how to plant st augustine grass plugs

\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Typically, holes will be between 2-4 deep. Use a high-phosphorus fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks during a growing season for a hardy and disease-resistant St. Augustine lawn. St. Augustine is a broad bladed, medium green colored grass; St. Augustine Floratam is heat tolerant and has a great tolerance for humidity; Minimum 4-hour-6-hours of sunlight per day for best results; Established roots mean less water and maximum success; Affordable - each 8-pack covers 18 sq. Watering makes the ground more malleable and gives the roots of the St. Augustine grass plugs immediate moisture. Poor air circulation promotes diseases such as downy mildew. Use Up and Down arrow keys to navigate search results. Planting St. Augustine Grass Using PlugsAn easy way to start a St. Augustine lawn is to plant plugs of established grass. Before discussing how you can grow St. Augustine grass, lets talk a little bit more about the grass itself. Call back the company that laid the grass and ask them to rid the bugs and replant the grass. By doing so, you are giving your grasses sufficient time to get prepared for the upcoming extreme weather. Water the lawn 24 hours before dethatching. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. It was fine and then turned to a straw-like color over the winter. To ensure strong growth and deep roots, apply one-half pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet annually during the growing season (spring through fall). In that period, the daytime temperature remains 80 Fahrenheit on average. Keep your lawnmower high approximately 3-3.5 inches tall for St. Augustine grass to thrive and keep Bermuda grass in check with its shade. See our Privacy Policy to learn more about what information we collect, your preferences, and rights. . The time taken ensures your grass plugs will not die off. Do I have to butt the sods together, or can I spread them apart for results? This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Monitor the grass for signs of disease and take action promptly if a problem is detected. Six to 8 weeks after planting, feed withScotts Turf Builder Southern Lawn Food. Plant your plugs or lay your sod Spread any mulch, fertilizer, or compost High nitrogen fertilizer or compost is best Otherwise use a balanced mix Care and upkeep Once your lawn is planted, you'll need to keep the soil moist for the first seven to 10 days so the roots can grow. This will help the roots to be firm and stable in the soil. 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. Plan the pattern and start digging 4. Here grows the plant Assidos, which, when worn by any one, protects him from the evil spirit, forcing it to state its business and name; consequently the foul spirits keep out of the way there. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. It prefers warmer weather and grows best when temperatures are at least 75-degrees Fahrenheit. A tray of St. Augustine grass plugs can have 18 grass plugs that can cover roughly a 32 square ft area. You can also buy or rent a grass plugging tool from your local hardware store or online. Or if you are looking to start a whole new lawn in a small area, plugs are a great alternative to sod. They are rooted pieces of grass most suitable for smaller areas where sod isnt practical. Cover the roots adequately, fill all the gaps, and leave the crowns in the air. It does require regular watering to remain healthy and depending on drought conditions could potentially need additional irrigation. The most common use of St. Augustine grass is in lawns and landscapes because it is drought tolerant and shade tolerant. The roots and turf are both susceptible to pests and diseases. Use the simple guide below to pick the broadcast spreader thats best for your lawn size. You can use a tape measure but take driveways, sidewalks, shrubs, trees, and other landscaping elements of your entire lawn into consideration. Planting in Rows Dig a row to the depth of your plugs using your hoe. It is quick to establish, and effective growth is guaranteed if you use pieces of sods. You can decrease the amount of water to once a week when the plugs start spreading. St. Augustine grass is a spreading, warm-season grass for lawns, especially in warm climates. We hope that this step-by-step guide helped you understand how to plant st. augustine grass plugs. Plugs are small, like 2 to 3 inches in general. After that, cover the roots only and leave the crowns above ground. Newly planted St. Augustine grass lawns need protection while they are becoming established. In zones 7 to 12, you can start a lawn of St. Augustine grass any time during the growing season. How to Grow St. Augustine Grass From Seed. Choose the Right Spreader for Your LawnHaving the right spreader goes a long way in your lawn care routine. Grass/sod can appear dead but come back. Dig a 3" deep hole for each plug (12-16 apart). On average, it can take about six to twelve months to fill the space completely. With proper soil preparation, adequate timing, and care, the rooted pieces of sod will gradually spread and fill every space within them, offering a dense beautiful carpet. Use a garden trowell to dig holes. