sod is laid.
• Apply enough water daily to prevent the top one inch of soil from drying until sod is rooted to the soil
• After that, apply one-fourth inch of water every third day for nine days.
• Next apply one-half inch of water every fifth day for ten days.
• After this establishment period, apply one inch of water per week for the rest of the growing season.
• There is no need to water if rainfall supplies the correct amount.
(Use good judgment on the water amounts listed above. They may differ depending on what time of year you're planting in.)
•• Use a trowel to check how far water soaks into the soil after irrigation.
•• Heavy clay soil slowly absorbs water. If water runs off before it is absorbed, split the irrigation into two sessions an hour apart.
•• Sandy soil absorbs water rapidly but dries out quickly. Consider splitting the recommended inch of water per week into two irrigations of one-half inch of water three days apart.
One way to get your new lawn started is to plant plugs—a small, 2- to 3-inch-wide, -square or -round piece of sod. One thing's for sure, planting plugs does save money. A square yard of sod provides 2,000 to 3,000 Bermuda grass or zoysia grass sprigs; 500 to 1,000 St. Augustine or centipede grass sprigs; 324 two-inch plugs; or approximately one bushel of sprigs. Depending on how you plant, you use anywhere from 2 to 10 bushels or 3,000 to 6,000 plugs to plant 1,000 square feet of lawn.
The downsides of using plugs are also substantial. First, the plants can take a long time to fill in, sometimes more than a year (planting very densely can save you some time) so you have to wait a while before you have a full lawn. While the lawn fills in, you have to keep the weeds out between the spaces, which can be a lot of work. Well, planting plugs is a lot of work, period — but so is laying sod.
Plugged lawns take longer to fill in. However, if you want a quicker fill-in, you can plant the plugs as close as 3 inches apart (any closer, and you might as well plant sod).
Like other planting techniques for warm-season grasses, late spring to early summer is the best time to plant plugs. The earlier you plant, the sooner the grass fills in. Don't plant any later than two months prior to the average first frost date in fall. (Your nursery grower can tell you that date.) Otherwise, the grass may not be established before the onset of cool weather.
Planting small pieces of sod is usually a more reliable method than sprigging. A plug just has more roots and is easier to get established. You can cut your own plugs from sod or buy them growing in small plastic trays. Sizes usually range from 2 to 4 inches in diameter.
Plugs are usually planted in rows, with 6 to 12 inches between plants and between rows. Zoysia grass is usually planted about 6 inches apart because it is slower to establish. Stretch out a long string or rope to keep your rows straight — the whole thing looks better as the plugs fill in.
Use some type of bulb planter to simplify digging all the holes. Then set the plug in the hole and firm the soil around the sides. Level the ground with a rake and then roll with a water-filled roller.
After planting, keep the soil moist until the grass pieces become established. Keeping the plugs moist is the secret to success. Let them dry out just a little and you might as well start over from scratch. Lightly sprinkle at least once a day for the first week or two. In hot weather, you may have to water several times a day.
St. Augustine grass is one of the most popular grass types we provide to Texas homeowners. Many wonder how to make St. Augustine grass spread quickly. The grass comes with a variety of benefits, with its most notable being its high tolerance for heat and drought.
Unlike many other types of grass, St. Augustine grass can handle heavy foot traffic. You don't have to worry about playing outside so much that your grass will die. St Augustine grass can take it.
People also love it because it naturally prevents weeds and other invasive plants from taking over. This ensures homeowners get great mileage out each planting. Continue reading to take the first step towards adding St. Augustine grass to your home!
What's the Best Soil for St. Augustine Grass?
Starting with the soil, part of what makes St. Augustine grass so great is its ability to grow with a variety of soil types. It also suits soil with a wide pH range (from 5.0 to 8.5). A good place would ideally be between 5.0 to 7.5 in pH. You will want to use somewhat moist soil while avoiding any soil that has waterlogged.
Waterlogged soil will often have its oxygen supply depleted and, as a result, can often prevent the growth of plant life. With the use of topsoil, you can cut the amount of water your soil may collect over time. Investigate your choice for soil before choosing it for your St. Augustine grass. We recommend testing your soil through A&M's AgriLife Extension Service to get an accurate view of the health and quality of your soil.
Managing Your St. Augustine Grass Post-Establishment
How well and quickly your St. Augustine grass will grow depends on how well you initially manage it. Homeowners must keep in mind that this type of grass requires management at least once a week. This includes keeping your lawn fertilized, watered, and mowed through each week. When mowing, make sure to keep the grass at the ideal height of 2.5 inches.
