how to plant st augustine grass plugshow to plant st augustine grass plugs

\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. DO NOT use potting soil mixes with heavy organic matter content as filler. If the soil is hard, break it down using a tiller. Youll notice them carpeting your lawn, but mowing before it looks untidy is better. And if your lawn has bare or bald spots, its still a great option to fix them. Step 2. Plugs of St. Augustine grass, which are rooted fragments of sod, eventually fill up the spaces between them to create a lush, lovely lawn. Learn how to plant St. Augustine grass plugs the right way with our expert techniques. When the soil and growing conditions are ideal, St. Augustine sod will develop firm roots and start to spread quickly within 14 days post-installation. . You can decrease the amount of water to once a week when the plugs start spreading. Like all new sod, St. Augustine needs to be water multiple times a day for the first couple of weeks. Keep your lawnmower high approximately 3-3.5 inches tall for St. Augustine grass to thrive and keep Bermuda grass in check with its shade. How you feed, mow and water your lawn can help it resist fungal diseases like dollar spot and brown spot. Sow 1/3 to 1/2 of a pound of the seed per 1,000 square feet. This grass can tolerate humidity, heat, and even salt, which makes it not only suitable for warm states but subtropical and coastal areas. How to Plant St. Augustine Grass Plugs Tips for Success, 1) Decide How Far Apart to Plant St. Augustine Grass Plugs, 3) Prep the Soil for Planting the St. Augustine Plugs, 4) Drill or Dig the Holes for Your St. Augustine Grass Plugs. This warm-season plant can grow and thrive in a wide range of soil types with a pH between 5.0 to 8.0. While I no longer live on a farm today, I still enjoy spending time on my garden and sharing my knowledge with friends and fellow garden enthusiasts. Dethatch your lawn whenever you detect substantial thatch build-up. However, the hole should be slightly larger. This warm-season grass goes dormant in winter. 5 Types of Grass for Sandy Soil, How to Keep Birds from Eating Grass Seed 10 Safe Ways, How to Tell if Grass Seed is Germinating (Ideal Requirements), Does Ryegrass Spread? The time for planting St. Augustine is April and May. Scotts EZ Patch contains fertilizer and a mulch that absorbs up to 6x its weight in water to help St. Augustine grass plugs fill in faster. When should I plant St Augustine grass? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thoroughly water the planted area three to five times a day for up to 10 days. David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. Safely place the plugs in the holes one after the other as you securely tap the soil around them to ensure proper soil-plug contact. The bugs will float to the surface. The best time to grow St Augustine grass is in May through July when the average daytime temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime soil temperature is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Okay, weve discussed when to grow St. Augustine grass. An easy way to start a St. Augustine lawn is to plant plugs of established grass. apart in a prepared lawn. St. Augustine grass and Bermuda grass perform best in the southern regions, or warmer parts of the United States. St. Augustine is a warm-season grass that thrives in high temperatures and peaks in hotter months. You can also use a hoe or shovel by inserting the blade vertically to cut out the desired piece. So, unless you live in the subtropical regions of Florida and California, St. Augustine grass will turn brown in winter. If you follow it step-by-step, youre unlikely to make a mistake. Water daily or as needed until the plugs are firmly rooted and starting to spread. RainSaucers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, 2023 RainSaucers - Bringing Rain to Your Garden, What Is The Best Time To Plant St. Augustine Grass Plugs, How To Maintain Newly Planted St. Augustine Plants, How To Plant St. Augustine Grass Plugs Summary, How Long to Water Overseeded Lawn? Plant St. Augustine grass plugs or sod in full sun, at least 90 days before your regions first estimated fall frost, to give the grass plenty of time to establish. . At this mowing height, you'll be able to give the dethatching tool enough access without cutting off too much of the stolons, thus, preventing excessive damage to your lawn. . Now, you can use an adequate non-selective herbicide to do this job but remember to wait 2 weeks afterward to allow the herbicides effects to dematerialize. Planting too deep also encourages diseases or insects. St. Augustine grass identification is based on its bluish-green leaf color with wide, flat blades and low, creeping habit that allows it to form dense mats. After two weeks, continue watering the area with 1 of water per week. Apply the fertilizer to the soil when you are ready to plant your St. Augustine grass plugs and then again after planting. One of the great virtues of St. Augustine grass is that you don't have to mow it much, a fact that you will especially appreciate if you crave low maintenance. This grass is best for coastal areas. St. Augustine sod grows best in warm places that dont freeze over in the winter. This helps the grass settle into the ground, but avoid using too much water. This tool makes perfectly-plug-sized holes with a lot less work on your part. Another important thing you must remember while digging holes is that it should have the same depth as your st. Augustine grasss root ball. How To Care For St. Augustine Grass. Be sure not to cut the newly plugged area shorter than 2. