Great video! I took your advice, soaked some runners in water. However, instead of transplanting them to the ground directly, I let them grow in shallow pots with a mix of potting soil and compost. Once they fully developed in the pots, I broke them up and planted them in the ground about 24 inches apart from one another. I added some starter fertilizer, and they’ve pretty much taken over the entire area over 2 months. Hope this helps, this is in Los Angeles.
I saw my mom doing this 30 years ago. I did the same thing yesterday but we planted it right away. It still grows. The most important thing is to water it
Babyyyy I did this with some st Augustine from my front yard and put it in my back yard and every one I planted took root and grew…I literally planted them in a huge spot that was all mud no grass….i kept it wet…and BOOM I have grass…I need to cut it for the first time now 😊
Pick a Specific Date (say the 1st day of the month). Mow your lawn as you normally would do, have a pair of scissors in your pocket and a plastic bag attached to mower handle. As you run across the long runners >18" across the top of the grass, I cut that LONG piece down and leave 3.25" to ground to remain and Toss the Runner into the plastic bag and keep mowing until I get to the next one. After mowing, I trim and blow all the trimmings into one pile. Look for Pieces with at least 3 "V's" (not the technical name) but if you hold a runner you'll see V's and grass offshoots from those. Just grab the longest pieces from your trimming pile and toss into same plastic bag. Then I place ALL of those into a large Steri-lite plastic container and sprinkle some Root Growth Promoter into the container & fill with hose, blast to stir up powder (Amazon). Within 10 days you'll have a ton of "shoots" ready and can actually cut each "runner" you put into the plastic tote into numerous pieces, as long as each one has it's own set of roots (I always plant w/2 roots on each piece). Then I use those 3-4" metal U-pins that we normally use for Landscaping Fabric. Spray pain an entire box of those some NEON COLOR that will stand out to you. I did use Paper Clips for 2 years but don't like the idea of rusty metal paperclips in my grass - can't imagine that is good for the soil. On the 15th of the month, I mow like normal & trim edges and will remove any LONG Runners that try to grab my ankles & toss next to Plastic Tote. Take Each Runner that has grown in the Root Growth Promoter, now that your lawn is beautifully mowed & trimmed and cut each piece into a section that has TWO roots. Take each runner to a bare spot, lay on the ground, cover the area right where the roots are with a handful of potting soil & then PIN down only pushing the pin down far enough to not let the runner to SPRING back up too much; but not down too deep you can't find the NEON pin later. I use 2 pins per runner w/a mound of new Potting Soil, Top Soil, whatever you have available directly on the area that has the roots growing below it. The Pins will stop the runners from curling upward and keep them in place, even in heavy downpours in FL. I can EASILY see the NEON Fluorescent Painted Pins when mowing the lawn and (raise the blade to go over that section) without touching the pin or the runner. On the 1st day of the NEXT month, I just walk around and pick up all the NEON GREEN or NEON ORANGE Gigantic Landscape Fabric Pins BEFORE I mow. I found having a SET Date helps tremendously so you don't have to worry about the mower blades hitting a thick landscaping pin. I have the plastic bag hanging on the mower handle again and scissors in my pocket and REPEAT the process again. I do this 5-7x a year on the 1st & 15th of the month; so have a continual cycle and bought 1 pallet of sod in 2016 and the rest of my 7700 SF has been done using this method. The quote was 12K, so I've saved $11,000 doing it - plus saved my neighbors money & hassle picking up 3-4 pcs of sods for their bare patches we all seem to go through despite our best efforts for that perfect lawn.
@@Dizzinator2114 I'm in Florida so I use an empty Sterilite container - 36' long and 18-20" wide - - drop all the runners in the water with root growth stimulator and then top it off with water. I check in about 2-3 weeks and I have about 85% success. That "Runner" most likely had 6-8 roots that have now grown roots so it just keeps multiplying. I just bought NEON PINK Spray Paint and 4" UPin (Landscape staples) so I could use 2 of those NEON PINK and tack down my new root and come back in a few weeks and pick up the pins later on (the NEON color was so that they are easy to see & retrieve) For the last 2 years I just left the paperclips or whatever I used to tack the runners, after the roots grew, down to soil. This year I'm going to try to remove the metal from my patch jobs. I think it will all depend on the weather where you are, how much root stimulator growth hormone you are using (I don't measure, it's so inexpensive, so I just put a bunch in with the water) Best wishes. Just make sure to check that your water doesn't dry out in the container -
very awesome video. I did it a little differently. I 1). cut the runners 2). used a pry bar to get the plant at least 5 inches in the ground 3). soaked the ground with a sprinkler 4). topped the new runners with root stimulator.. that works well also. your video is very very good and your daughter is awesome so cute..
I’ve watched this video a few times and I’m here again for refresher training. I have several bare spots in the front and runners in the backyard and transplanting them works great. I soak them in water and then add potting soil or top soil to give the roots something to grab onto and prevent mosquitoes. Thanks for the tips!
Oh my gosh, I did this today also! Harvested lots of runners, soaked them, cut them into pieces and covered them with new lawn soil. SW Florida coastal areas are pure gray sand so any organic rich soil needs to be brought in. Hope my grass likes it’s new location!
I am doing this exact procedure. I rough up the sand, plant runners and cover it with Scott’s lawn soil w/ enhancements about 1-2 inches. Hope mine looks as good as yours!