Irrigation Quality
Fertilizing your St. Augustine grass is a major key to its growth. We recommend fertilizer high in phosphorous. Later on, you can use nitrogen fertilizer. This can help improve the grass's growth rate.
Consider the Best Time to Plant St. Augustine Grass
St. Augustine grass grows fastest during summer and slower when it's colder. For this reason, we recommend planting during the early phase of summer. The growth rate depends on a combination of factors, the most important being moisture control, use of nutrients, temperature, and shade.
Ready to Make the First Step?
Looking to make St. Augustine grass part of your home? You can order online with us here at The Grass Outlet and have it delivered to your location. We supply the most popular varieties of St. Augustine grass and can help you pick the perfect type for you. Our team of experts will be able to answer all of your questions and concerns if you contact us today! Find out why St. Augustine grass is the ideal grass for Texas homeowners.
When Is the Best Time of Year to Plant a St. Augustine Lawn in South Carolina?
Nimmer Turf, the foremost authority in grass and sod, located in Mt. Pleasant and North Charleston, South Carolina, is often asked as to the best time of year to plant a St. Augustine lawn. It is important to know when and how to lay this sod type correctly to help provide your property with a quality green space. In this article, we will discuss the times of year to plant St. Augustine grass, the many benefits of its installation and the recommended use of herbicides in South Carolina.
What is St. Augustine Grass?
St. Augustine is grass that creates a lush green lawn and has been recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture for plant hardiness. The grass is coarse-textured and can grow rapidly, creating a dark green lawn with 3/8″ blades. St. Augustine grass remains dormant during the winter months and can spread easily in the spring and summer. Overall, St. Augustine grass creates a visually stunning lawn and has few disadvantages when planted and maintained properly.
What are the Best Times Of Year To Plant St. Augustine Grass in South Carolina?
St. Augustine grass can be planted throughout the year in warmer regions where winter is not expected to be too cold. Planting St. Augustine grass at different times of the year will impact the amount of lawn care needed to the newly laid lawn.
Planting St. Augustine Grass in Spring in South Carolina
Spring is a great time of the year to establish a St. Augustine lawn. Warm season lawns are coming out of semi-dormancy and are beginning to grow again. The weather is still fairly mild and the St. Augustine grass is becoming more established and can better cope with the increasing heat as summer arrives, and should be fully established by the onset of summer.
Planting St. Augustine Grass in Summer in South Carolina
St. Augustine can be planted easily in the summer, however, during the establishment of a St. Augustine lawn in the summer, it is vital that the grass is kept moist. If the new St. Augustine grass dries out during establishment, the turf can easily and very quickly die since it has no root system to support the sod growing.
When planting a new St. Augustine lawn in the fall, it is important to ensure that it grows to be as established as possible before the onset of winter. And the colder the winter, the more established the new turf will need to be before winter arrives.
For warmer regions, such as ours, there is far less rush or urgency as the winter weather does not get cold enough to cause any major issues to new turf. However, the colder weather does slow down growth even in these regions and can still cause some possible damage to the new lawn. So it would still be wise to establish the new St. Augustine lawn at least before the worst of the winter arrives. Do this, and you will achieve the best results for the St. Augustine lawn over its first winter.
Planting St. Augustine Grass in Winter in South Carolina
Because winters in South Carolina can be so mild, we can safely plant the St. Augustine sod near the end of the winter months. However, you should always be aware of the weather conditions at the time to ensure the coldest part of the winter has finished.
What are the Advantages of St. Augustine Grass Installation in South Carolina?
There are many advantages to installing St. Augustine grass. The grass grows in full sun but is also tolerant of salt and shade. The grass will spread quickly so the roots easily take hold. The surface runners form roots at the joint for a grass installation that will look and feel lush and soft. The grass can adapt to the heat well and is moderately drought-tolerant. During the spring months, supplemental irrigation is rarely needed. However, watering will be necessary if in a drought, prolonged dry periods, and/or hot and windy conditions.
St. Augustine grass also competes with weeds and other grasses. St. Augustine does a good job controlling weeds when properly cared for and not under stress. If you do find that weeds take over, you can easily use herbicides to control the issue. Be sure to use an herbicide that will not harm the grass such as metsulfuron. Avoid using herbicides during a drought or when the grass is under stress.
What is the Recommended Use of Herbicides on St. Augustine Grass in South Carolina?
All lawns will develop weeds at regular intervals, and an important rule is whenever spraying for any lawn weeds, make sure not to spray lawns too soon to the next lawn mowing or too soon after the last lawn mowing. It is important to remember to never spray for lawn weeds less than one week prior to the next lawn mowing service.
