How to Keep St Augustine Grass From Spreading

Enjoy grass-free flowerbeds by containing aggressive lawn with permanent edging.

St. Augustine grass is a popular warm-weather grass that is common in lawns. St. Augustine is a hardy grass that requires little maintenance. Although it is not as aggressive as Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass does spread out. When it does spread, it will overtake (or choke off) plants and other grass in in the area. You stop St. Augustine grass from spreading by containing it, or replacing it with another type of grass.

Things You'll Need

• Edging
• Spade (or shovel)
• Grass edger
• Cold-season grass seed
• Fertilizer
• Water

Instructions

Containment

1. Choose a barrier (or edging) to stop St. Augustine grass from spreading. Options include barriers made of plastic, wood, stone and concrete.

2. Dig at least 3 inches into the ground with a spade.

3. Place edging so it's 3 inches into the ground and 2 inches above it.

4. Use a grass edger to cut back any St. Augustine grass that comes into contact with the barrier. Edge the area on a regular basis.

Elimination

1. Switch your lawn to cold-season grasses. Start by digging up where you want to stop (or eliminate) St. Augustine grass in the fall. Dig at least 3 inches into ground to remove roots. Rake up grass and remove it from the area.

2. Plant a cold-season grass seed in the area you dug up.

3. Fertilize and water the area on a regular basis. Do not fertilize the area in the spring.

Tips & Warnings

• You can kill St. Augustine grass with a herbicide. This does not solve the problem in the long run because it will grow back unless you replace it as described above in section 2.

• Know that a herbicide will also kill other grass (and plant life) in the area.

References

• Texas A&M University Extension: St. Augustine Grass
• Roanoke.com: Wire Grass is Tough to Kill

Resources

• Greatlandscapingideas.com: Dealing with Crab Grass