Thanks for sharing your St. Augustine transplanting experience. I never placed my Classic St. Augustine grass (CSAG) runners or plugs in tub of water and then later planted them: I have transplanted my CSAG by taking it from the overgrowth from my edges: I learned that my edges always need cutting, but here in Florida we get a lot of rain and many times I am lucky to cut the grass between rain showers. Again this spring and summer we have had a lot of rain consequently the sidewalk and driveway had a lot of growth. I was very impressed with my past success in transplanting our CSAG in bare spots. This past summer we had to grind the Twin Sago Palm plant - which sadly died due to white scales and other plant disease. I just transplanted our CSAG to cover the big void from the Twin Sago Palm Plant. I have to add a little more top soil and clean it up.
I cut runners into 2 node sections and just use a screwdriver to drive about a 4 inch hole into the soil and then push the runner into the hole and leave the top node just above the ground and firm the soil around the plant. This way gives you really good coverage with a small amount of material and is very quick to do. Best to do this in the fall or spring after some good rains and when the temps are warm but not super hot.
I work at a golf course and I have saint Augustine in my yard. I have dead spots. My super intendant at the golf course told me to do it that same way.
Thank you for your comment I am going to try this. If I have Floratam (St. Augustine) in Florida, and a large dead patch, how far apart do you recommend I space them out? (I plan to prepare the area and then amend the soil first).
I never would have thought of this... genius! I hate runners and pull them out all the time because I trip over them when out gardening 😆 I’m going to look for some tomorrow to fill in a bare spot... thanks!!
I am really glad the video helped you! I have two different spots I am filling in now.. I went and got another container to soak roots in as well, I have so many runners that I might as well make use of them. Thank you for watching my videos!!
Great video! Thank you. I’ve been doing this for years. Now I take my runners and pot them in 4” long by 2” cylinders (I use 2” pvc works perfectly) then when roots are well established I go out with the ole pro plugger and fill in thin areas or where weeds were previously treated.
Wow. Excellent. Glad you got all that good advice and made this video so we could learn too! I watched the result video first - what a transformation to a shaded area! Thanks!
Giving this a try with my Centipede runners. Soaking them too. I did transplanting without soaking and it worked, but little success. Thanks for this video!
St. Augustine grass is really a cool grass. You can take a runner and cut the strong part of the stem on an angle just above a split to make needle pluggers for small bare spots. You just need to keep the soil wet for about a week so they begin to root.
I did this last yr to grow grass between pavers, some died. I did dig about an inch in straight line n covered with compost. But im glad to see Im not the only one trying this. It was well worth the watch to learn the paper clip trick bc now I have a thick mass of clover, i raked n pulled up some so I could put stolons there, redirecting the stolons. I didn’t have the extra cash for a broadleaf herbicide and that clover is choking out my grass, otherwise the grass would take root like it did in other places. Hmmm, maybe I should place a large flagstone over runner so grass takes root, n hopefully the clover dies. I hope your bare spots have filled in by now. Happy summer!
Cut each grass blade segment separate from the runner and dig a hole for each plant. Plant 6 inches to a foot apart and water. Can also dig up thick clumpy areas that have fully formed roots and plant immediately. Best to cut in to individual plants and spread out instead of planting runners.
Great video, I just put my runners in a bucket of water. I had to watch a second time to see how long they should stay in the bucket....2 weeks, got it. Thanks
Yes, but after a week you can start looking to see how the roots look.. you want nice long white roots so that it is easy to bury the roots. If you let the runners stay in there to long, then the grass blades will start turning brown (but that takes a while). The only other thing is to check it every couple of days to ensure the bucket doesnt run out of water... OH, and once you plant your runner, water it every day for 2 weeks (like you would sod).
Great video. Thanks for tips. However wouldn't use paperclips. The can rust and you won't find them all when it's time to take them out. In the future if anyone decides to run around or walk around barefoot, it can be a problem. Its best to use labels on a stick or plastic anchors that can be reused. vitora has 35 or 50 white ones in a bag for $3. Its worked really well for me to do so. Keep up the good work.
This is the video I’ve been looking for. I saw it weeks ago and I have been letting my runners grow into the driveway and flower beds so I could harvest them and employ this technique. Thank you. A lot of my lawn died in the freeze we had in the Gulf south in early spring.
That should work well, and better than my previous method, which was only about 25% effective. My method was simply pulling up runners and then transplanting the end with the roots in a deep slit in the ground, and then watering every day. (I had used this method in a new house back in 1983, where the backyard had no Saint Augustine, and after about a year, I had Saint Augustine all over the backyard. It's not working as well this year in my current house because of a drought.) The area is right by the street where water main repairs last fall had required digging up about a 3' x 8' strips of land in four yards, including mine. After doing this transplanting about four times starting eight weeks ago, the area now is mostly covered in Saint Augustine and other grasses. One time, I soaked the area with dilute root stimulator, but don't know how effective that was. Because I am under water rationing right now, I can't do anymore transplanting until the rationing is lifted. By then, hopefully the area will be totally covered in grass. But if more is needed, I will try the method shown in this video. Thanks.
I've been doing this too, but the lawn guys in my neighborhood are too heavy handed and won't stay off for enough time. So what I do it wake them up in water like you show here and then cut the segments and plant them in the plastic cube trays that plugs come in. After a few weeks the roots are all over the place and have a better change of surviving the lawnmower and worker boots. Also I've learned that the miracle grow hose sprayer works wonders on St Augustine and will cause growth within hours. Within days I've seen so many exposed runners that I can open my own sod farm using this method. The miracle grow spray gets the plugs to grow faster and get those roots going.