Likewise, once prayed, we want to stop lawn mowing for one week after weed spraying. The reason is if we were to spray for lawn weeds one day, and then mow the lawn the next day, we would be removing the same herbicide before it had a chance to be taken into the lawn or weeds.
Instead of the lawn withstanding and resisting against the herbicide treatment, the lawn can very quickly fall victim to that same herbicide meant only for weeds, and the lawn can suffer severe health problems, stress, or even death while the blades of grass still have freshly cut wounds from lawn mowing.
The end result will either be no result at all or the result would be negligible at best. We have essentially wasted our time and money for no results.
When considering a St. Augustine grass installation, contact the professionals at Nimmer Turf. Our team can explain more about the benefits of St. Augustine grass and the ways in which it can beautify your lawn without the effort needed for other grasses.
posted on January 27, 2019
Can you expect Zoysia grass to overtake St. Augustine grass in your lawn? Houston Grass Owner Michael Romine answers that question in this video. For more information about the best variety for your project and location, please call our office at 281-431-7441.
Summary of "Will Zoysia Overtake St. Augustine Grass"
– "Will Zoysia overtake St. Augustine?" We get asked that a lot.
People want to plant a different type of grass than their neighbor has or they're wanting to change their St. Augustine yard out to Zoysia. They're wondering if they kind of sporadically put Zoysia out there, what will happen. I would say it depends on conditions.
I talked to my brother a little earlier to ask him what his experience was with this question. [Michael's brother manages the family grass farm, Triangle Turf.] He said that the fine-bladed Zoysias, which we carry two of; the Emerald and the Cavalier, are slow growers. They will be overtaken by almost any other grass variety that you plant nearby, whether it's Palisades Zoysia, or a St. Augustine, or Bermuda. Those other varieties will run right over the top of the fine-bladed Zoysia grasses because they grow so slowly.
Grass is looking great. We had one pallet of emerald zoysia delivered to fill our town home yard and it has established very nicely, even with three dogs! The section where the dogs don't go has immaculate, deep green, and healthy grass. The section with dog traffic takes more maintenance and we had trouble with brown spots; but after a follow up call to Houston Grass, an application of fertilizer, and some other dog specific treatments, even this heavy traffic area is on track to look fabulous! I would definitely recommend Houston Grass for those looking to install high quality sod (we installed it ourselves, but in they offer installation services as well). Thank you!
Christopher Mayer
The Palisades Zoysia is one of the more aggressive growers so St. Augustine and Palisades Zoysia, they kind of duke it out. My brother has both in his yard and his experience has been that the St. Augustine is encroaching faster into the Zoysia than vice versa.
The opposite has happened on the side of my office building here at Houston Grass. We had St. Augustine all the way around it, but somebody dropped a block of Zoysia out there several years ago and now Palisades Zoysia has overtaken the St. Augustine grass. It looks like there was never St. Augustine there. It's grown in thick with Palisades Zoysia and it's grown 20 or 30 feet, six or seven feet wide, back along the side of our building here.
Will Zoysia Overtake St. Augustine in Full Sun?
In ideal conditions, when there is no shade and everything's getting plenty of water and plenty of fertilizer, it would be hard to say which one would win out the fight but there are grasses, the Bermudas and the Palisades Zoysia and the St. Augustine that are more aggressive growers.
The fine-bladed Zoysias are slow growing. That's why a lot of people like them because they're not aggressive growers. They're not going to grow up into your flower beds and they're not going to require mowing as often either so they certainly have their place.
With Palisades Zoysia and the St. Augustine grasses, you will end up pulling those grasses out of your flower beds because they are so aggressive and they do spread so rapidly.
Call 281-431-7441 for Help in Selecting the Best Grass Variety for Your Project
We deliver the best quality grass in Houston, and we do it at a competitive price too. Our grass comes from our family farm near Bay City, and we've been in the grass business there since 1981.
You Can Barefoot Test Our Grass Varieties at Our Office
You can pick up your grass at our office in Arcola or we can deliver your grass to your project site. We also offer installation services if you need that. Call us at 281-431-7441 to get your questions answered and to place an order.
Get a Quote for Your Project
Call 281-431-7441 to get your questions answered and get a quote for your project. You can also click the button to send us a quote request.
10 Dec There's No Such Thing as St. Augustine Seed!
There's No Such Thing as St. Augustine Seed!
Many who move to the South mistakenly believe that St. Augustine lawns can be installed the same way that their northern bluegrass or fescue lawns were installed. They assume that they should be able to buy St. Augustine grass seed in order to establish a new lawn; this is an understandable mistake by someone who does not understand the difference between warm and cool season grasses. While there are some warm-season grasses that can be propagated via seed (all centipedes, some bermudagrasses and some zoysiagrasses), St. Augustine is not one of them. St. Augustinegrass can only be installed in a vegetative fashion: either by laying sod or planting plugs.
