If there is another turf grass that is as common and as famous, it would be St. Augustine.
It is known as both a good turf grass and a forage/pasture grass native in coastal areas.
And although it is a seasoned warm climate grass, it could well tolerate shady areas.
In this article
What is St. Augustine grass?
It thrives well in well-draining soils and can grow with minimal salt.
What does St. Augustine grass look like?
First off, unlike Bermuda, St. Augustine is not rhizomatic.
As have been mentioned, St. Augustine grass is distinct for its deep green to blue green color.
Its leaves have a coarse texture.
They are thick with rounded tops and more compact as it goes down to the stalks.
It grows in stolons and roots via nodes.
It is one of the most shade tolerant warm season grasses.
What are the benefits of St. Augustine grass?
There are various reasons why the St. Augustin grass is a popular choice.
For one, it is used in forage production because of its distinct nutritional quality for graze animals.
Here are some pictures of St. Augustine.
As such, here are the most common St. Augustine grass types out there.
#1.
Seville St. Augustine Grass
This St. Augustine grass really established its good reputation among residential landscapes.
It is one of those dwarf cultivars but performs well for many reasons.
It is generally low-maintenance after it establishes its roots.
#2.
It is tolerant to up to 10 degrees with paler green color, coarse texture and is disease resistant.
#3.
For one, Palmetto is a native St. Augustine cultivar with finer texture and with more solid green color.
#4.
It grows vigorously and the most coarse-textured of them all.
It is also considered as the most drought-tolerant variety of all St. Augustine grasses.
#5.
It grows roots through stolon and in a rhizomatic way.
It is drought and shade tolerant.
It is also very much accommodating to moderate to high traffic.
It also has high wear strength and has high recuperative potential.
However, it is very susceptible to chinch bugs.
#6.
It is also known for having the best blue-green color of them all.
It thrives in subtropical climates and is highly drought-tolerant.
However, you must know that it is not very susceptible to diseases especially brown fungus.
This means that you have to re-sod your lawn annually, which means that you have to invest more.
#7.
Bitter-Blue St. Augustine Grass
It is one of the earliest improved varieties of the St. Augustine.
It is denser, finer and has a more blue-green color.
It is salt tolerant though and can accommodate moderate foot traffic.
#8.
It is listed in the top rank of the most shade-tolerant St. Augustine grasses but also thrives in full-sun.
It has fine leaves but it could not tolerate high foot traffic.
#9.
Delmar St. Augustine Grass
It is distinct for its emerald green color and medium coarse texture.
It is moderately drought tolerant and has fair shade tolerance.
It will also grow golden brown when it grows dormant in the winter.
Nonetheless, it is still the highest-ranking St. Augustine cultivar when it comes to cold tolerance.
It will become low-maintenance once it establishes its roots.
Which St. Augustine grass is best for shade?
Growing high-shade tolerant cultivars need specific maintenance practices though.
Two, mowing height should be observed and three, foot traffic must be moderated.
Is St. Augustine a good grass?
Is common St. Augustine grass good for lawns?
There is really not much difference between common St. Augustine grass from its cultivars.
It also needs moderate fertilizing every now and then.
And not just for lawns actually, but as forage grass too.
What grass can I mix with St. Augustine?
These grasses would beseeded Bermuda(never hybrid types), buffalo grass and zoysia.
After the roots are established by the eight month, you gotta proceed to the care part.
Mowing
St. Augustine needs to be frequently mowed.
If it is grown in cooler climates, wait for it to green up after dormancy before mowing.
But of course, with specific considerations.
Wait for the turf to turn 75% its full color and at a temperature higher than 65 degrees.
Dethatching it in spring is the most recommended but you have to mow the turf first at about 2inches.
And after dethatching, it’s crucial that you water the entire lawn.
Fertilizing
This process is also done during spring.
During its early growth stage, it needs to be fertilized every 6-8 weeks too.
When this happens, an all-around solution would be an iron-nitrogen solution or herbicide.
It is resulting from a large brown fungus called rhizoctonia.
It mostly harms the crown of leaves but does not reach the base.
To treat this, applying a potent fungicide would be the intervention.
Dead spots in St. Augustine grass
Dead patches are often due to insects, specifically chinch bugs.
They love niching on the base of the grass stem.
It causes yellow patches at first and when uncontrolled shall wear down into dead spots.
Applying mulch in the turf would do the trick.
All you have to do when this happens is to trim the purple tips and apply a good herbicide.
double-check that it is also well-aerated and follows a frequent watering schedule for faster root establishment and foliage development.
Adding nitrogen, iron and phosphorus should be the final touch.
St. Augustine grass vs Bermuda grass
These two are the most popular seed/sod choices out there.
While they can be mixed as turf grass, most people choose only one especially in re-sodding.
St. Augustine has more care requirements because it has more cultivars.
Specifically, centipede is more cold tolerant than St. Augustine but the latter is more shade tolerant than centipede.
Both are aggressive growers, though.
Conclusion
To conclude, there is a lot to know about St. Augustine.
For one, it has cultivars with specific characteristics and needs that must be considered.