I'm not sure how big your yard is but workers & those HEAVY turn mowers destroy my lawn & sprinkler heads. I bought a battery operated 44 lb Sun Joe mower and love it. I've had 4 back surgeries w/metal rods, 66 yo and in chronic pain; but with this little lightweight mower, I have no issues, I get outside where I want to be and putzing in the yard is distracting & relaxing. St Augustine shouldn't be cut lower than 3.25" at its lowest. During the real hot summers in FL, I let it be at 3.5". I love my battery operated mower so much, I invested in a $500 one from Ryobi because it had a 4" setting and that allows me to mow w/o touching the landscaping fabric pins I use to hold my "PLUGS" in place. I spray paint them with a NEON COLOR so they are easily seen and I can re-use. My Sun Joe mower was $100 and is so light. The Ryobi is twice as heavy so I can't lift it up but it's like a Cadillac of mowers - even has a headlight. Grab a box of those Landscape Fabric Pins & a cheap can of NEON spray paint to keep them in place and safe from the Industrial Mower blades and being ripped up. Best of luck
Hey, I soaked them in water before I saw your video and I too had great success with them rooting. I didn't have to use paperclips this time as we've had a lot of rain and the clay soil was soft. Thanks for the videos.!!!
How are they doing now? Yeah, after soaking them in water, the roots get so long it seems easier to plant them. My cuttings are all doing really well, I am curious to see how long it will take them to start growing out longer and really cover the area. I am fixing to start planting the grass in another bare spot now.
@@thesecretgarden6948 sorry, for not getting back to you - things have been more hectic than ever. We got a new puppy, a black lab, and it ABSOLUTELY is wearing us out.!!! I haven't checked my clippings in 3 days but I'll check them this morning before work and get back to you. The Donkey Ear plant is doing GREAT. It's about twice the size as when I received it.
@@ski6345 That is awesome, I am really glad that the Donkey Ear is doing so well!! Yeah, labs are great dogs but they are definitely a handful when they are puppies! Good luck!!
I’ve been watching a few of these videos they say compost helps it a lot I’ve bought some compost at home depo for a $1.30 a bag someone mentioned black cow works better it has more nutrients and it $5 a bag I have the same problem with mine
Ill try that. Also bury some small cut 1/2x1/2 inch paper towel or toilet paper roll or egg carton so it keeps the soil moist even if you skip watering one day. The grass will grow nicely. Eventually it'll attract the earthworms and it'll improve the soil
I don't know if this was a factual thing. 2 years ago I did some what of this & it worked as long as I water it every day. I did so for 3 weeks & told my sister to keep on it while being away for a month. I came back & what u know I may as well not said anything. The yard was back to crab weeds. This does work
Those would totally root when they want to. I don't use water I just take a screw driver and make a hole. Then I push the node into the ground and water them. All mine have rooted no problem. I use huge runners and never have an issue. I have also had great success in my test pots with root compound in three weeks my runners had rooted 3x3 plug seedling trays to the point where there was roots coming completely out of the bottom and fully rooted out the 3x3 square
Very nice! Great job. I did not have much success doing it that way.. I have another video where I tried w/o soaking them in water with very little success. It might be because I am in over 100 degree weather in TX so it dries out really fast, IDK.. Regardless, that is awesome you are able to do it so easily. I really like this method soaking them in water though, it takes very little time and the roots get large very quickly, which makes planting them easy.
@@Cenlalowell I do it all the time honestly except for winter. I find that right before green up and in the dead of summer it works great. I did some this summer like three days before I did my weekly liquid ferlizer throw down. I watered it everyday for the first week at a half inch. Second week I did quarter inch. Third week I watered every other day. Then after I saw new growth I just went back to my regular twice a week watering.
@@Cenlalowell yikes I would suggest plugs and a yard butler plug tool. The best course of action for that would be sod. Reason being is sod will cover the ground and prevent massive weed growth. However if you can swing for sod get that tool and plugs and Celsius wg. Because you are definitely going to need it. Plugs will cover like 64sqft in a year maybe more if you space them out, feed them aggressively with fertilizer and water then alot.
What time of the year are you planting these? What area of the United States do you live? I am in Texas and right now it’s hotter than Hades. I have lots of runners that are above ground and I planned on cutting them and putting them in a dish to get more roots started on them but I’m also afraid to plant them due to being so extremely hot and dry. I am watering but I’m also being very cautious about it because of water waste.
WE'VE MOVED INTO A HOME THAT HAS A LOT OF LAVA ROCK AND WHITE ROCKS FROM BEDS. IN THESE SPOTS THE GRASS WOULD NOT GROW. SO WE DUG OUT THE ROCK AND AUGMENTED THE SOIL WITH BAGGED SOIL. WHAT IS THE BEST KIND OF BAGGED SOIL TO REPLACE SOIL WHERE GRASS IS NOT GROWING? IS TOP SOIL WITH MANURE A GOOD CHOICE?
So your planting the root and letting the top of the runner stick out of the ground? Once you cut them how long before you can cut the area with a lawn mower?
I couldn't really tell by the video, but were runners submerged or just soaked really well? I'm killing off a bunch of weeds in my yard here in Texas and I know I'll have bare spots soon in about two weeks. This would work perfect.
Hey, I live in Tennessee and while I have banana trees, they die off in the winter. They come back in the spring but the original tree dies. My question is: can I dig up the bulbs and replant them in the spring.? Winter is gonna be coming quickly and am gonna start soon. I noticed that you have banana plants.!
