How to Make St. Augustine Grass Spread Quickly (2024)

St. Augustine grass is one of the most popular grass types we provide to Texas homeowners. Many wonder how to make St. Augustine grass spread quickly. The grass comes with a variety of benefits, with its most notable being its high tolerance for heat and drought.

St. Augustine grass can handle a lot of foot traffic unlike many other types of grass. Even if it does wear down in areas of heavier traffic, St. Augustine grows back & spreads quickly by nature when maintained properly. You don’t have to worry about playing outside so much that your grass will die. St Augustine grass can take it.

People also love it because it naturally prevents weeds, choking invasive plants out with its natural density. This ensures homeowners get great mileage out each planting. Continue reading to take the first step towards adding St. Augustine grass to your home!

What’s the Best Soil for St. Augustine Grass?

Starting with the soil, part of what makes St. Augustine grass so great is its ability to grow with a variety of soil types. It also suits soil with a wide pH range (from 5.0 to 8.5). The best pH for St. Augustine grass would be between 5.0 to 7.5. Never use a soil with high-nitrogen, such as Dillo Dirt, as this will burn new grass. Look for a landscape or garden mix with a 60/40 or 50/50 blend of chocolate loam or compost for lawn. You will want to use somewhat moist soil while avoiding any soil that is waterlogged or compacted.

How to Prepare Soil for St. Augustine Grass?

Waterlogged and compacted soil will often have its oxygen supply depleted and, as a result, can often prevent the growth of plant life. With the use of topsoil, you can cut the amount of water your soil may collect over time. Investigate your choice for soil before choosing it for your St. Augustine grass. We recommend testing your soil through A&M’s AgriLife Extension Service or SoilKit.com to get an accurate view of the health and quality of your soil.

Managing Its Post-Establishment

How well and quickly your St. Augustine grass will grow depends on how well you initially manage it. Homeowners must keep in mind that this type of grass requires management at least once a week. Good cultural practices include keeping your lawn fertilized, watered, and mowed as your lawn needs it. Frequencies & timing of maintenance can differ some based on your yard and soil conditions, and various changing environmental factors. However, you can find a variety-specific maintenance calendar in the PDFs at the bottom of each varieties page. When mowing, make sure to keep the grass at the ideal height of 2.5 inches, without cutting more than a 1/3 of the leaves off in a single mowing and waiting at least 2-3 days between each mowing when possible.

The Best Fertilizer For St. Augustine

Fertilizing your St. Augustine grass is a major key to its growth. Fertilizer high in phosphorous will help get the roots established post-installation, but it must have very low or no nitrogen. Later on, you should use a fertilizer with nitrogen to help improve the grass’s growth rate. However, we always recommend choosing your fertilizer based on a recent soil test, which should be done at least once per year.

Consider the Best Time to Plant St. Augustine Grass

St. Augustine grass grows fastest during spring and summer and slower when it’s colder. It is important to note, however, that grass can need 2-4 times more water to establish when planted in ambient temperatures above 85°F. The growth rate depends on a combination of factors, the most important being moisture control, use of nutrients, soil condition & health, temperature, and shade.

Ready to Make the First Step?

Looking to make St. Augustine grass part of your home? You can order online with us here at The Grass Outlet and have it delivered to your location. We supply the most popular varieties of St. Augustine grass and can help you pick the perfect type for you. Our team of experts will be able to answer all of your questions and concerns if you contact us today! Find out why St. Augustine grass is the ideal grass for Texas homeowners.

How to Make St. Augustine Grass Spread Quickly (2024)

FAQs

How to Make St. Augustine Grass Spread Quickly? ›

Fertilizing your St. Augustine grass is a major key to its growth. Fertilizer high in phosphorous will help get the roots established post-installation, but it must have very low or no nitrogen. Later on, you should use a fertilizer with nitrogen to help improve the grass's growth rate.

How to encourage St. Augustine to spread? ›

How To Get St. Augustine Grass To Spread And Grow Thicker
  1. Use The Correct Type of Soil. Before you do anything, you should make sure you choose the right type of soil. ...
  2. Use The Correct Mowing Height. Once you've planted your St. ...
  3. Use The Right Fertilizer. ...
  4. Properly Water Your Grass. ...
  5. Control Weeds. ...
  6. Let Sod Depot Help.

How fast will St. Augustine grass spread? ›

St. Augustine grass is readily established from sod since the species is vigorous and spreads rapidly by creeping stolons. Sod plugs or stolons planted on 1 to 2 foot spacings can be expected to cover in one growing season.

