St.
Augustine grass needs to be mowed
to a height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches
for best results. If you have shady
areas, you need to let the grass
grow a little longer. In the hottest
part of summer, raise the mowing
height and don't mow at all if you're
experiencing a season of drought.
St. Augustine grass will knit itself
into a tight turf that naturally
resists weeds if you fertilize properly.
It actually smothers weeds, as the
grass grows so thick. The grass
has aggressive aboveground runners
called stolons that can grow inches
per day laterally. In addition,
iron in a fertilizer will give you
the maximum green color that lawn
enthusiasts desire. Fertilization
is best done in Spring, Summer and
Fall. SEE: Fertilizing
a St. Augustine or Centipede Lawn
Maintenance
will depend on the temperature of
the soil, water levels, and your
mowing and fertilization schedule.
If temperatures are cool, the grass
will grow slower and less mowing
is required. St. Augustine grass
needs to be regularly irrigated
or watered to keep it healthy. It
requires two inches of water every
seven days to preserve its green
color and keeping it from going
dormant. If it does go dormant,
it will green right up again as
soon as it receives the moisture
it needs. If you have more than
inch of dead stems and debris on
the soils surface, you will need
to thin and clear out the dead thatch
for a healthy lawn. You should do
this in the spring just before new
growth begins. The root-growing
season starts in April and goes
through October.
Two
pests cause damage to any lawn with
St. Augustine grass. One is known
as St. Augustine Decline, which
is a virus and the other, is a bug
called a chinch bug. These are tiny
black insects with white wings.
You will probably find them in hot
dry spots of your lawn. If you are
unsure if you have them, you can
make them come to the surface by
soaking the spot with a bucket of
soapy water. To repair spots damaged
by the virus or the chinch bugs
you will need to plant sprigs of
a resistant strain of St. Augustine
grass such as Floratam or Floralawn.
Check with your county extension
to see how and when to best control
both problems.
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