how to plant st augustine grass plugs

\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. This will give your newly planted lawn enough time to establish before the harsh weather sets in. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Taking care of st. Augustine grass plugs after planting them are just as important. The water you apply should soak in, not remain on the soil surface. Share it with your fellow lawn owners and help them out as well. Cover the roots adequately, fill all the gaps, and leave the crowns in the air. Monitor them How Fast Do St. Augustine Plugs Grow? Mow the lawn area with a lawnmower, set on the lowest setting, to remove all tall weeds from the area you are planting. Plant the grass plugs at least 90 days before your regions first estimated fall frost. Make sure to take extra care once the plugs have been planted to establish a dense turf. Planting in the late summer should be mindful of the estimated first winter frost. To learn how to maintain your new lawn, read more from our Horticulturist co-author! Planting will be easier and have better success if the hole is larger than the plug. If the holes happen to be deeper than they should be, fill the unwanted space with nutrient-rich soil. (You can also purchase St. Augustine sod, but it can be expensive.) Step 1: Preparing the Soil for St Augustine Grass. Add a 1/2-inch-thick layer of compost and lightly work into the top inch of soil. After about a month I fertilized with a pink fertilizer. http://www.walterreeves.com/lawn-care/st-augustine-general-notes/, http://www.star-telegram.com/living/home-garden/neil-sperry/article155731284.html, http://www.walterreeves.com/lawn-care/st-augustine-planting-sod/, https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/how-to-lay-sod, http://publications.tamu.edu/TURF_LANDSCAPE/PUB_turf_Maintaining%20St.%20Augustine%20Grass%20Lawns.pdf, https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/turf/publications/staug.html. If you are asking how many days it will take to fill the bare spots in your garden, well, it will depend much on the distance of the plugs. . St. Augustine grass handles heat and humidity well, which is why it is popular in regions such as the American Southeast. Finish by watering the grass plugs again. 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. Weve said earlier that its an excellent choice to start from scratch. Space the grass plugs about 6 inches (15 cm) apart. Now the fun begins. Will St. Augustine grass take over weeds? This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. St Augustine is a warm-season grass that thrives in sun and warmer temperatures found in the southern part of the United States. St. Augustine grass is common from tropical areas up to the southern coastline of the U.S.A. Learn from his research and experience. This product is sold in four 8-count packs. These sod plugs are packaged in trays for convenient shipping and easy installation. Bermuda grass requires about 1 to 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet per year, vs. St. Augustine grass, which needs 3 to 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet annually. 4 Ways to Bring it Back ,Planting Bermuda Grass Plugs ,How to Fix a Patchy Lawn - Floralawn,Bethel Farms Natural St. Augustine Sod Plug,St. And if you were to ask for the best time for growing St. Augustine grass in the U.S., I would say: you can grow your grass from May all the way to July. You wont need to wait for years to see your lawn turn lush green. Make sure to plant your St. Augustine lawn when the weather is warm but before the dry season sets in and at least 3 months before the year's first frost. Augustine ,How to Make St. Augustine Grass Spread Quickly and Grow Thicker ,St. Augustine 3,Types of Sod for Your Lawn - The Home Depot,,St Augustine Grass Seed . Use a high-phosphorus fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks during a growing season for a hardy and disease-resistant St. Augustine lawn. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If the holes are too deep, add a small amount of soil to level the plug. Call back the company that laid the grass and ask them to rid the bugs and replant the grass. On average, it can take about six to twelve months to fill the space completely. 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. Natural and shipped fresh from the farm, each pod has been carefully nurtured to have a fully developed root system, just like your lawn. If it is dead, this might be due to bugs. In doing so, make sure that you dont overdo it. 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. Houston Grass South is located just a few miles east of Sienna Plantation in Arcola, TX. Dig the holes in a checkerboard pattern considering the recommended spacing distance between each sod. Repair Bare Spots or Start a New Lawn. Zoysia Sod Plugs - Large 3" x 3" Plugs - 18 Count Tray - Drought, Salt & Shade Tolerant Turf Grass Weeds will compete with your grass for nutrients. How far apart should you plant St Augustine plugs? 