No, sadly there is no point in you digging up your bulbs. Your growing season is too short in Tennessee to actually get the banana tree to provide viable fruit so if your bulbs underneath the ground are doing well enough to come back the next year, that is the best we can hope for. Just enjoy it as an ornamental tree. Since the bulbs already come back the next year there’s no reason to bring them inside, that will not prevent the tree that grows from dying in the winter. That is one reason why I was excited to move to Texas because I can now grow plants that I could not really grow in Tennessee.
The spring time absolutely works the best because St Augustine grass grows the most at that time. It stops growing and goes dormant in the fall and sometimes the heat of the summer can be to difficult for the cuttings. Where I planted them, it has shade so they could survive the summer heat. You might still be able to do some now as we still have a couple months till first frost but you will have much more success in the spring
How much water do you put in the containers with the runners to root? I have a kiddie pool full of runners. I’ve filled it with water but they are not submerged. I spray them daily to keep moist. How long does it take to see roots long enough for planting?
Thank you for the comment, sorry it took 2 days to get to you. You need to make sure that the nubs, which grow the roots, are full submerged in water or it will not work well. I have mine almost completely submerged in water and it is fine. It takes a week before you start to see good growth but I usually leave them in there a little bit longer after that to ensure the roots are longer and easier to plant.
How far u to fall can you do this? I'm in Tx, I can plant the runners in lil planters and bring in over winter. it's mild climate in Austin Tx area. ty
You need to break up that soil before planting the runners. I tried this before, the problem with it is that weeds will take over the bare spots quicker than the runners can spread.
How is this spot doing since last August? I have a few spots I need to fill in here in the Houston area and I like your idea. Curious what happened to this spot after the freeze in February.
So I am not sure if I showed it in the video but I did this for two spots in my yard, the area shown in the thumbnail picture and also next to a large electrical box. The area in that picture did "okay" after the freeze but not great, I lost probably half of the runners that I planted but it is already starting to spread out again. The spot next to the electrical box did perfect though.. I am not sure why there was a difference but none of that grass died and it is super thick with no dirt showing.
I didnt paper clip the roots. I mentioned that you could and that a subscriber suggested it but I just push the roots into the soil and cover them up with dirt
Just dig small trenches with the tool to fit the length of the runners or cut the runners to fit your trenches, then plant them. Use cutup paperclips to hold them down if needed.
That is an option for sure but I like providing free options to people when possible. I have much larger areas that I am sodding but this is more of a solution for people who need to cover bare spots easily, and with what they already have.
Hey mate, yeah it works for kik runners. If you grab some runners which are already putting out roots into the ground you won't need to soak as long. Put a couple caps of Seasol in the water as well to speed up the process. - Melbourne
Water them daily if they are in the sun and every other day if they are in the shade for the first two weeks. They need more water at first b/c they have been soaking in water so you have to get them used to not having as much water.
Where did you see it? I have a fake (very real looking) ceramic snake in my Rosemary plant but I did not realize it was shown in this video... I'm impressed that you spotted it
Great video! I took your advice, soaked some runners in water. However, instead of transplanting them to the ground directly, I let them grow in shallow pots with a mix of potting soil and compost. Once they fully developed in the pots, I broke them up and planted them in the ground about 24 inches apart from one another. I added some starter fertilizer, and they’ve pretty much taken over the entire area over 2 months. Hope this helps, this is in Los Angeles.
I’m in LA too about to try this…thanks for the tip 💛
I saw my mom doing this 30 years ago. I did the same thing yesterday but we planted it right away. It still grows. The most important thing is to water it
Babyyyy I did this with some st Augustine from my front yard and put it in my back yard and every one I planted took root and grew…I literally planted them in a huge spot that was all mud no grass….i kept it wet…and BOOM I have grass…I need to cut it for the first time now 😊
Pick a Specific Date (say the 1st day of the month). Mow your lawn as you normally would do, have a pair of scissors in your pocket and a plastic bag attached to mower handle. As you run across the long runners >18" across the top of the grass, I cut that LONG piece down and leave 3.25" to ground to remain and Toss the Runner into the plastic bag and keep mowing until I get to the next one. After mowing, I trim and blow all the trimmings into one pile. Look for Pieces with at least 3 "V's" (not the technical name) but if you hold a runner you'll see V's and grass offshoots from those. Just grab the longest pieces from your trimming pile and toss into same plastic bag. Then I place ALL of those into a large Steri-lite plastic container and sprinkle some Root Growth Promoter into the container & fill with hose, blast to stir up powder (Amazon). Within 10 days you'll have a ton of "shoots" ready and can actually cut each "runner" you put into the plastic tote into numerous pieces, as long as each one has it's own set of roots (I always plant w/2 roots on each piece). Then I use those 3-4" metal U-pins that we normally use for Landscaping Fabric. Spray pain an entire box of those some NEON COLOR that will stand out to you. I did use Paper Clips for 2 years but don't like the idea of rusty metal paperclips in my grass - can't imagine that is good for the soil. On the 15th of the month, I mow like normal & trim edges and will remove any LONG Runners that try to grab my ankles & toss next to Plastic Tote. Take Each Runner that has grown in the Root Growth Promoter, now that your lawn is beautifully mowed & trimmed and cut each piece into a section that has TWO roots. Take each runner to a bare spot, lay on the ground, cover the area right where the roots are with a handful of potting soil & then PIN down only pushing the pin down far enough to not let the runner to SPRING back up too much; but not down too deep you can't find the NEON pin later. I use 2 pins per runner w/a mound of new Potting Soil, Top Soil, whatever you have available directly on the area that has the roots growing below it. The Pins will stop the runners from curling upward and keep them in place, even in heavy downpours in FL. I can EASILY see the NEON Fluorescent Painted Pins when mowing the lawn and (raise the blade to go over that section) without touching the pin or the runner. On the 1st day of the NEXT month, I just walk around and pick up all the NEON GREEN or NEON ORANGE Gigantic Landscape Fabric Pins BEFORE I mow. I found having a SET Date helps tremendously so you don't have to worry about the mower blades hitting a thick landscaping pin. I have the plastic bag hanging on the mower handle again and scissors in my pocket and REPEAT the process again. I do this 5-7x a year on the 1st & 15th of the month; so have a continual cycle and bought 1 pallet of sod in 2016 and the rest of my 7700 SF has been done using this method. The quote was 12K, so I've saved $11,000 doing it - plus saved my neighbors money & hassle picking up 3-4 pcs of sods for their bare patches we all seem to go through despite our best efforts for that perfect lawn.