There are several advantages and disadvantages to each propagation method (vegetative sod or plugs vs. seed) that this blog post will not address. Instead, this blog will address the fact that there is not a seed option for St. Augustinegrass when establishing a lawn. You can read more about the differences between various methods of installation in the Sod University article on When to Use Sod, Plugs or Seed.
St. Augustinegrasses do not produce enough viable seed for commercialization. For this reason, seed is not produced for lawn propagation use and it is therefore not available for sale at your local garden center.
Sod farms propagate St. Augustinegrass vegetatively, as they do most warm season grasses. Sod farms cultivate new St. Augustine sod fields by planting small plantlets (plugs/sprigs) of St. Augustinegrass, which grow into a full field of sod in 8–12 months depending on the latitude of the sod farm. Take a look at the video below to see the process of how farmers sprig warm season grasses using slabs of sod.
Once the sod is harvested, the sod farmers leave ribbons of grass in the field, which then re-grow into a full field of sod in a little less time than the original field grew in.
If you are interested in plugs as a cheaper alternative to installing sod, learn more about grass plugs in the Sod University article, What are Grass Plugs and When to Use Them.
Palmetto St. Augustine generally has a more attractive color and a texture that is finer than other types of St. Augustine grasses. Palmetto has demonstrated a tolerance to drought, shade, heat, frost, and cold. Palmetto is used primarily in the southern portion of the United States and southern California in a variety of conditions. It is a good choice for both residential use and commercial projects.
About Palmetto
St. Augustine Palmetto was discovered by a sod grower in Florida in 1988 and released to the public in 1994. At times, it is called a "semi dwarf" since it has a less lengthy internode and habit than other types of St. Augustine, but it is a bit bigger than the dwarf cultivars. It grows well in partial shade and full sun, but it's not suitable for dense shade. It's drought tolerance is debatable, since it is sometimes classified as drought tolerant, but it has not been proven it is more tolerant than other cultivars of St. Augustine. It is not insect resistant and it can be plagued with disease at times, especially in the humid Florida environment. It is usually a lighter green color than other St. Augustine cultivars. It is normally moved to a height of 3.5 inches
Palmetto has quickly become a standard for landscapers and it is currently used in thousands of homes and commercial properties. Of course, Palmetto must be fertilized, maintained, and irrigated just like other types of St. Augustine grass in order to give you an attractive lawn for many years.
Palmetto St. Augustine Description
Palmetto St. Augustine is a semi-dwarf, which makes it appear plush, like Delmar and Seville grasses. However, Palmetto usually forms less thatch than other varieties, even when it is exposed to full sun. The blades have a width that is similar to Raleigh and Bitterblue and it is thinner than Floratam. When Palmetto is mowed to a height of 3.5" it is frequently confused with fescue. However, its leaves have a rounded, tapered end and feel soft, unlike Floratam.
Palmetto remains green for a longer period of time than other types of St. Augustine and much longer than Centipede or Bermuda grass. Palmetto will go dormant if there are several frosts and will stay green in below freezing temperatures in there aren't any hard frosts. Before going completely dormant, it will change color, with the top becoming tinged with brown. In much of central and south Florida Palmetto will be almost evergreen.
Tolerance To Drought
Palmetto grass has shown itself to have fairly good drought tolerance in several tests. Sod growers have produced Palmetto in non-irrigated fields and it has endured droughts lasting over two months. Palmetto wilts under these conditions, but it recovers when it receives ample water. Consequently, it's safe to say that Palmetto can endure drought at least as well, if not better, than other types of St. Augustine grass.
For example, sod growers have noted that Palmetto survived the drought of 1996 in Eastern Texas in fields with no irrigation, without much problem. This doesn't suggest that you won't need to water Palmetto during a drought, however, it has demonstrated some drought tolerance.
Tolerance Of Shade
Palmetto has excellent shade tolerance in comparison to other types of St. Augustine, which are known to tolerate shade. As a matter of fact, this is the main reason that Palmetto was first developed, in tests beneath shade trees and laboratory canopies. Other types of St. Augustine slowly declined during these tests, but the thickness of the Palmetto sod declined only slightly and it maintained its appearance with a steady color when exposed to different degrees of light. Palmetto grass is able to grow well in shade but it must first be established and properly maintained. Nevertheless, we wouldn't recommend attempting to grow Palmetto in an area of consistently dense shade.
