St. Augustine Maintenance

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. Treat with an insecticide if needed. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption. 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 if you have 20 or more chinch bugs per 1,000 sq. ft. 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.

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 three to five days between each mowing.

Do not over water 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 Summer Box liquid fertilizer program.

Apply post-emergent herbicides to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds, such as knotweed, spurge and lespedeza. Since St. Augustinegrass is sensitive to certain herbicides (2,4-D and MSMA), follow label directions and use with caution. If crabgrass and goosegrass are present, make a note to apply a pre-emergent herbicide next spring. Do not apply herbicides during a drought, when grass and weeds are not actively growing or when temperatures exceed 90 degrees. Consider spot treating weeds to avoid burning the grass during hot summer months.

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 if you have 20 or more chinch bugs per 1,000 sq. ft. 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.

If you have had insect problem in the past, treat with broad-spectrum insecticide. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption. Make sure it has control for chinch bugs.