@tamiroseferchak937 how long do you let it sit to develop roots in guessing a month if I read this all correctly?
@@Dizzinator2114 I'm in Florida so I use an empty Sterilite container - 36' long and 18-20" wide - - drop all the runners in the water with root growth stimulator and then top it off with water. I check in about 2-3 weeks and I have about 85% success. That "Runner" most likely had 6-8 roots that have now grown roots so it just keeps multiplying. I just bought NEON PINK Spray Paint and 4" UPin (Landscape staples) so I could use 2 of those NEON PINK and tack down my new root and come back in a few weeks and pick up the pins later on (the NEON color was so that they are easy to see & retrieve) For the last 2 years I just left the paperclips or whatever I used to tack the runners, after the roots grew, down to soil. This year I'm going to try to remove the metal from my patch jobs. I think it will all depend on the weather where you are, how much root stimulator growth hormone you are using (I don't measure, it's so inexpensive, so I just put a bunch in with the water) Best wishes. Just make sure to check that your water doesn't dry out in the container -
very awesome video. I did it a little differently. I 1). cut the runners 2). used a pry bar to get the plant at least 5 inches in the ground 3). soaked the ground with a sprinkler 4). topped the new runners with root stimulator.. that works well also. your video is very very good and your daughter is awesome so cute..
I’ve watched this video a few times and I’m here again for refresher training. I have several bare spots in the front and runners in the backyard and transplanting them works great. I soak them in water and then add potting soil or top soil to give the roots something to grab onto and prevent mosquitoes. Thanks for the tips!
Oh my gosh, I did this today also! Harvested lots of runners, soaked them, cut them into pieces and covered them with new lawn soil. SW Florida coastal areas are pure gray sand so any organic rich soil needs to be brought in. Hope my grass likes it’s new location!
I am doing this exact procedure. I rough up the sand, plant runners and cover it with Scott’s lawn soil w/ enhancements about 1-2 inches. Hope mine looks as good as yours!
Thanks for sharing your St. Augustine transplanting experience. I never placed my Classic St. Augustine grass (CSAG) runners or plugs in tub of water and then later planted them: I have transplanted my CSAG by taking it from the overgrowth from my edges: I learned that my edges always need cutting, but here in Florida we get a lot of rain and many times I am lucky to cut the grass between rain showers. Again this spring and summer we have had a lot of rain consequently the sidewalk and driveway had a lot of growth. I was very impressed with my past success in transplanting our CSAG in bare spots. This past summer we had to grind the Twin Sago Palm plant - which sadly died due to white scales and other plant disease. I just transplanted our CSAG to cover the big void from the Twin Sago Palm Plant. I have to add a little more top soil and clean it up.
I cut runners into 2 node sections and just use a screwdriver to drive about a 4 inch hole into the soil and then push the runner into the hole and leave the top node just above the ground and firm the soil around the plant. This way gives you really good coverage with a small amount of material and is very quick to do. Best to do this in the fall or spring after some good rains and when the temps are warm but not super hot.
Very good advice and a good way of doing it
I work at a golf course and I have saint Augustine in my yard. I have dead spots. My super intendant at the golf course told me to do it that same way.
I like this method better. It's one and done and just water.
Thank you for your comment I am going to try this. If I have Floratam (St. Augustine) in Florida, and a large dead patch, how far apart do you recommend I space them out? (I plan to prepare the area and then amend the soil first).
@@glennschmidt8877 about every 6 inches in a grid pattern
I never would have thought of this... genius! I hate runners and pull them out all the time because I trip over them when out gardening 😆 I’m going to look for some tomorrow to fill in a bare spot... thanks!!
I am really glad the video helped you! I have two different spots I am filling in now.. I went and got another container to soak roots in as well, I have so many runners that I might as well make use of them. Thank you for watching my videos!!
Same. I will just cut them from the end of the lawn. I was weed whacking them to death. Now I’ll just move them somewhere else.
NOICE!! been trying on my own for a few months now with 50% success, Game Changer!!!
Good I’m really glad I could help!
Great video! Thank you. I’ve been doing this for years. Now I take my runners and pot them in 4” long by 2” cylinders (I use 2” pvc works perfectly) then when roots are well established I go out with the ole pro plugger and fill in thin areas or where weeds were previously treated.
I started doing this today, and I’m glad to see someone else also had the same idea!
Are you doing it any differently that I did or the same?
@@thesecretgarden6948
My sprinkler guy told me that St Augustine grass loves lawn sand to grow on, so I’m putting some of it under it also.
Wow. Excellent. Glad you got all that good advice and made this video so we could learn too! I watched the result video first - what a transformation to a shaded area! Thanks!
