How to Take Care of a St. Augustine Lawn

Have a Great Southern Lawn

St. Augustine grass has the botanical name Stenotaphrum secundatum. It is a hardy species that grows very fast and has a dark green coloring. St. Augustine grass is a warm season grass that thrives mostly in the southern regions of the United States due to the lack of tolerance for cold temperatures. Caring for a St. Augustine lawn is typically not a challenge due to its drought-resistant properties and compatibility with a variety of planting sites.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Lawn mower
• High-nitrogen, granular fertilizer
• Insecticide
• Preemergent herbicide
• Hormone-based herbicide

Instructions

1. Wait until the summer months and start watering the soil with 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water per week. Continue watering throughout October. Water is not required in the spring, unless your region experiences a severe drought.

2. Set the blade on your lawn mower between 2-1/2 and 4 inches, depending on how tall it is. Never remove more than 1/3 of the blade at each mowing. Mow the St. Augustine lawn every two weeks in the spring and increase to once per week from summer until growth ceases in October.

3. Apply a high-nitrogen, granular fertilizer to the St. Augustine grass beginning three weeks after green coloring appears in the spring. Apply the fertilizer evenly, using 1 lb. for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. Repeat the fertilizer application through October.

4. Examine the grass regularly for yellowing spots that occur in multiple areas, which is typically caused by cinch bugs. Following the manufacturer's instrcutions, apply an insecticide to the surface of the lawn to kill the insects. Reapply the insecticide, as directed, throughout growing season.

5. Apply a preemergent herbicide to the surface of the St. Augustine lawn in early spring to prevent warm season weed growth from occurring. If cool season weeds still remain, kill them with a hormone-based herbicide. In each case, follow the manufacturer's guidelines precisely.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid excessive thatch by not overwatering, overfertilizing or mowing too infrequently.

• The best kind of lawnmower for St. Augustine grass is a self-propelled mulching mower. Mulching mowers will not increase thatch production, but actually help put nutrients back into the soil.

• Be careful when using herbicides containing 2,4-D or monosodium methyl arsenate, as they can damage St. Augustine lawns.

References

• University of Arkansas; St. Augustinegrass; Aaron Patton, et. al.
• Texas Cooperative Extension; St. Augustine Grass; Richard L. Duble