Establishing St. Augustine Palmetto Sod in Central Florida
Even though it is possible to plant Palmetto all year round in the warmer areas of South Florida, the ideal time to plant a warm-season sod, such as Palmetto, is in its time of active growth, so it will become established quickly. When possible, it is also advisable to steer clear of extremes in temperature, especially a frost. In North and Central Florida, avoid establishing your sod in the Winter. In South Florida the best time to establish Palmetto sod is Spring or Late Fall.
Palmetto is only established via vegetative propagation which may include sprigs, plugs, or sod. This means that parts of the plant with growing points are planted, as opposed to planting seeds. Palmetto sod has stolons that actively grow and cause Palmetto to grow laterally on the ground.
It is also important to properly irrigate Palmetto while it is establishing itself. Short irrigation times of ten minutes should be applied to the sod throughout the day for the initial ten days. For days 10 through 20, you should irrigate with 0.5" of water daily. After day 20, you can reduce irrigation to three times per week. After day 28, the sod should be fully established and you can irrigate as needed.
As needed watering should occur when the blades wilt, fold up, or turn blue-gray in color. You should irrigate with approximately 0.5" of water.
St. Augustine grass is a popular choice for many homeowners who desire a lush, green lawn. It's not hard to understand why. When it's healthy, it has a dense growth and the ability to thrive in hot climates. The flat, thick blades add a certain beauty and vibrancy to any yard. However, you may be wondering how to make St Augustine grass thicker. Here are the top five tips to ensure your grass is growing to its full potential.
1. Preparation
It is best to purchase St. Augustine grass in sod rolls and then have it installed around your home. Before it is installed, it's important that the proper steps are taken to prepare the soil. A soil test is crucial in understanding the most appropriate fertilizer to buy based on its acidic content or pH level. Additionally, proper grading is important so as to avoid pooling. Add topsoil to bare spots if needed to minimize water collection.
2. Irrigation
This is especially important after installing sod for the first time. Initially, you'll follow a strict schedule of lawn watering several times per day during the first week. The following week, soak your lawn in up to half of an inch of water daily. Finally, scale it back to several times per week for another month so that at the six week mark, you can simply water as needed. Water only when blades don't spring back healthily when touched or when the grass starts to change color.
3. Mowing
These tips are quite simple: leave no less than two thirds of its length intact, mow with sharp blades, and don't bag the trimmings. Once the grass is firmly rooted and you begin a mowing routine, be sure the mower's cutting height is set between 2.5 – 3.5 inches.
4. Fertilizing
When researching how to make St Augustine grass thicker, pay close attention to proper fertilization. Nutrients vary by the bag, so use the label's nutrient analysis to guide you. Just remember the nitrogen – phosphorus – potassium ratio is listed in percentages, not pounds, so you must calculate the total amount needed. The rules of thumb advises one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn space. Fertilize during periods of active growth as opposed to dormancy, usually in the spring and fall.
5. Weeding
While taking care of weeds may seem like an obvious action in the pursuit of healthy grass growth, there is still a right and wrong way to do it. When possible, hand-pull sporadic weeds to ensure they are uprooted. If treated chemically, be careful not to purchase a non-selective herbicide which, by design, kills all plant matter entirely. Essentially, a healthy, well-kept lawn of St. Augustine is the best defense against weeds and will eliminate the hassle altogether.
St. Augustine is certainly not a low maintenance species, however, the final result of your hard work is a beautiful lawn, rich in color and development. Exercise patience and don't stress over how to make St Augustine grass thicker; just be diligent in following its care instructions and your yard will take care of itself. Over time, you will get to know your lawn and find a "sweet spot" in maintenance through trial and error.
Evergreen Turf is your source for the highest quality sod in Arizona. Our friendly, knowledgeable people are committed to answering all of your questions to ensure a stress-free experience with your new Arizona sod lawn. Whether you wish to sod a small play area for the family or an entire golf course, Evergreen Turf can help you make it happen.
Our team serves customers throughout Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson. Browse our website for information and tips on how to create and maintain a beautiful lawn, or give us a call and talk to one of our sod specialists at 480-456-1199 if you don't find what you are looking for. Better yet, stop by and meet the team at our convenient Chandler location.
Seasonal Arizona Sod and Lawn Care Tips
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Establishment and Maintenance Recommendations
Floratam is sold in one-foot by two feet blocks; four ½ of these blocks equal one square yard (approximate figure due to shrinkage of blocks after harvesting), and weighs about 60 pounds to a yard.
When the Floratam arrives at the designated planting area, it should be spread out and watered if it is not going to be planted the same day of purchase. It is best to put the sod in a cool place; preferably on polyethylene sheeting. Water the sod daily until planted. If watered in this manner, it can be kept for months.