Giving this a try with my Centipede runners. Soaking them too. I did transplanting without soaking and it worked, but little success. Thanks for this video!
Did this work on your centipede
St. Augustine grass is really a cool grass. You can take a runner and cut the strong part of the stem on an angle just above a split to make needle pluggers for small bare spots. You just need to keep the soil wet for about a week so they begin to root.
I did this last yr to grow grass between pavers, some died. I did dig about an inch in straight line n covered with compost. But im glad to see Im not the only one trying this. It was well worth the watch to learn the paper clip trick bc now I have a thick mass of clover, i raked n pulled up some so I could put stolons there, redirecting the stolons. I didn’t have the extra cash for a broadleaf herbicide and that clover is choking out my grass, otherwise the grass would take root like it did in other places. Hmmm, maybe I should place a large flagstone over runner so grass takes root, n hopefully the clover dies.
I hope your bare spots have filled in by now. Happy summer!
Wow man the runners look GREAT!!!!
Cut each grass blade segment separate from the runner and dig a hole for each plant. Plant 6 inches to a foot apart and water. Can also dig up thick clumpy areas that have fully formed roots and plant immediately. Best to cut in to individual plants and spread out instead of planting runners.
i am so grateful for your video, this is just the knowledge I am seeking, thank you to you and to the commentor that informed you. 🙂
Great video, I just put my runners in a bucket of water. I had to watch a second time to see how long they should stay in the bucket....2 weeks, got it. Thanks
Yes, but after a week you can start looking to see how the roots look.. you want nice long white roots so that it is easy to bury the roots. If you let the runners stay in there to long, then the grass blades will start turning brown (but that takes a while). The only other thing is to check it every couple of days to ensure the bucket doesnt run out of water... OH, and once you plant your runner, water it every day for 2 weeks (like you would sod).
how's it doing?
@@jwgmail very good. I made an update video if you want to check it out
@@jwgmail they survived after planting them, the area is all filled in now so I would say it was a success !!
@@carlwheeler3403 awesome, thank you!
Your camera cut out. The trenching and planting was what I wanted to see. Hopefully, you will show this area at a later date to see the progress.
you commented on the other video, glad you found it. Let me know if you have questions
Great video. Thanks for tips. However wouldn't use paperclips. The can rust and you won't find them all when it's time to take them out. In the future if anyone decides to run around or walk around barefoot, it can be a problem. Its best to use labels on a stick or plastic anchors that can be reused. vitora has 35 or 50 white ones in a bag for $3. Its worked really well for me to do so. Keep up the good work.
Great tip! That is a very good point, thank you for that!
i am going to reclaim my paperclips with a strong magnet
Cool. Now you only have to wait 22 years for it to fill in.
Outstanding! I have been pulling them from the actual turf, usually at the edges and then planting them in bare spots with little success!
Keep trying. Not all usually survive 100 percent. Decent soil and water are good helpers
This is the video I’ve been looking for. I saw it weeks ago and I have been letting my runners grow into the driveway and flower beds so I could harvest them and employ this technique. Thank you. A lot of my lawn died in the freeze we had in the Gulf south in early spring.
I am VERY glad that I was able to help you. Hopefully you will subscribe and stick around for more videos :)
Any update 2022
I didn't realize a freeze would actually kill the grass. I thought it just goes dormant.
That should work well, and better than my previous method, which was only about 25% effective. My method was simply pulling up runners and then transplanting the end with the roots in a deep slit in the ground, and then watering every day. (I had used this method in a new house back in 1983, where the backyard had no Saint Augustine, and after about a year, I had Saint Augustine all over the backyard. It's not working as well this year in my current house because of a drought.) The area is right by the street where water main repairs last fall had required digging up about a 3' x 8' strips of land in four yards, including mine. After doing this transplanting about four times starting eight weeks ago, the area now is mostly covered in Saint Augustine and other grasses. One time, I soaked the area with dilute root stimulator, but don't know how effective that was. Because I am under water rationing right now, I can't do anymore transplanting until the rationing is lifted. By then, hopefully the area will be totally covered in grass. But if more is needed, I will try the method shown in this video. Thanks.
I've been doing this too, but the lawn guys in my neighborhood are too heavy handed and won't stay off for enough time. So what I do it wake them up in water like you show here and then cut the segments and plant them in the plastic cube trays that plugs come in. After a few weeks the roots are all over the place and have a better change of surviving the lawnmower and worker boots. Also I've learned that the miracle grow hose sprayer works wonders on St Augustine and will cause growth within hours. Within days I've seen so many exposed runners that I can open my own sod farm using this method. The miracle grow spray gets the plugs to grow faster and get those roots going.
I'm not sure how big your yard is but workers & those HEAVY turn mowers destroy my lawn & sprinkler heads. I bought a battery operated 44 lb Sun Joe mower and love it. I've had 4 back surgeries w/metal rods, 66 yo and in chronic pain; but with this little lightweight mower, I have no issues, I get outside where I want to be and putzing in the yard is distracting & relaxing. St Augustine shouldn't be cut lower than 3.25" at its lowest. During the real hot summers in FL, I let it be at 3.5". I love my battery operated mower so much, I invested in a $500 one from Ryobi because it had a 4" setting and that allows me to mow w/o touching the landscaping fabric pins I use to hold my "PLUGS" in place. I spray paint them with a NEON COLOR so they are easily seen and I can re-use. My Sun Joe mower was $100 and is so light. The Ryobi is twice as heavy so I can't lift it up but it's like a Cadillac of mowers - even has a headlight. Grab a box of those Landscape Fabric Pins & a cheap can of NEON spray paint to keep them in place and safe from the Industrial Mower blades and being ripped up. Best of luck
Sounds like you work for Miracle Grow and doing an ad. 😂
Great idea! How about removing some St. Augustine plug size and using plugs in the no grass area?
