Lawn Maintenance
St. Augustine Lawns
To have a healthy lawn and to keep it in good shape all year round having proper lawn maintenance done is needed. To maintain St. Augustine lawns with a dense green look proper, watering, and mowing, are always essential factors to be considered. If St. Augustine grass is not maintained properly it will experience problems. Listed are lawn care tips on watering and mowing which will be helpful, and can save money in the long run.
Watering St. Augustine Lawns
Proper watering practices help in proper lawn maintenance by having less thatch buildup and requiring less mowing. Watering correctly will help develop a deep root system, and make the turf less susceptible to damage from insects and stress. Amount of watering from irrigation is determined by how much rainfall occurs.
St. Augustine lawns need to receive an inch of water in the soil a week. During hot weather, watering two times a week should be sufficient. During winter months, once a week will supply enough water. During drought periods, set each zone at 45 minutes to ensure proper amount. The best time to water is in the early morning hours.
It is important to check coverage on a regular basis. Heads may become clogged, damaged, off center, and leaks in the line effect water pressure. If a lawn is not getting the right coverage and amount, dry spots can develop. During dry periods drought stress will begin to cause problems, from heads being out of adjustment.
Although watering is important for good lawn maintenance many homeowners have a tendency to over-water. This is common practice because of the thought, “give it more water”, as the solution to lawn problems. Too much water can be damaging to St. Augustine lawns and is often the cause of the problem. During the rainy season and lawn is getting good amounts of rainfall, the sprinkler system should be turned off. Irrigation should be a supplemental source of watering St. Augustine grass, to avoid wasting it and causing damage to the turf.
Over-watering encourages nutrient leaching, increases insect problems, causes shallow rooting, and leads to disease problems like fungus. Shallow root systems cause more stress on lawns during drought because the grass cannot get water at lower soil depths. Too much water causes excessive buildup of thatch in the lawn. Also, weeds love water and too much helps them thrive and get out of control. Too much water will make it harder for chemicals to kill weeds, the root system becomes saturated and as the weed absorbs the chemical it becomes diluted.
Proper watering is an important factor that needs to be considered in year round lawn maintenance. Not only does it conserve water, it will keep a St. Augustine lawn remaining healthy.
Proper Mowing Lawn Maintenance
Mowing correctly is another important factor, for keeping a healthy lawn, and doing good lawn maintenance. Frequency of mowing is determined by the growth rate of St. Augustine turf grass. During the summer lawns need weekly mowing, while during the winter months it is only needed to be done every two weeks. Each time a lawn is mowed removing only about one-third of the leaf blade is required. St. Augustine grass should be mowed to a height of 2 1/2 – 3 inches only.
Mowing at lower heights will reduce drought tolerance and increases susceptibility to pest problems. Continuous low mowing can lead to weed problems. Proper mowing height helps St. Augustine grass to develop a deeper root system. Scalping from mowers causes dead spots inducing insects. Always mow with a sharp well adjusted blade to give a clean cut. Dull blades cause a ragged cut on the leaf giving the lawn a brownish look. Mowing correctly keeps a lawn looking good all the time.
Lawn maintenance done correctly helps achieve a successful growing lawn. Since a lawn is a big part of a landscape, keeping it in good shape adds to the overall appearance. Maintaining a lawn properly is done by correct, watering and mowing, which sometimes is taken for granted.
Kurt Kmetz
Fertilizing St. Augustine Grass
Everyone loves a beautiful healthy lawn. There’s a variety of essential nutrients that are required to achieve good growth and appearance for St. Augustine lawns. With a proper program of Fertilizing St. Augustine Grass one can obtain success. St. Augustine grass need air, water, sunlight, and food to be healthy and vigorous. Following the correct guidelines assures that you will have the lawn you desire.
Use Quality Fertilizer When Fertilizing St. Augustine Grass
The proper food needed for Fertilizing St. Augustine Grass should be in granular lawn fertilizers sold at nurseries and garden centers. There are different brand names available and results will depend on the quality of the product.
Generally cheaper brands add fillers such as sand, not giving the correct amount of nutrients. Spreading poor quality granular fertilizer causes an uneven application resulting in a lawn not completely green. That is why I recommend using a good quality brand where each pellet contains the correct amount of nutrients, and is clean of waste.
It is important that pellets break down properly feeding your lawn with a balanced rate. A good quality “Slow-Release” granular fertilizer will work best. Use a well respected brand name that has a good reputation, one that you can trust.
Reading Fertilizer Labels
The law requires that labels be affixed to the bag, package, or container. Labels need to show information on the “Analysis”, and “Composition” of the mixture. Plus containing the “License Number” so the product can be identified, protecting the consumer. Fertilizer labels should list the materials from which they were made from found next to the “Derived From” statement.
The percentage of primary elements are listed first followed by the secondary elements for fertilizing St. Augustine grass.
Fertilizer should contain N,P, and K, in that order. The primary elements are commonly known as Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P2 O 5), and Potash (K2 O).
The secondary elements are Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Sulfur (S), and Chlorine (Cl).
All these nutrients need to be in the product for St. Augustine lawns to receive the food it needs to be at it’s best. For a fertilizer to be a “Complete” fertilizer all of these elements should be present.
It is important to follow the “Rate Of Application” listed on the label when fertilizing St. Augustine grass. “Spreader Settings” listed on the label are important and need to be set correctly. I recommend using a “Rotary Spreader”.
Chemicals can be harmful to lawns if applied at a higher rate than suggested. Especially when using a Weed “n” Feed for fertilizing St. Augustine Grass, for it can burn your lawn. It will kill your grass if applied over excessively, so Do Not over do it. Also remember, under using turf fertilizer will not obtain the best results and be a waste of money. Always read the label!
Proper Application
Fertilizer applied improperly can cause environmental problems. Keep excessive amounts from getting in the street. Use a guard on the spreader to avoid this. Use a blower or broom to put it back on the lawn to avoid it from going into drains.
Do not apply fertilizer within Ten Feet of lakes and rivers. Chemicals too close will seep through underground into the water over a period of time. It is recommended to use a Slow-Release granular fertilizer for controlling pollution and protecting our environment. We can still have a beautiful lawn and help our Eco-System from being ruined if it is done properly.
When fertilizing St. Augustine grass with a spreader remember to overlap a little when making each pass so you won’t have stripes in your lawn. Walk at a steady pace making sure you are not going to slow to avoid problems. Too fast, you might not put enough down. Each bag should tell you how much square feet it should cover.
Conclusion:
Fertilizing St. Augustine Grass done correctly will give you the St. Augustine lawn you desire, and protect our environment. Using good quality fertilizer with the proper nutrients, assures a green looking lawn that is healthy and vigorous. So when people see it… they will say “I want my lawn to look like that”. Be the envy of the neighborhood.
Keep on Growing!
Kurt Kmetz
