\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Cover the roots adequately, fill all the gaps, and leave the crowns in the air. Augustine grass is highly tolerant of soil salinity, producing satisfactory growth at salt levels as high as 16 mmhos. Afterward, water freely every day until the roots have firmly established and started spreading. Aerate and dethatch your lawn as needed to foster better air circulation. Once you have planned the grid pattern, its time to start digging. St. Augustine grass is a spreading, warm-season grass for lawns, especially in warm climates. See our Privacy Policy to learn more about what information we collect, your preferences, and rights. Then, sprigs are either scattered on the surface and topped with soil or compost, or else pressed into the soil with a machine known as a fairway planter. Preparing the area also includes spreading the fertilizer and watering it properly. Plant the grass plugs 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. Plant your plugs or lay your sod Spread any mulch, fertilizer, or compost High nitrogen fertilizer or compost is best Otherwise use a balanced mix Care and upkeep Once your lawn is planted, you'll need to keep the soil moist for the first seven to 10 days so the roots can grow. 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). A tray of 18 plugs will cover approximately 32 square feet. Ensure that you cover the roots, but not the crown of the plug. It does require regular watering to remain healthy and depending on drought conditions could potentially need additional irrigation. 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. Even if you get a late start into the summer, it is likely still safe to plant plugs. In the fifth week onward, your lawn should go 2 to 3 days between watering unless there is extreme drought. St. Augustine responds well to potassium fertilizers, especially in late summer and early Fall, but phosphorus should only be applied if there is a deficiency. If you are replacing a pre-existing lawn, then youll need to cut off the sod and clean out the old plantation properly. Creating plugs from pieces of sod will help stretch the coverage area. This warm-season plant can grow and thrive in a wide range of soil types with a pH between 5.0 to 8.0. Last Updated: February 13, 2023 Proper soil pH and nutrients will not only give your new sod the best change to grow. 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). Do not apply pre-emergent herbicide to new plugs while they establish. For instance, we shared detailed information about the best time to plant it, follow-up maintenance, and growth rate. Before any mowing, make sure that the St Augustine grass plugs or sod are properly rooted and are growing robustly. St. Augustine grass performs best if fertilized regularly, on a schedule. Continue to feed every 6-8 weeks until the lawn has completely filled in. Extended periods of hot and dry weather, St. Augustine grass might start to die. Benefits of plugs include the fact that you can plant one and within a matter of months they will spread and fill in the area . Use a hose or sprinklers to water the sod. If you reside in a region that experiences frosty weather, this variety of grass isn't right for you. Using plugs is the cheapest way to grow an st. augustine lawn, and heres how you can do it. Fertilizer Pick All Rights Reserved 2023 | Owned and operated by Scalebloom, Pick the Ideal Fertilizers for St. Augustine Grass, The Best Lawn Fertilizer for Summer (Reviews for 2023), 6 Best Fertilizers for Bermuda Grass in 2023 for Thick Grass, 8 Best Fungicide for St Augustine Grass Reviews in 2023. Surface Studio vs iMac - Which Should You Pick? Planting, Care, Similar Grasses, and Disadvantages. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Wear protective clothing such as gloves, long sleeves, and a facemask. This grass is best for coastal areas. Plant plugs as soon after purchase as possible. The most common use of St. Augustine grass is in lawns and landscapes because it is drought tolerant and shade tolerant. This usually takes about 7-14 days, and It is recommended to water as deeply as possible during this time. Zoysia Sod Plugs - Large 3" x 3" Plugs - 18 Count Tray - Drought, Salt & Shade Tolerant Turf Grass Gray leaf spot is another fungal disease causing gray lesions on the grass blades. Contact us and share your ideas to see if we can work together. In most southern climates, St. Augustine grass is the coveted turf of choice, while Bermuda grass is an invasive nuisance. St. Augustine grass blades are coarser and broader, about 1/3 of an inch in width. Grass plugs come in trays. % of people told us that this article helped them. Be sure not to cut the newly plugged area shorter than 2. Yard Butler Sod Plugger turf cutter and grass plug tool for zoysia, St. Augustine, fescue, or centipede grass transplanting & repair - ISP-33 1,515 $4999 FREE delivery Feb 8 - 10 Seed Ranch St Augustine Floratam Grass Plugs - 2 Trays 1 $4095 $27.77 delivery Feb 9 - 13 Thoroughly water the planted area three to five times a day for up to 10 days. Weve said earlier that its an excellent choice to start from scratch. In the third week, you should reduce watering to 1-3 times per day and sometimes skip a day between watering if the lawn is not drying out. Just follow these steps: Choose the best time to plant Calculate square footage and spacing Prep the site Plant the grass plugs 1.

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