Hey, I soaked them in water before I saw your video and I too had great success with them rooting.
I didn't have to use paperclips this time as we've had a lot of rain and the clay soil was soft.
Thanks for the videos.!!!
How are they doing now? Yeah, after soaking them in water, the roots get so long it seems easier to plant them. My cuttings are all doing really well, I am curious to see how long it will take them to start growing out longer and really cover the area. I am fixing to start planting the grass in another bare spot now.
@@thesecretgarden6948 sorry, for not getting back to you - things have been more hectic than ever. We got a new puppy, a black lab, and it ABSOLUTELY is wearing us out.!!!
I haven't checked my clippings in 3 days but I'll check them this morning before work and get back to you.
The Donkey Ear plant is doing GREAT. It's about twice the size as when I received it.
@@ski6345 That is awesome, I am really glad that the Donkey Ear is doing so well!! Yeah, labs are great dogs but they are definitely a handful when they are puppies! Good luck!!
This seems to be great advice. Thank you, and I will give this a try.
I’ve been watching a few of these videos they say compost helps it a lot I’ve bought some compost at home depo for a $1.30 a bag someone mentioned black cow works better it has more nutrients and it $5 a bag I have the same problem with mine
I use the cheaper compost for $1.30. I do not buy the black cow b/c that is honestly just to expensive and I find that the regular one works fine.
I would also like to see how it looks now this is great!
Ill try that. Also bury some small cut 1/2x1/2 inch paper towel or toilet paper roll or egg carton so it keeps the soil moist even if you skip watering one day. The grass will grow nicely. Eventually it'll attract the earthworms and it'll improve the soil
I just put out a follow up video to this: ruclips.net/video/O1KuG72Ifs8/видео.html
Thanks! I’m going to try this!!
I don't know if this was a factual thing. 2 years ago I did some what of this & it worked as long as I water it every day. I did so for 3 weeks & told my sister to keep on it while being away for a month. I came back & what u know I may as well not said anything. The yard was back to crab weeds. This does work
That's awesome, but look into getting a proplugger and get it done MUCH quicker...Much Luck!
I have the Pro Plugger. It is no good for St. Augustine. Even the website says so. It is great for Zoysia, Bermuda and Centipede grass though.
Those would totally root when they want to.
I don't use water I just take a screw driver and make a hole. Then I push the node into the ground and water them. All mine have rooted no problem. I use huge runners and never have an issue. I have also had great success in my test pots with root compound in three weeks my runners had rooted 3x3 plug seedling trays to the point where there was roots coming completely out of the bottom and fully rooted out the 3x3 square
Very nice! Great job. I did not have much success doing it that way.. I have another video where I tried w/o soaking them in water with very little success. It might be because I am in over 100 degree weather in TX so it dries out really fast, IDK.. Regardless, that is awesome you are able to do it so easily. I really like this method soaking them in water though, it takes very little time and the roots get large very quickly, which makes planting them easy.
Never knew about the soaking. Always used the screwdriver method and water everyday for three weeks. Also I only do this in spring and fall
@@Cenlalowell I do it all the time honestly except for winter. I find that right before green up and in the dead of summer it works great. I did some this summer like three days before I did my weekly liquid ferlizer throw down. I watered it everyday for the first week at a half inch. Second week I did quarter inch. Third week I watered every other day. Then after I saw new growth I just went back to my regular twice a week watering.
@@chasingthefish9042 nice, I have a big section to do next year about 10k sqft
@@Cenlalowell yikes I would suggest plugs and a yard butler plug tool. The best course of action for that would be sod. Reason being is sod will cover the ground and prevent massive weed growth. However if you can swing for sod get that tool and plugs and Celsius wg. Because you are definitely going to need it.
Plugs will cover like 64sqft in a year maybe more if you space them out, feed them aggressively with fertilizer and water then alot.
You could use ladies long hair pins to hold grass or plants down on the soil
Great idea! Thanks
Thanks for the information 😊
What time of the year are you planting these? What area of the United States do you live? I am in Texas and right now it’s hotter than Hades. I have lots of runners that are above ground and I planned on cutting them and putting them in a dish to get more roots started on them but I’m also afraid to plant them due to being so extremely hot and dry. I am watering but I’m also being very cautious about it because of water waste.
WE'VE MOVED INTO A HOME THAT HAS A LOT OF LAVA ROCK AND WHITE ROCKS FROM BEDS. IN THESE SPOTS THE GRASS WOULD NOT GROW. SO WE DUG OUT THE ROCK AND AUGMENTED THE SOIL WITH BAGGED SOIL. WHAT IS THE BEST KIND OF BAGGED SOIL TO REPLACE SOIL WHERE GRASS IS NOT GROWING? IS TOP SOIL WITH MANURE A GOOD CHOICE?
Do you have a follow up to this. Would love to see the area now. Did the runners spread and fill in?
Yes they did completely fill the area. I will do a follow up soon.
I just put out a follow up video to this: ruclips.net/video/O1KuG72Ifs8/видео.html
If I soak the whole runners and leaves in the water, will I kill the plant because the leaf is not exposed to air?
Sometimes St Augustine won't grow in certain areas, but that pesky weed that looks like St Augustine (crabgrass) will thrive in those dead spots. 👍
So your planting the root and letting the top of the runner stick out of the ground?