Planting Information
There are two methods used in planting Floratam sod:
1) Planting sod (grass with dirt on it) by cutting the sod into three-or-four inch plugs; and
2) Planting the sections of sod side-by-side or solid sodding
How to Figure the Amount of Yards of Floratam Required for Planting
The following table gives the recommended distance for planting plugs and the amount of Floratam needed to plant a 1000 square foot area.
* There are 144 three-inch plugs in one sq. yard of Floratam.
** There are 81 four-inch plugs in one sq. yard of Floratam.
First, decide on the planting method you are going to use; the distance used for planting; and determine how many square feet of area you need to cover. Then, using the table above, figure the total amount of square yards of Floratam required.
Example: If you are going to use three-inch plugs and space the centers 12-inch apart, and you have 2000 sq. feet of area to plant — you would multiply seven yards (which is the amount required for 1000 sq. feet) by two to determine that 14 square yards of Floratam will be required to plant the area.
Planting Instructions
Plugging – – – Grass should be cut in three or four-inch plugs. Plugs should be planted so that the grass appears just above the surface of the ground. Pack the soil firmly around each plug. Water should be applied to a planted area immediately after planting. Additional irrigation is advised every two-to-four days thereafter until the plugs are established. Plugging is the best method used in planting Floratam. Plugs have a better chance of survival in extreme weather. They also have a more rapid rate of coverage because grass runners will grow out from every direction from the plug.
Plugs can also be used to spot plant a lawn infested with St. Augustine Decline. Plant these plugs about two-feet apart throughout your lawn. Clean a spot about six-inches in diameter, and plant the plug in the center of this clean area. Repeat this procedure whenever you plant a plug.
After planting Floratam there is sometimes an infestation of foreign grasses. These should be weeded out by hand if you have trees or shrubbery. After the Floratam has a solid mat, you will not have any problems with foreign grasses except for Dallis grass and this can be chopped out with a hoe or sprayed individually with a glyphosate or M.S.M.A., making sure you spray only the Dallis grass. This spot should be quickly covered by the Floratam in your lawn. If you have not fertilized your soil while working it up, then fertilize your grass about two weeks after planting with a complete slow-release fertilizer such as 19-5-9 using eight pounds per 1000 square feet and follow with water irrigation. This fertilization program can be used every six weeks to two months thereafter until the planted area is established.
Mowing
This grass is coarser in texture when growing; however, when it has completely covered a lawn, these features are diminished. This is due to the fact that as the grass gains thicker coverage, the joints grow smaller in length. The leaves which might appear should be mowed. Mowing height should not be over one and one-half inch and should be started at one-half inch as the grass is about three-fourths covered. When the lawn is completely covered, gradually raise the mowing height and keep it at the same range that appears to be the best is between one to one-and-a-half inches; however, if you do not water in dry weather, mow the grass at a two inch length or as high as your lawn mower will mow
Sod or turf grass is the single most important plant in our area. Whether you have a green thumb or not, if you live in Prosper or the surrounding area, you will need to care for your sod.
The majority of sod we see in our area is warm season grass. This means that the peak growing season for these grasses is when it's warm out (Mar-Oct). The most common warm season grasses are: Bermuda, St. Augustine and Zoysia. If you're not familiar with these grasses, here is a basic breakdown for you:
BERMUDA SOD
Common Bermuda is the most popular sod in the northern half of Texas and has a narrow blade.
ST. AUGUSTINE SOD
St. Augustine is more common in the southern half of Texas and is a wide blade grass.
ZOYSIA SOD
Zoysia offers many varieties, both with wide and narrow blades.
Caring for your sod may seem to be a time-consuming task, but with a few basic guidelines, your sod should need only basic maintenance to thrive year after year. The best way to care for your turf will be to first ensure that you are providing proper sunlight and water.
Sunlight
Sunlight is an essential part of growing healthy turf. The amount of sunlight your grass receives each day during the growing season will determine the kind of sod best suited for your lawn.
Bermuda : Grows best in full sun areas (more than 4 hours each day) and has very little tolerance for shade
St. Augustine : Grows best in full sun areas (more than 4 hours each day) but is also considered to be the most shade tolerant of all the warm season grasses
Zoysia : Grows best in full sun areas (more than 4 hours each day) but is more adaptable to shady areas than Bermuda.
Watering
Proper watering will help to maintain the health and growth of your warm season grasses. During the growing season, you should plan to run your sprinkler system weekly for between 10-20 minutes. Frequency and times will vary depending on your terrain, grass type and irrigation system. Check with your local water utility provider for watering recommendation and limitations.