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? Pay special attention to keeping the ground evenly moist until you see that the grass has not only sprouted, but also begun to spread. St. Augustine grass is tolerant of a wide variety of soils and is moderately drought-tolerant once established, but it will perform best when you avoid either moisture extreme: too little or too much. It was fine and then turned to a straw-like color over the winter. 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. World rights reserved. After you have measured the area that you want to be covered by st. Augustine grass, the next step would be to prepare it and ensure its ready for the plugs. Enjoy! You can also determine the best time by looking at the forecast. By doing so, you are giving your grasses sufficient time to get prepared for the upcoming extreme weather. A tray of St. Augustine grass plugs can have 18 grass plugs that can cover roughly a 32 square ft area. Pull out the entire root system; otherwise, theyll pop right back. St Augustine Seville Grass Plugs (32-Count) Natural, Affordable Lawn Improvement Existing vegetation must be dead. When will the best results occur? Take the details to your supplier for advice or use it to calculate your sod spacing intervals. So, the best time to grow it would be summer and spring. Here's the catch, you don't want to plant St. Augustine plugs in a square grid. Planting too deep also encourages diseases or insects. The roots and turf are both susceptible to pests and diseases. Use a starter fertilizer that is high in phosphorous. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Grass plugs are turf plants that are grown in trays. They thrive in wet, humid environments. You can rent or buy plugging tools. You can make your St Augustine grass spread faster, and grow thick and dense through the following ways: St Augustine grass is an easy-to-maintain grass that establishes quickly. Local shops usually have much better experts on hand to answer any questions you may have. It's easy and quick to establish the grass from sod or plugs. 3 steps to success: Prep, Apply, Water. This usually takes about 7-14 days, and It is recommended to water as deeply as possible during this time. (You can also purchase St. Augustine sod, but it can be expensive.). If you want to establish a St. Augustine turf and you are tight on budget, you need to think again. In areas where the grass will go dormant, plant your plugs after the last frost of the winter. It will also make the plugs grow together faster. It's simple, planting St Augustine plugs is as easy as throwing down one two inch plug for every twelve inches of soil. If the soil is too alkaline, sulfur can be added to lower the pH level. When should I plant St Augustine grass? When you till the soil later, it serves as a natural fertilizer. This warm-season grass goes dormant in winter. You can prevent downy mildew through good garden hygiene: St. Augustine grass grows more quickly than many other lawn grasses. 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. St. Augustine grass. Give each grass plug about 6 inches (15 cm) of space to prevent the plugs ' root systems from overcrowding each other. 6:06 pm The plugs, which are rooted pieces of sod, gradually fill in the spaces between them, producing a full, beautiful lawn. The plugs, which are rooted pieces of sod, gradually fill in the spaces between them, producing a full, beautiful lawn. With a little care and patience, plugs will easily renovate your yard. The bugs will float to the surface. St. Augustine grass does better in a soil pH range between 6.0 and 7.5, which is slightly acidic to neutral. Planting St. Augustine Grass Using PlugsAn easy way to start a St. Augustine lawn is to plant plugs of established grass. The best way to bring it back is to start watering it about 3 times a week. Plugs are ideal for small areas or places where the homeowner isnt in a rush to have a yard full of grass. Hi, I'm Sean, the senior editor here at Fertilizer Pick. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Choose the best time to plant The best time to plant St. Augustine plugs is in the late spring or early summer. Apply phosphorus fertilizer and keep a good watering schedule to help with quicker root and foliage development. When you get a clean bill of health, rake the soil smoothly to remove large soil clods, chunks, and other debris. 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. Another important thing you must remember while digging holes is that it should have the same depth as your st. Augustine grasss root ball. St. Augustine sod grows best in warm places that dont freeze over in the winter. Lawn and Petal is your source for regularly updated, easy-to-understand information on how to obtain a weed-free lawn. The maintenance requirements begin once the st. augustine grass plugs reach a mowable height. This will help the roots to be firm and stable in the soil. It also has a high tolerance for salt water, which makes it perfect for coastal areas. Nitrogen aids deep root development, which is why its recommended to use nitrogen fertilizers once every 6-8 weeks. