Grass Profile: St. Augustine Grass

St. Augustine grass is extremely popular along the Gulf Coast of the United States and other coastal regions around the world. This is due to its love of high temperatures and its tolerance of salt and various soil types including sandy soil. St. Augustine grass needs mild winter temperatures and supplemental irrigation in most cases. It has a coarse texture and spreads only through stolons. You can either install it by laying sod or planting plugs. It might be the easiest to learn how to install sod. There are no St. Augustine grass seeds.

St. Augustine has several different varieties including:

• Seville
• Floralawn
• Floratam
• Raleigh
• Common
• Jade
• Floratine

Managing Saint Augustine Grass

St. Augustine relies heavily on the care you provide for it to thrive. It can survive with little care where rainfall is sufficient, but often needs help making it into a trophy lawn. This grass will require fertilization, mowing and supplemental irrigation to achieve the weedless, dense, green turf you desire.

St. Augustine Problems

St. Augustine is prone to many problems including diseases, insects, and weeds. Some of the diseases that St. Augustine is susceptible to are SAD, brown patch, gray leaf spot, pythium, rust, and downy mildew. SAD (St. Augustine Decline) is by far the most deadly disease being caused by a virus in which there is no chemical control. The rest are caused by fungi and can be controlled easily with a fungicide.

Strengths

• Highest shade tolerance of warm season grasses
• Heat tolerant

Weaknesses

• Low cold tolerance
• High maintenance during growing season