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. We recommend saving time and your back, by using the Corona LG3720 SodPLUGGER. Are you a master of DIY projects. Its tolerance to heat, salt, and humidity makes it suitable for coastal yards and subtropical humid areas. Planting St. Augustine plugs is a great alternative to seeds or sod and will give you a usable lawn in a few months' time. During the summer, maintain a fertilizing schedule such that you feed it every 6 to 8 weeks. Choose the best time to plant The best time to plant St. Augustine plugs is in the late spring or early summer. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. I grew up on a farm in North Carolina and have grown fruits, vegetables, and trees since childhood. But, if you are lucky enough to find the seed and want to try your hand at it, sow it in late spring to early summer. The time taken ensures your grass plugs will not die off. One big drawback is that it does not do well with regular foot traffic, so if you're looking . Augustinegrass is grown using plugs, which produce new growth from stems that are above the ground. Plugs can also be made from existing grass in your yard. Proper watering will encourage the plugs to form a deeper root system and grow up more established. Monitor the grass for signs of disease and take action promptly if a problem is detected. Harvest grass from an inconspicuous or area where grass is very thick. We hope that this step-by-step guide helped you understand how to plant st. augustine grass plugs. St. Augustine grass seed needs to be kept moist while it is establishing. Maintaining Your New St. Augustine Grass LawnOnce your new St. Augustine grass lawn starts to fill in and the grass blades reach a mowable height, cut the grass with the mower set to one of the highest settings (3-4 inches). Plugs are suitable for tiny areas or when the homeowner isn't in a hurry to create a lawn. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. By doing this you are putting fertilizer in direct contact with the developing roots. It will make ideal-sized holes for the plugs. Kneel or walk on plywood instead. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Dig in some organic matter and granular, slow-acting fertilizer, then use a rake to make the soil smooth and level. Many home improvement stores have models available you can take home for a day. Enjoy! wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. 2. If you spread them apart, weeds will grow between sods. After considering all these requirements, it is safe to say that the best time to plant st. augustine grass plugs will be spring (late spring, to be particular) and summer (early summer). Any all-purpose grass fertilizer will be sufficient, but be careful to follow the application instructions on the package. Maintaining these plugs is extremely significant if you want a well-established lawn. You have to put them together. Can I put St. Augustine grass over my existing grass? Give it enough water to dampen the first 1 in (2.5 cm) of soil. Nitrogen aids deep root development, which is why its recommended to use nitrogen fertilizers once every 6-8 weeks. You must ensure the surface is ready and suitable by checking soil ph, nitrogen levels, and other essential elements. 2. It is important that you dig 2-4 deep and remove the soil with the grass. Plugs are small, like 2 to 3 inches in general. Use a high-phosphorus fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks during a growing season for a hardy and disease-resistant St. Augustine lawn. Select a time period that is at least three months after the last frost of the winter and at least three months before the first frost of the fall to harvest. St. Augustine grass is a popular turf in Florida and other warmer states. The abovementioned method is an extremely easy way to set up your st. Augustine lawn. Proper soil pH and nutrients will not only give your new sod the best change to grow. The plug method is a compromise in each respect. St. Augustine grass requires warm weather to grow. St. Augustine plugs needs at least 90 days before the first frost. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. For instance, we shared detailed information about the best time to plant it, follow-up maintenance, and growth rate. It spreads via stolons. Overview. Once you have taken the measurements per square foot, go to your nearest gardening store and buy the plug trays. Suppose you have followed the above-listed method for how to plant st. augustine grass plugs. Not only will it be the envy of the neighbors, you can do it 10x less than using sod. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. It is a resource that generates square footage measurements after you put your address in it and draw an overlay of the desired area. If it is dead, this might be due to bugs. You need some tough, weather-tolerant St. Augustine grass. St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is sometimes called "buffalo grass," although a different plant (Bouteloua dactyloides) is what people usually mean when they refer to the latter. How long does a St. Augustine grass lawn last? Want to collaborate with us? 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