Will St. Augustine grass fill in bare spots? ›

Sometimes, certain types of grasses, like bermuda grass, centipede grass, zoysia or St. Augustine, will eventually spread with stolons to fill in these spots. Damaged spots caused by heavy foot traffic can be filled in with seed or grass plugs.

What is the best fertilizer for St. Augustine to spread? ›

Top 6 lawn fertilizers for St. Augustinegrass – Reviews
  1. The Andersons PGF Complete 16-4-8 Fertilizer. ...
  2. Espoma Organic Lawn Food. ...
  3. Safer Brand Lawn Restore Natural Fertilizer. ...
  4. Simple Lawn Solutions Advanced 16-4-8. ...
  5. Scotts Turf Builder Southern Lawn Food. ...
  6. Down to Earth Bio-Turf 8-3-5 Fertilizer.
Mar 15, 2024

How do you get St. Augustine to take over weeds? ›

Augustine Grass Lawns. Maintaining a healthy lawn is essential for effective weed control. Key practices include proper mowing, fertilizing and irrigating. Mow to a height of 2–4 inches to hinder weed seeding and spread, and ensure that grass clippings are collected to prevent redistributing any weed seeds.

What are the downsides of St. Augustine grass? ›

Augustine grass is susceptible to a range of diseases and insects, including chinch bugs and brown patch. Additionally, this grass type is prone to thatch buildup, which creates a breeding ground for pests and diseases. When first planted, St. Augustine grass requires frequent watering to establish a deep root system.

Does St. Augustine grass reseed itself? ›

Augustine Grass Doesn't Reseed Itself.

Should I water my St. Augustine grass at night? ›

Watering during the day wastes water due to excessive evaporation from the sun. Watering in the evening can lose just as much water to evaporation from the heat the earth gives off as it cools.

How to make St. Augustine grass fill in? ›

  1. Prepare the soil for St. Augustine plugs.
  2. Plant in early summer. To ensure faster spread, establish your St.
  3. Apply a phosphorus fertilizer early on.
  4. Proper watering.
  5. Get rid of weeds on time.
  6. Mow high for a start.
Feb 2, 2022

Will Dead St. Augustine grass come back? ›

If the temperature is low and your grass looks yellow-brown and crispy, you may just need to wait for the weather to warm up. However, if your St. Augustine grass is truly dead, there is no reviving it. To get a healthy lawn, you'll need to start from scratch.

How to fix patchy St. Augustine grass? ›

Quick Guide to Lawn Repair - Steps to Fix a Patchy Lawn:

Apply Scotts® EZ Patch™ Lawn Repair for St. Augustine Lawns then place new sod or plugs. Water well. New seed and sod require more frequent watering.

How to encourage St. Augustine grass to spread? ›

Fertilizing your St. Augustine grass is a major key to its growth. Fertilizer high in phosphorous will help get the roots established post-installation, but it must have very low or no nitrogen. Later on, you should use a fertilizer with nitrogen to help improve the grass's growth rate.

What does Epsom salt do to St. Augustine grass? ›

Epsom salt is an organic compound that is full of beneficial minerals for lawns. Iron in Epsom salt, for example, helps grasses to grow healthy and strong. Meanwhile, the magnesium in Epsom salt balances the PH level in your grasses so that it doesn't become too acidic.

What motivated St. Augustine? ›

In late August of 386, at the age of 31, having heard of Ponticianus's and his friends' first reading of the life of Anthony of the Desert, Augustine converted to Christianity. As Augustine later told it, his conversion was prompted by hearing a child's voice say "take up and read" (Latin: tolle, lege).

Does St. Augustine get crowded? ›

Augustine is between March and May. During this time, you'll find fewer people, comfortable temperatures and low hotel and airfare rates. Crowds are typically at their largest from June to August, while temperatures can drop into the 40s between December and February.

How do I make my St. Augustine grass greener? ›

Augustine grass will go a long way. It's ideal to get some with potassium and phosphorus at lower ratios included as well. Fertilizing every couple months of the spring and summer season—whether the fertilizer you use is liquid or granular—will help green up your lawn and give it the nourishment it needs.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Stevie Stamm

Last Updated:

Views: 6617

Rating: 5 / 5 (60 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Stevie Stamm

Birthday: 1996-06-22

Address: Apt. 419 4200 Sipes Estate, East Delmerview, WY 05617

Phone: +342332224300

Job: Future Advertising Analyst

Hobby: Leather crafting, Puzzles, Leather crafting, scrapbook, Urban exploration, Cabaret, Skateboarding

Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.