In areas where the grass will go dormant, plant your plugs after the last frost of the winter. Lastly, water the plugs again. Another important thing you must remember while digging holes is that it should have the same depth as your st. Augustine grasss root ball. St. Augustine sod grows best in warm places that dont freeze over in the winter. When st. Augustine grass will not receive its sufficient water supply, it will suffer from drought issues, and your responsibilities will increase. If a disease is identified, you can apply St. Augustine Grass fungicide. This helps the grass settle into the ground, but avoid using too much water. Buy fresh plugs and keep them moist. Plant these plugs at least 90 days before the first frost is predicted. Since St. Augustine grass spreads so vigorously via its creeping stolons, it is easy to establish it from sod. After you have measured the area that you want to be covered by st. Augustine grass, the next step would be to prepare it and ensure its ready for the plugs. If you allow your lawn to grow past 3 inches you risk the possibility of mowing down into the stems. And if you were to ask for the best time for growing St. Augustine grass in the U.S., I would say: you can grow your grass from May all the way to July. In doing so, make sure that you dont overdo it. Here are common St Augustine grass problems you should be aware of. Dig a 3" deep hole for each plug (12-16 apart). You can use a diagonal pattern method so that a diamond pattern forms with each group when you create a group of 4 holes. Fill in any space around the plugs with soil to secure. An alternative to purchasing prepared St. Augustine plugs are to make your own. You can decrease the amount of water to once a week when the plugs start spreading. Your email address will not be published. Its blue-green blades form a dense turf that establishes quickly and easily, and can tolerate salt, making it an excellent choice for coastal yards. Take the details to your supplier for advice or use it to calculate your sod spacing intervals. Let it root in for at least 3 weeks. Step 1. St. Augustine grass not only tolerates warm temperatures but thrives in the hot sunny season. You can prevent downy mildew through good garden hygiene: St. Augustine grass grows more quickly than many other lawn grasses. This grass loves the full sun and grows best under sunlight and heat. The stolons, often referred to as "runners," sprout and root at the nodes. This will give your newly planted lawn enough time to establish before the harsh weather sets in. Harvest grass from an inconspicuous or area where grass is very thick. And if your lawn has bare or bald spots, its still a great option to fix them. Mowing Looking for some answers when it comes to feeding your lawn? Additional Care Keep watering your newly planted grass plugs for 2 weeks. Once the newly planted st. Augustine plugs strongly establish their roots on the surface. Last Updated: February 13, 2023 St. Augustine grass is used primarily for lawns as it does not tolerant traffic as well as some other warm season species. You do not need to water the lawn on rainy days. Finish by watering the grass plugs again. Creating plugs from pieces of sod will help stretch the coverage area. Do not apply pre-emergent herbicide to new plugs while they establish. The amount of space covered by a tray of St. Augustine plugs can vary by plant spacing. Learn from his research and experience. Provide St. Augustine grass with good drainage. This may vary from place to place. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Fertilizing St Augustine Grass. Water the grass plugs Thoroughly water the planted area three to five times a day for up to 10 days. http://www.walterreeves.com/lawn-care/st-augustine-general-notes/, http://www.star-telegram.com/living/home-garden/neil-sperry/article155731284.html, http://www.walterreeves.com/lawn-care/st-augustine-planting-sod/, https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/how-to-lay-sod, http://publications.tamu.edu/TURF_LANDSCAPE/PUB_turf_Maintaining%20St.%20Augustine%20Grass%20Lawns.pdf, https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/turf/publications/staug.html. Do this by laying the squares so the ends dont line up with one another. Therefore, plugs, sod, and the seed should be planted in late spring or early summer. Before discussing how you can grow St. Augustine grass, lets talk a little bit more about the grass itself. Scotts EZ PatchLawn Repair for St. Augustine Lawns, Scotts Turf Builder Southern Triple Action, Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader, Scotts Turf Builder Southern Lawn FoodFL. Considering that youve already flagged the spots in diamond patterns, you need to dig holes properly. Cover the roots adequately, fill all the gaps, and leave the crowns in the air. Step 1: Preparing the Soil for St Augustine Grass. The Questions People Ask Most About Lawn Fertilizing. St. Augustine grass blades are coarser and broader, about 1/3 of an inch in width. The optimum height for mowing St Augustine grass is 3.5 to 4 inches. The next step would be to water the plugs and ensure the field is well-irrigated properly. Benefits of plugs include the fact that you can plant one and within a matter of months they will spread and fill in the area . Water your lawn when the leaf blades begin to fold and turn bluish-green in color. What now? You can also use a hoe or shovel by inserting the blade vertically to cut out the desired piece. Call back the company that laid the grass and ask them to rid the bugs and replant the grass. After two weeks, the weeds should be dead. Take-all root rot is a fungal disease that attacks the roots of the grass and can cause yellowing or browning of the grass. Youll notice them carpeting your lawn, but mowing before it looks untidy is better. St. Augustine grass plugs grow quite fast. One of the most common questions people ask is when to plant these plugs. Let nature take care of it for you. St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is sometimes called "buffalo grass," although a different plant (Bouteloua dactyloides) is what people usually mean when they refer to the latter. By using our site, you agree to our. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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