Once you cut them how long before you can cut the area with a lawn mower?
Is there a biodegradable material you can use to pin the stolons down?
I live in Sacramento California and I have St.Augustine grass. I am unable to find weed and feed for it help!
try planting a patch of saint augustine grass that is 3 x3 it will spread faster the bigger it is
Good job and information
Thank you! :)
Thanks for this !
I couldn't really tell by the video, but were runners submerged or just soaked really well? I'm killing off a bunch of weeds in my yard here in Texas and I know I'll have bare spots soon in about two weeks. This would work perfect.
Mostly submerged. You want to make sure the nubs which grow roots are submerged in water
Hey, I live in Tennessee and while I have banana trees, they die off in the winter.
They come back in the spring but the original tree dies.
My question is: can I dig up the bulbs and replant them in the spring.?
Winter is gonna be coming quickly and am gonna start soon.
I noticed that you have banana plants.!
No, sadly there is no point in you digging up your bulbs. Your growing season is too short in Tennessee to actually get the banana tree to provide viable fruit so if your bulbs underneath the ground are doing well enough to come back the next year, that is the best we can hope for. Just enjoy it as an ornamental tree. Since the bulbs already come back the next year there’s no reason to bring them inside, that will not prevent the tree that grows from dying in the winter. That is one reason why I was excited to move to Texas because I can now grow plants that I could not really grow in Tennessee.
Should this be done in the spring time. And should I till the soil if it is hard packed. Thanks.
The spring time absolutely works the best because St Augustine grass grows the most at that time. It stops growing and goes dormant in the fall and sometimes the heat of the summer can be to difficult for the cuttings. Where I planted them, it has shade so they could survive the summer heat. You might still be able to do some now as we still have a couple months till first frost but you will have much more success in the spring
Will this work for centipede also?😊
How much water do you put in the containers with the runners to root? I have a kiddie pool full of runners. I’ve filled it with water but they are not submerged. I spray them daily to keep moist. How long does it take to see roots long enough for planting?
Thank you for the comment, sorry it took 2 days to get to you. You need to make sure that the nubs, which grow the roots, are full submerged in water or it will not work well. I have mine almost completely submerged in water and it is fine. It takes a week before you start to see good growth but I usually leave them in there a little bit longer after that to ensure the roots are longer and easier to plant.
Having a hard time because they are coiled.. Like a spring keep wanting to pop up and out
Yes that can be difficult. Use paper clips or something like that to hold them down until the roots can hold them in the ground
I cut my runners into pieces with 2-3 nodes. On them. They stay much better than long runners.
How far u to fall can you do this? I'm in Tx, I can plant the runners in lil planters and bring in over winter. it's mild climate in Austin Tx area. ty
Did the runners turn yellow 2 days after planting???
How do I keep the cuttings from getting fungus /mold while they soak? I tried this and they were gross and smelled awful. I had to throw them away.
You need to break up that soil before planting the runners. I tried this before, the problem with it is that weeds will take over the bare spots quicker than the runners can spread.
Great advice, thank you!
How is this spot doing since last August? I have a few spots I need to fill in here in the Houston area and I like your idea. Curious what happened to this spot after the freeze in February.
So I am not sure if I showed it in the video but I did this for two spots in my yard, the area shown in the thumbnail picture and also next to a large electrical box. The area in that picture did "okay" after the freeze but not great, I lost probably half of the runners that I planted but it is already starting to spread out again. The spot next to the electrical box did perfect though.. I am not sure why there was a difference but none of that grass died and it is super thick with no dirt showing.
My dad used to poke them in with a fat screwdriver. I guess you could stick both ends in
do you have a video of how this turned out?
If you lay down a 4" fertilizer/top soil mix they will grow faster
What about some liquid lawn fertiliser?
Can you pant it without roots
You should have tilled the soil and fertilized it. Also do this in late spring
Please show how you paper clipped the root part. Thats the soul of your video. But you missed.
I didnt paper clip the roots. I mentioned that you could and that a subscriber suggested it but I just push the roots into the soil and cover them up with dirt
I do barbie pins 75ct for $1
How come no one is talking about that snake under the tree
Kinda cool
So your camera cut out on what i felt was the most important part of the video. Im still unsure how to plant the runners and type of soil to use. Smh
Just dig small trenches with the tool to fit the length of the runners or cut the runners to fit your trenches, then plant them. Use cutup paperclips to hold them down if needed.
Why don't u use sod or plugs for such a small area?
That is an option for sure but I like providing free options to people when possible. I have much larger areas that I am sodding but this is more of a solution for people who need to cover bare spots easily, and with what they already have.
Cuz not everyone can afford it!
Will this work the same with kikuyu runners?
I honestly have no idea, I’ve never grown that grass
Hey mate, yeah it works for kik runners. If you grab some runners which are already putting out roots into the ground you won't need to soak as long. Put a couple caps of Seasol in the water as well to speed up the process.
- Melbourne
How often are you watering them?
Water them daily if they are in the sun and every other day if they are in the shade for the first two weeks. They need more water at first b/c they have been soaking in water so you have to get them used to not having as much water.
They will root if you put dirt on them.
Is that a snakee
Where did you see it? I have a fake (very real looking) ceramic snake in my Rosemary plant but I did not realize it was shown in this video... I'm impressed that you spotted it
@@thesecretgarden6948 😂
Brother no. I have 10k sq ft of area to plant, I don’t have that many casserole dishes so stop please 🤣
Awesome is not the word I would describe your grass.