Bill's Landscaping Service, Central Florida



Introduction

Introduction

Plants
Plants

Trees
Trees

Lawns
Lawns

Irrigation
Irrigation

      

ESTABLISHING YOUR ST. AUGUSTINE LAWN

Lawns

WATERING:
For the first week to 10 days your lawn should be watered a minimum of one time per day preferably between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. This watering should be a deep watering delivering between 3/4 - 1" of water uniformly across the lawn. Approximate run times to deliver this amount of water for spray heads would be 30 minutes and for rotary heads (heads that move) would be 1 hour. During extremely hot/dry conditions, a light watering of 10 minutes for spray zones and 20 minutes for rotary zones may be needed during the afternoons. In areas that are poorly drained, shady or during periods of cool weather or rainfall, common sense dictates a reduction in this schedule as waterlogged soils or standing water could lead to turf rot. After this initial period, the watering frequency (not the amounts) should be slowly reduced until the lawn performs well under every 2nd or 3rd day watering schedules or better yet, as needed.

MOWING / EDGING:
As soon as the turf has begun to peg down (this means that the pieces cannot be pulled up when using reasonable force) regular mowing should be initiated. This will help the lawn to level out and will stimulate horizontal growth encouraging the lawn to knit together. The turf should be mowed as high as possible (3" minimum) with a regularly sharpened blade. The frequency of mowing depends on the rate of growth but should be done often enough so that the mower does not strain when cutting the grass.

FERTILIZING:
Proper fertilization can be initiated in as little as 10 days after installation and should be started within the 1st month. Regular and proper fertilizations should be applied approximately every 2 months thereafter throughout the life span of the lawn.

INSECT AND DISEASE CONTROL:
Control for insects and diseases should be applied only as needed using proper rates and the right products for the intended problem pest. During times of the year when encounters with certain pests frequently occur, preventative treatments should be considered.

  1. PESTS:
    Pests can cause damage on St. Augustine grass including web worms, army worms, and mole crickets. High levels of nitrogen fertilizer encourage pest problems. Be very careful for mole crickets during the months of March and September. Leave outside lights off during these months because the light attracts mole crickets. They meet, mate and lay eggs in the immediate vicinity. The months of August and September see a heavy infestation of soil web worms and army worms. If there is a lot of rain, the insect rate will increase.

  2. DISEASES:
    Brown patch and gray leaf spots are the two major disease problems of St. Augustine grass. Brown patch occurs in warm, humid weather and is encouraged by excessive nitrogen. Gray leaf spot occurs during the rainy season and is primarily a problem on new growth. Both diseases can be controlled with fungicides.

  3. WEEDS:
    A weed problem in a lawn indicates that improper management practices or damage from pests has weakened the turf. Proper management practices can eliminate most weed problems. If weeds are a persistent problem, herbicides labeled specifically for St. Augustine grass can be used for weed control.

Normally, when a homeowner notices a problem with the lawn, a lot of damage has already occurred. That is why we strongly recommend a professional spray company to begin a preventative maintenance program.

***Because the EPA has taken most chemicals off the market to control the above conditions, Sod Fields do not warranty sod, therefore we cannot warranty the sod.

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Introduction  •  Plants  •  Trees  •  Lawns  •  Irrigation