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Creating plugs from pieces of sod will help stretch the coverage area. World rights reserved. Augustinegrass is grown using plugs, which produce new growth from stems that are above the ground. St Augustine Seville Grass Plugs (32-Count) Natural, Affordable Lawn Improvement The time for planting St. Augustine is April and May. The key takeaway is to plant it the right way at the right time and take proper care afterward. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. Safely place the plugs in the holes one after the other as you securely tap the soil around them to ensure proper soil-plug contact. Once you have taken the measurements per square foot, go to your nearest gardening store and buy the plug trays. Many home improvement stores have models available you can take home for a day. St. Augustine grass plugs are the best way to repair bare spots in your lawn. How To Plant St. Augustine Grass Plugs 1. Weeds will compete with your grass for nutrients. How to Make Bermuda Grass Thicker, Fuller, and Greener: A Complete Lawn Care Guide. St. Augustine grasses do not produce enough viable seeds for commercialization. It also has a high tolerance for salt water, which makes it perfect for coastal areas. Plugs, on the other hand, are a much cheaper alternative. St. Augustine does well in the warm Tampa climate and is easy to plant as either sod or plugs. Some general estimations are listed below, but remember that the number of plugs will vary based on the size of the grass plugs and the spacing between them. What now? Pull out the entire root system; otherwise, theyll pop right back. Be sure not to cut the newly plugged area shorter than 2. Fill in any space around the plugs with soil to secure. If the soil is loose, you can make it suitable for planting the plugs using a garden rake. For the best results, apply 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet (this should be spread over several applications). Water the new plugs just as you water new sod. However, you can plant . Now the fun begins. But, if you are lucky enough to find the seed and want to try your hand at it, sow it in late spring to early summer. Afterward, water weekly unless your lawn is receiving generous rainfall. If you allow your lawn to grow past 3 inches you risk the possibility of mowing down into the stems. If you follow it step-by-step, youre unlikely to make a mistake. % of people told us that this article helped them. Gray leaf spot is another fungal disease causing gray lesions on the grass blades. Plugs quickly establish and start spreading, which is why they are used to repair damaged areas or fill in the bare spots on your lawn. 6:06 pm Existing vegetation must be dead. Nitrogen aids deep root development, which is why its recommended to use nitrogen fertilizers once every 6-8 weeks. ft. each individual plug measures 3in by 3in Taking care of st. Augustine grass plugs after planting them are just as important. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 43,780 times. Afterward, water as needed depending on your climate. You wont need to wait for years to see your lawn turn lush green. Want to collaborate with us? 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. It will also make the plugs grow together faster. These months are advisable because they are neither excruciatingly hot nor undesirably cool. Ensure that you cover the roots, but not the crown of the plug. The plugs, which are rooted pieces of sod, gradually fill in the spaces between them, producing a full, beautiful lawn. The maintenance requirements begin once the st. augustine grass plugs reach a mowable height. After the holes have been dug, thoroughly water the area. Absorbs 6X its weight in water. So, the only option left in hand is grass plugs. If you want to form this pattern, you must flag the spots diagonally so that each group of 4 plugs will make a diamond. The first step is to examine and calculate the area of the space needing plugs. World rights reserved. Place the plugs 5. Grass plugs are little pieces of live turf grass that come complete with roots, soil, and are ready to plant. It is somewhat less drought-tolerant. St. Augustine grass plugs grow quite fast. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n<\/p>

\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/13\/Plant-a-St-Augustine-Sod-Step-15-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Plant-a-St-Augustine-Sod-Step-15-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/13\/Plant-a-St-Augustine-Sod-Step-15-Version-2.jpg\/aid9724649-v4-728px-Plant-a-St-Augustine-Sod-Step-15-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"