Bermuda : Most drought-tolerant of all the warm season grasses. Water once/wk for 10-20 minutes
St. Augustine : Least drought-tolerant of the warm season grasses. Water twice/wk for 10-20 minutes
Zoysia : Fairly drought-tolerant. Water once/wk for 15-25 minutes
Once you've ensured your sod has the proper sunlight and water, the rest is routine maintenance. To ensure your sod's health and encourage a dense turf, you will also need to provide it with fertilizer, regular mowing and annual aeration.
Fertilizing
Regardless of your sod type, all turf should be fertilized on a regular basis during the growing season. Spring is the perfect time to begin fertilizing your lawn. There are many services available who will not only take care of weed control, but fertilize your lawn for you. If you are doing it on your own, you should know that fertilizers come in a liquid or a granular form. The liquid fertilizers are used typically because they are less expensive and produce faster results…like applying Miracle Gro to your plants. The only downside of liquid fertilizer is that you will need to do more frequent applications to keep the green in your grass. The alternative would be to spread granular fertilizer. This is considered a "slow-release" fertilizer and it will last a lot longer. We would recommend using a granular fertilizer during the hot, summer months. When looking at your fertilizer at the store, you will see three very important numbers and/or letters: 20-5-10 NPK . The numbers represent the amount of Nitrogen-Phosphate-Potassium in the fertilizer. While there are many effective fertilizers available at your local hardware store, consider trying an organic fertilizer instead.
- Organic Granular Fertilizer: Milorganite
- Organic Liquid Fertlizer: Garrett Juice
- Homemade Organic Liquid Fertlizer: Compost Tea
For more information about the proper ratios in your lawn fertilizer, the Texas A&M Agricultural Extension is a great resource.
Mowing
Warm season grasses come out of dormancy between the middle of March and April. We typically see Bermuda greening up first followed by St. Augustine and Zoysia. Once you see the grass turning green, you should begin mowing. You can expect to mow every couple of weeks as it first comes in and out of dormancy, but these grasses should all be mown weekly during the peak growing season. Zoysia tends to grow more slowly than Bermuda or St. Augustine and needs less frequent mowing.
Bermuda: Mow at 1 ½ inches
St. Augustine: Mow at 2 – 2 ½ inches
Zoysia: Mow at 2 – 2 ½ inches
Aeration
Over time through regular mowing, leaf fall sun exposure, the top layer of your soil will develop what is known as thatch. Thatch is a layer of dead and living grass shoots, stem, debris and roots that show up between the soil and grass blades. Having this dense layer between your grass and it's root system will essentially limit or prevent your grass from receiving the sunlight, water and fertilization that it needs. To combat thatch on your lawn, you should plan to aerate the turf each year.
Most lawn care and landscaping installation companies in Prosper TX offer this service in both the spring and the fall. An aeration machine is used to penetrate the thatch and pull up small plugs of soil. This will open the soil up again, allowing sunlight, water and fertilizers to penetrate your root system more effectively. We recommend timing the aeration with an application of fertilizer. Another good practice would be to overseed your lawn with grass seed at the same time as the aeration. With the soil opened up, adding grass seed will promote a denser turf.
St. Augustine grass is a low growing, dark green grass, with broad, flat blades. It is mainly found in tropical and sub tropical areas along the gulf coast of the United States, Caribbean, and Mediterranean. It spreads by stolons, and forms a dense layer, which commonly chokes out most weeds in the lawn and turf. St. Augustine is a medium to high maintenance grass, which requires moderate water and fertilizer. It is also a one of the most shade tolerant grasses available in our region. St. Augustine grass provides a lush green lawn, until frost and is recommended for U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10.
We Carry Palmetto St. Augustine and Classic St. Augustine Sod
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Description
St. Augustine grass is a low growing, dark green grass, with broad, flat blades. It is mainly found in tropical and sub tropical areas along the gulf coast of the United States, Caribbean, and Mediterranean. It spreads by stolons, and forms a dense layer, which commonly chokes out most weeds in the lawn and turf. St. Augustine is a medium to high maintenance grass, which requires moderate water and fertilizer. It is also a one of the most shade tolerant grasses available in our region. St. Augustine grass provides a lush green lawn, until frost and is recommended for U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10.
We Carry Palmetto St. Augustine and Classic St. Augustine Sod
Sod or turf grass is the single most important plant in our area. Whether you have a green thumb or not, if you live in Prosper or the surrounding area, you will need to care for your sod.
