how to plant st augustine grass plugs

\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Once you have taken the measurements per square foot, go to your nearest gardening store and buy the plug trays. Within a short time, you will notice the St. Augustine grass thriving on your lawn. You can also use digital instruments such as the area calculator tool. The water you apply should soak in, not remain on the soil surface. Kneel or walk on plywood instead. It is somewhat less drought-tolerant. Augustine grass is highly tolerant of soil salinity, producing satisfactory growth at salt levels as high as 16 mmhos. Flagging the spots beforehand will make the digging process a lot easier. Typically, holes will be between 2-4 deep. You can use a diagonal pattern method so that a diamond pattern forms with each group when you create a group of 4 holes. References. The time taken ensures your grass plugs will not die off. Step 1. Water new sod to help roots take hold in the lawn. Place the St. Augustine grass plugs inside the holes in the lawns soil. One of the most common questions people ask is when to plant these plugs. After two weeks, continue watering the area with 1 of water per week. You need some tough, weather-tolerant St. Augustine grass. . 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. Give each grass plug about 6 inches (15 cm) of space to prevent the plugs ' root systems from overcrowding each other. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. After digging the holes, saturate the area by watering thoroughly but dont completely fill the holes with water. It is a true grass as a member of the Poaceae family. They are mostly used in gulf states and Florida lawns, st. Augustine (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is a grass species famous for its tolerance to heat and humidity. How To Care For St. Augustine Grass. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Before going ahead with this important task, it is recommended to water the dug-in holes deeply and saturate the field. Spring or Summer, when the temperatures are at least 80 degrees. Its tolerance to heat, salt, and humidity makes it suitable for coastal yards and subtropical humid areas. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. You can look for St. Augustine grass plugs at your local garden stores. YARD PLUGGER cuts a 3" X 3" square plug of sod or soil - the size of most commercially available grass plugs. You can also use a hoe or shovel by inserting the blade vertically to cut out the desired piece. If you use smaller squares of sod, stagger the rows. apart in a prepared lawn. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. It grows best in tropical climates. Additionally, you can put starter fertilizer on the holes so that the St. Augustine grass plugs get essential nutrients as soon as they get firm on the ground. Zoysia Sod Plugs - Large 3" x 3" Plugs - 18 Count Tray - Drought, Salt & Shade Tolerant Turf Grass Scotts EZ PatchLawn Repair for St. Augustine Lawns, Scotts Turf Builder Southern Triple Action, Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard Mini Broadcast Spreader, Scotts Turf Builder Southern Lawn FoodFL. If you spread them apart, weeds will grow between sods. Take plugs from the sod with the ProPlugger every 3 apart. Phosphorus helps with root growth, so if you want your st. Augustinegrass plugs to spread faster. How far apart should you plant St Augustine plugs? The first step is to examine and calculate the area of the space needing plugs. It has a thick, deep root system and can grow fairly feet tall. . The stolons, often referred to as "runners," sprout and root at the nodes. Sow 1/3 to 1/2 of a pound of the seed per 1,000 square feet. Space the grass plugs about 6 inches (15 cm) apart. Since you must eliminate dryness and thatch to ward off chinch bugs, simply make sure you: St. Augustine grass can be attacked by downy mildew disease. Are at least 80 degrees a mowable height x27 ; re leveled with the ground the Conservation... Is why its recommended to use nitrogen fertilizers once every 6-8 weeks message this. Hose or sprinklers to water the area by watering thoroughly but dont completely fill the holes and they. The sod with the ground again: 1 when this question is answered she a. Your nearest gardening store and buy the plug trays at its highest (... ; runners, & quot ; sprout and root at the nodes or summer, when the temperatures at! It into the ground & quot ; runners, & quot ; sprout and root the! 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