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When to Sod Using St. Augustine Grass?

St. Augustine grass is a warm season turf that is generally sodded, because grass seeds are rarely available. Gardeners appreciate this grass for its performance in shady locations, good tolerance for surviving drought and ability to tolerate foot traffic. However, St. Augustine grass cannot tolerate cold temperatures. The best time to sod this grass is when it is not in danger of winter injury.

  1. When to Sod

    • Install St. Augustine sod in mid-spring, says the University of California. Laying sod in the summer raises the risk of the root systems drying out from lack of water. Furthermore, laying sod in the late fall may not give it enough time to establish before the winter months. Sod that cannot establish before cool winter temperatures may die out.

    Site Preparation

    • Sod St. Augustine grass after you have prepared the planting location. Remove all weeds from the planting site using a broad spectrum herbicide that contains glyphosate. Glyphosate kills off weeds and other vegetation without leaving excessive soil residue. Spread a starter fertilizer high in phosphorous to help with the sod's root establishment. Gardeners may use a starter fertilizer that has a NPK amount of 5-10-5. Spread it at a rate of 20 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. Work the fertilizer into the first 2 to 4 inches of topsoil. Sod your yard immediately to prevent weeds from taking advantage of the extra nutrients in the soil.

    Time of Day

    • St. Augustine sod must be installed within the first 24 hours of being harvested. Install your St. Augustine sod as soon as it is delivered or in the morning when the ground is moist with dew. The sod's root systems dry out quickly if left in the sun. If there is a delay in sodding, keep your sod under a tree. Lay out the sod rather than pile pieces up, because it generates heat. Keep the soil and sod moist while laying it across the lawn.

    Other Factors

    • Fix patches of dead St. Augustine sod throughout the year. Oftentimes, gardeners must fix patches of grass after southern chinch bug infestations, white grub problems, brown patch disease or a high level of wear and tear. Leaving dead patches of St. Augustine grass in your yard encourages weed growth. To fix a patch of dead St. Augustine sod, rake up the dead grass. Place a piece of sod over the bare area and cut the grass to fit the bare soil. Keep the sod watered for a week, so that it can establish roots.

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Growing Grass
  1. When to Winterize Saint Augustine Grass in Texas
  2. How to Install St. Augustine Grass Sod
  3. How Thick Is St. Augustine Sod?
  4. St. Augustine Grass Sod and Webworms
  5. When To Mow Sod
  6. When to Plant Grass in Tennessee?
  7. When to Plant Grass Sod?
  8. When to Plant Saint Augustine Grass
  9. When to Sod Zoysia
  10. When to Lay Sod
  11. When to Plant St. Augustine Grass in Texas
  12. St Augustine Grass: Plugs vs. Sod

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