The majority of sod we see in our area is warm season grass. This means that the peak growing season for these grasses is when it's warm out (Mar-Oct). The most common warm season grasses are: Bermuda, St. Augustine and Zoysia. If you're not familiar with these grasses, here is a basic breakdown for you:
BERMUDA SOD
Common Bermuda is the most popular sod in the northern half of Texas and has a narrow blade.
ST. AUGUSTINE SOD
St. Augustine is more common in the southern half of Texas and is a wide blade grass.
ZOYSIA SOD
Zoysia offers many varieties, both with wide and narrow blades.
Caring for your sod may seem to be a time-consuming task, but with a few basic guidelines, your sod should need only basic maintenance to thrive year after year. The best way to care for your turf will be to first ensure that you are providing proper sunlight and water.
Sunlight
Sunlight is an essential part of growing healthy turf. The amount of sunlight your grass receives each day during the growing season will determine the kind of sod best suited for your lawn.
Bermuda : Grows best in full sun areas (more than 4 hours each day) and has very little tolerance for shade
St. Augustine : Grows best in full sun areas (more than 4 hours each day) but is also considered to be the most shade tolerant of all the warm season grasses
Zoysia : Grows best in full sun areas (more than 4 hours each day) but is more adaptable to shady areas than Bermuda.
Watering
Proper watering will help to maintain the health and growth of your warm season grasses. During the growing season, you should plan to run your sprinkler system weekly for between 10-20 minutes. Frequency and times will vary depending on your terrain, grass type and irrigation system. Check with your local water utility provider for watering recommendation and limitations.
Bermuda : Most drought-tolerant of all the warm season grasses. Water once/wk for 10-20 minutes
St. Augustine : Least drought-tolerant of the warm season grasses. Water twice/wk for 10-20 minutes
Zoysia : Fairly drought-tolerant. Water once/wk for 15-25 minutes
Once you've ensured your sod has the proper sunlight and water, the rest is routine maintenance. To ensure your sod's health and encourage a dense turf, you will also need to provide it with fertilizer, regular mowing and annual aeration.
Fertilizing
Regardless of your sod type, all turf should be fertilized on a regular basis during the growing season. Spring is the perfect time to begin fertilizing your lawn. There are many services available who will not only take care of weed control, but fertilize your lawn for you. If you are doing it on your own, you should know that fertilizers come in a liquid or a granular form. The liquid fertilizers are used typically because they are less expensive and produce faster results…like applying Miracle Gro to your plants. The only downside of liquid fertilizer is that you will need to do more frequent applications to keep the green in your grass. The alternative would be to spread granular fertilizer. This is considered a "slow-release" fertilizer and it will last a lot longer. We would recommend using a granular fertilizer during the hot, summer months. When looking at your fertilizer at the store, you will see three very important numbers and/or letters: 20-5-10 NPK . The numbers represent the amount of Nitrogen-Phosphate-Potassium in the fertilizer. While there are many effective fertilizers available at your local hardware store, consider trying an organic fertilizer instead.
- Organic Granular Fertilizer: Milorganite
- Organic Liquid Fertlizer: Garrett Juice
- Homemade Organic Liquid Fertlizer: Compost Tea
For more information about the proper ratios in your lawn fertilizer, the Texas A&M Agricultural Extension is a great resource.
Mowing
Warm season grasses come out of dormancy between the middle of March and April. We typically see Bermuda greening up first followed by St. Augustine and Zoysia. Once you see the grass turning green, you should begin mowing. You can expect to mow every couple of weeks as it first comes in and out of dormancy, but these grasses should all be mown weekly during the peak growing season. Zoysia tends to grow more slowly than Bermuda or St. Augustine and needs less frequent mowing.
Bermuda: Mow at 1 ½ inches
St. Augustine: Mow at 2 – 2 ½ inches
Zoysia: Mow at 2 – 2 ½ inches
Aeration
Over time through regular mowing, leaf fall sun exposure, the top layer of your soil will develop what is known as thatch. Thatch is a layer of dead and living grass shoots, stem, debris and roots that show up between the soil and grass blades. Having this dense layer between your grass and it's root system will essentially limit or prevent your grass from receiving the sunlight, water and fertilization that it needs. To combat thatch on your lawn, you should plan to aerate the turf each year.
Most lawn care and landscaping installation companies in Prosper TX offer this service in both the spring and the fall. An aeration machine is used to penetrate the thatch and pull up small plugs of soil. This will open the soil up again, allowing sunlight, water and fertilizers to penetrate your root system more effectively. We recommend timing the aeration with an application of fertilizer. Another good practice would be to overseed your lawn with grass seed at the same time as the aeration. With the soil opened up, adding grass seed will promote a denser turf.
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What Gardening Zone Is St Augustine Fl
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