How To Dethatch St Augustine Grass

St. Augustine Grass Lawn Care Maintenance

What you demand to know to maintain your St. Augustine

St. Augustine grass is a warm-season turf that is often constitute in tropical and subtropical regions. In the U.s., St. Augustine is common in Hawaii, California, Texas, and Florida, where its proper noun originates (afterward St. Augustine, Florida). The grass does well in the sun, requiring at to the lowest degree 6 or more hours of direct sunlight each day, and is as well salt-tolerant, perfect for property nearly oceans.

Grass blades are dark green to green-blue and are flat and broad. St. Augustine turf is thick and carpeting-like, a positive as it often crowds out potential weeds. The grass spreads apace thanks to in a higher place-basis stolons, too known as runners, which assist the turf remain thick and lush. St. Augustine grass will stay green year-round in warmer climates but will get fallow and brownish in cooler climates. In one case the temperatures warm up in the leap, the grass will green-up once again.

St. Augustine requires routine maintenance, peculiarly every bit it grows and so quickly in warm weather. Read below for tips on how to keep your grass healthy and vibrant.

St. Augustine requires frequent mowing. Exist sure to follow these mowing tips:

• Keep grass blades iii-4 inches long. Mowing any shorter will crusade the grass to sparse, which allows weeds to grow.
• Mow every v days to two weeks, depending on the time of year and the weather. Y'all will need to mow oft in the summer and less ofttimes in the jump and fall.
• In cooler climates where St. Augustine may get dormant, look until the grass greens upward in the jump to mow (do not mow when grass is brown). In warmer climates, the grass volition need to be mowed yr round.

St. Augustine is a thick turf that tin create thatch, a layer of expressionless grass and other organic matter that settles just above the surface of soil. A small amount of thatch can be beneficial as it gives the turf and soil nutrients as information technology breaks down, just too much thatch will prevent your soil from receiving air and moisture from rain or watering. Thatch can prohibit the growth and health of your St. Augustine grass, and should exist removed.

We propose dethatching early in the spring, earlier applying your pre-emergent herbicide. Before dethatching, mow your lawn to half of its normal acme (about two inches tall). Then use a dethatching rake or a mechanical de-thatcher and run information technology across your turf. Handbag upwardly and dispose of your thatch as you lot would backyard clippings. H2o your lawn after dethatching to help with regrowth.

Ane unique feature of St. Augustine grass that differs from other turf grasses found in residential lawns is the way it is grown. St. Augustine seed is extremely expensive, therefore plugs of already grown St. Augustine grass in sod are planted instead of loose grass seed. The stolons/runners will rapidly abound and backup blank patches of grass to class a thick carpet of turf. Water new sod to help roots accept hold in the backyard.

St. Augustine plugs can exist planted year-round in tropical and sub-tropical climates where the grass does not become dormant. In areas where the grass volition get dormant, found your plugs after the last frost of the wintertime. Do not apply pre-emergent herbicide to new plugs while they establish.

The soil below your St. Augustine grass can become tightly compacted, stifling the power of water, nutrients, and air to reach the roots of the turf. Aeration is the process of breaking up this compacted soil by punching evenly spaced holes throughout the lawn.

You may demand to hire out or borrow an aerator for this process. Exist sure to wait until afterwards you aerate to sod whatever bare areas of your turf or to use a pre-emergent herbicide. We suggest aerating at the beginning of spring, right after the concluding frost of the year. Look until the grass is at least 75% light-green and the soil temperature is in a higher place 65 degrees.

Only every bit people need vitamins, St. Augustine grass needs nutrients to thrive. Fertilizing gives your turf the nutrients information technology lacks for optimal health. St. Augustine turf truly benefits from fertilizing and may need additional nutrients similar atomic number 26.

Test your soil using an at-home soil test kit or past taking a soil sample to your local extension part. In one case you know what nutrients are needed, you can select a fertilizer that contains those nutrients.

Fertilize after sodding and aerating, in early jump after the last frost, and every six-8 weeks during the growing season. Yous can also fertilize in the early fall to increase nutrients.

The ideal pH range for your soil should exist 5 - viii.v. If your soil is likewise acidic, lawn lime can exist added to raise the pH level of your soil.

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St. Augustine typically needs 1 inch of h2o per week. This can be in the grade of rainfall or a sprinkler. If using a sprinkler, exist certain to use in the morning so the grass will non fire in the full sunday of the day or stay damp at dark. Do not overwater St. Augustine grass to avert pooling water. Lawns that remain damp for long periods of time are prone to fungus.

Weeds oft have a hard time growing in thick, dumbo turfs like St. Augustine but will grow when lawns are in periods of stress, such equally drought. Weeds tin also blow in from neighboring lawns.

We suggest applying a pre-emergent herbicide after the concluding frost of the spring (if whatever) and again in the fall earlier the weather cools. Use a post-emergent herbicide on whatsoever weeds that do appear. Check the label of the pre-emergent for temperature restrictions.

DoMyOwn's Herbicide Guides break down when, where, and how often to apply pre and post-emergent herbicides. Our lawn care guides tin also help yous place and get rid of specific weeds, like crabgrass and nutsedge.

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The warm, tropical climates where St. Augustine turf is typically found provide the perfect conditions for backyard fungus and illness to thrive. Greyness spot, root rot, and large patch (besides known as dark-brown patch) are common in St. Augustine.

Preventative fungicides are the best fashion to go on fungi out of your backyard. They can as well assistance with existing fungal diseases. Read our guide on fungicides to learn how to choose a fungicide and when to utilize.

Pro Tip

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DoMyOwn knows it can be difficult to select the right fungicide and weed control for your lawn, that's why we offer our Turf Box Subscription Program. We'll ship you products throughout the yr that are sized for your lawn and piece of work in your climate and grass blazon. Subscribers as well salve on additional lawn care products.

Many different pests can live in your backyard, but those with St. Augustine lawns need to picket out for chinch bugs. These tiny pests suck the moisture out of grass blades, then go out behind a substance that kills the grass. Lawns with chinch bugs often appear to be affected past drought. Learn more about chinch bugs and how to get rid of them.

Grubs and mole crickets are also commonly found in St. Augustine. Both tin can damage lawns when emerging from the soil. Learn more than nearly these pests in our lawn intendance guides.

St. Augustine grass is thick, lush, and green. It may require some maintenance, but a little work goes a long way.

If you lot have any questions about any of the products or maintenance tasks mentioned in this guide, give our backyard experts a call at 866-581-7378 or email support@domyown.com.

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