St. Augustine Maintenance

St. Augustine mowing heights during the summer generally range from about 2–4 inches. When mowing during the summer, never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at a time. If you remove more than that, you will stress the grass and it may go brown for a short time. Taller blades provide more shade for your root system to stay cool and retain moisture during the hot summer days. If you are returning from vacation, you may have to mow multiple times to get the grass back to the desired height. Wait about 3–5 days between each mowing.

Do not overwater the grass. St. Augustine only needs about one inch of water weekly. Water for longer periods of time, less frequently and in the early morning hours. Take rainfall into consideration.

For optimal results, feed your lawn monthly during the summer season by applying the Lawnifi’s Summer Fertilizer Box or apply Lawnifi Foundation once every three months.

It is not recommended that you apply an herbicide at this time because when temperatures exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the herbicide will damage the grass. Common weeds to look out for include crabgrass, goosegrass, dallisgrass, knotweed, lespedeza and spurge.

If drought symptoms or yellow spots occur in a sunny location, check for chinch bug activity. Push a coffee can (with both top and bottom removed) into the ground and fill it with water. Any chinch bugs present will float. Treat for chinch bugs with Bifen L/P, XTS, or Dylox 6.2 if you have 20 or more chinch bugs per 1,000 sq. ft. Other insects to look out for are grub worms, mole crickets, sod webworms, fall armyworms and nematodes. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption. Calculate that watering into your weekly watering amount.

Check for gray leaf spot and brown (large) patch. Treat with a broad-spectrum fungicide like Heritage if needed. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption. Calculate that watering into your weekly watering amount.

During the fall, mowing will occur less often—keeping your St. Augustine slightly higher will encourage deeper root growth for winter.

Water less as temperatures drop—too much water will lead to disease.  Water to prevent drought stress while grass is actively growing and after the beginning stages of dormancy to prevent dehydration.

Fertilize your lawn with the Lawnifi Fall Fertilizer Box for optimal results. The Fall Fertilizer Box was designed to help your grass recover from the heat of summer and prepare for winter dormancy.

Apply pre-emergent herbicides to control winter annual and perennial weeds like chickweed, henbit, Poa annua, crabgrass or goosegrass. Apply post-emergent herbicides only when weeds are present. Since St. Augustinegrass is sensitive to certain herbicides (2,4-D and MSMA), follow label directions and use with caution.

Check for and control any white grubs, sod webworms and fall armyworms. Treat with an insecticide if needed. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption.

Check for gray leaf spot and brown (large) patch. Treat with a fungicide if needed. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption. Consider mapping those areas because fungicide treatment can be expensive.

For the first mow of the spring, remove dormant grass leaves to promote new growth by mowing at 2.5 inches in height with a rotary mower that has a sharpened blade. Keep your St. Augustine at 2–4 inches for the rest of spring. Leave clippings on the lawn.

Don’t overwater. In the active growing season, St. Augustine needs about one inch of water a week from natural rainfall or irrigation. If you apply any granular fertilizer or control product, you will need to water it in. This is a sufficient amount of water for the week. Overwatering may promote disease outbreak. Conduct an irrigation audit to evaluate how much water is being delivered to different areas of your lawn.

For optimal results, feed your lawn during the spring season by applying Lawnifi Foundation, a granular fertilizer.

Apply a pre-emergent herbicide when soil temperatures reach 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This will prevent summer annual weeds like crabgrass and goosegrass from plaguing your lawn and garden. If you notice any current weeds, control them with a post-emergent herbicide. St. Augustine is sensitive to herbicides with 2,4-D, dicamba, MCPP and MSMA. Use a post-emergent herbicide with Atrazine as its active ingredient.

Apply a broad-spectrum insecticide to prevent spring insects from appearing or to control any current spring insects like chinch bugs or white grubs. White grubs may be active at this time. If you see any white grubs, apply a systemic insecticide.

Apply a systemic fungicide at a preventive rate to keep disease from taking hold of your lawn. You may begin to see circular patches of brown or dead grass as your St. Augustine begins to green up. St. Augustine is also prone to gray leaf spot at this time. Do not apply fertilizer until you’ve applied a systemic fungicide at a curative rate and your grass has recovered.