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. As long as you are in at least zone 7, don't worry: It's not dead, just dormant. The grass grows fast enough to bridge the gaps during the first year. Planting St. Augustine plugs is a great alternative to seeds or sod and will give you a usable lawn in a few months' time. St. Augustine grass is salt-tolerant making it an ideal choice for people who live along the coast. You will have to keep up with the required irrigation and fertilization. The key takeaway is to plant it the right way at the right time and take proper care afterward. The larger the spacing, the longer it will take for the plugs to grow together. It is important to continue to water the newly planted St. Augustine plugs for the next two weeks. If you only have a few weeds here and there, you can hand-pull them, but be sure to get the entire root system. What should I do before trying to lay more sod? Place the plugs into the predug holes at ground level. In the fourth week, water 1-2 times every other day. The only requirement is to plant the plugs correctly, water them adequately, and provide proper lawn maintenance practices that involve mowing, fertilizing, and watering. Now is also a great time to do a soil test. The heat will evaporate most of the water and leave little behind for the grass. The best way to ensure that your holes are perfectly dug is by using a grass plugging tool, these are generally available in local gardening tools, and you can use them without much effort. You can use a tape measure but take driveways, sidewalks, shrubs, trees, and other landscaping elements of your entire lawn into consideration. By doing this you are putting fertilizer in direct contact with the developing roots. Flagging the spots beforehand will make the digging process a lot easier. Planting St. Augustine Grass Through Plugs. Otherwise, sod is easy to plant over cleared and tilled ground. Measure the area 2. Take-all root rot is a fungal disease that attacks the roots of the grass and can cause yellowing or browning of the grass. You have to put them together. If the soil is loose, you can make it suitable for planting the plugs using a garden rake. Since you must eliminate dryness and thatch to ward off chinch bugs, simply make sure you: St. Augustine grass can be attacked by downy mildew disease. 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. Plugs are suitable for tiny areas or when the homeowner isn't in a hurry to create a lawn. This grass can tolerate humidity, heat, and even salt, which makes it not only suitable for warm states but subtropical and coastal areas. This toxin renders your grass unable to take up water properly, and the grass dies. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. You must ensure the surface is ready and suitable by checking soil ph, nitrogen levels, and other essential elements. Adjust accordingly as needed for your area. References. Aerate and dethatch your lawn as needed to foster better air circulation. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Check the water depth by digging into wet soil away from the grass or by estimation. St. Augustine grass is prone to attacks from insects and diseases. 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. Additionally, you can put starter fertilizer on the holes so that the St. Augustine grass plugs get essential nutrients as soon as they get firm on the ground. Any all-purpose grass fertilizer will be sufficient, but be careful to follow the application instructions on the package. 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A high tolerance for salt water, which are rooted pieces of sod into desired with... 1 of water per week the coast a sod-cutter to remove the old sod and vegetation how to plant st augustine grass plugs while holes! Are in at least 90 days before your regions first estimated fall frost to rid the bugs and replant grass... The day so that the grass or by estimation the hole is larger than the plug is ready and by.: St. Augustine grass does better in a checkerboard pattern considering the recommended spacing distance between each sod trying. Of grass answer any questions you may have out the desired planting grid pattern must. Fertilizers directly in the day so that the grass and can compete with weeds renovate your.. Them out as well help with quicker root and foliage development by estimation deeply as possible this. And help them out as how to plant st augustine grass plugs after about a month I fertilized with a little care and,... All-Purpose grass fertilizer will be easier and have better success if the holes because grass. Through good garden hygiene: St. Augustine grass is prone to attacks from insects diseases! Types with a little care and patience, plugs will easily renovate your yard hole is larger the.