I lived "down east" for a short period of time. I was a sales rep for Monrovia. They had a nursery in La Grange pre 2008 housing crisis and then it went under. I spent my weekends on topsail Island and Atlantic Beach. I'm glad you found the video helpful.
Phenomenal video Plant Dr. I’m in Louisiana. I have used Tenacity and Image and Sedgehammer for two years with great results. Applied Prodiamine 3 weeks ago for first time. I plan to add Celsius to the team in the coming year. Glad I found your channel today 👍🏾
I'm in Louisiana too. I got some Tenacity but returned it because I kept coming across instructions to not use it on residential lawns. Glad to hear you've had good results. I just put down some atrazine yesterday. We'll see what happens. I may try Tenacity in the future.
@@cjph7 I didn’t think we could get Tenacity in the past down here. Let me know how the Atrazine worked for you. Amazon won’t ship 0:17 the bottle of Celsius here, but they will ship the packet!
Thanks, Doc. This video was exactly what I was looking for. My "St. Aug" lawn is an absolute mess. I appreciate your content. Didn't see this until just now. I put down atrazine yesterday. I'm hoping that was a good move. Will try your suggestions moving forward. -Southeast Louisiana
i have st augustine and so do a lot of my neighbors and i'm 30min north of gadsden.....1hr south of huntsville in the albertville/boaz area. i've tried different heights but i mow it at 2.5" ...if it's mid summer and we aren't getting rain i just don't mow it so it will be 4-5" tall during that time. soon as it rains i mow it. this grass needs water but you can go about a month or so without water and it will come back. just don't mow it during periods of no rain like that. just let it go until it rains again then you can start back mowing.
Thank you, sir, for sharing your knowledge.....................new home for 2 years, no grass.....TX............sandy & clay -I'll try this St Augustine, and I don't mind the extra labor to maintain the edging.
First time homeowner on a new build here in Jax, FL! Learned a lot from your video, going to pick up some Prodiamine and Image weed killer tomorrow at the store to try and control the weeds popping up! Grass is dormant now but I’d imagine it’ll change soon and I’ll put the nitrogen fertilizer next month! Thanks for your video
I planted a pallet of St Aug at a townhouse a few years ago here in Shelby County Alabama south of Bham. It only got 4-6 hours a day of sun on one side and 6-8 hours on the other. 1 year later it had survived on the side with more sun, not on the other. Better have it in an open area if planting this far north!
I live in Hampton Road, Virginia. I planted Palmetto St Augustine grass in my yard in 2000. What I have found over the years is that I can't treat my yard like those who live in Florida, my mower height is lower (2") to keep the stolens in contact with the soil to survive the winter.
@@TrevorMcElhannon Yes, I keep it 2- 2.5" depending how much I fertilize. In the spring I drop my mower 1.75" to remove the dormant grass and back to 2 -2.5". For years I was mowing at 3-4" and one winter wiped out about 50% of my yard. What I found at the higher mowing height I had a thick layer of dead stolens, stolens on top of stolens and those were the areas that died. The areas that survived were the ones that had contact with the soil.
Wow! Awesome video.. I’m in Texas and have St. Augustine but new to maintaining it as a new home owner. Can you recommend a Scott’s turf option fertilizer ?
I tend not to recommend specific brands because it is just marketing the exact same product in different bags. I encourage people to look a the guaranteed analysis on the bag required by federal law. This will tell you exactly what is in the bag without all the pretty advertisement. The main thing you are after is just a slow release product.
Thanks for the very informative video. We just moved into a new home in Sarasota, FL with St. Aug. sod/grass. New to doing my own fertilizer. Do you recommend using a spreader or applying a liquid application?
Use a slow release granular. Also read up on Florida fertilizer rules. You have "non application" periods to help prevent algae bloom in the swamps and bays.
I have a lot of brown patches, probably caused by chinch bugs. After putting some Triazicide on the lawn, how do I make the St. Augustine grass come back? Do I just put soil over it?
I live in Palm Bay in Brevard County. Should I even water in the rainy season? It has been raining everyday here. Secondly, how often and how long should I water when it is not raining that much?
As long as you are getting one inch per week I wouldn't water. IN terms of irrigation I would water 2-3 times a week if no rain and try to get around an inch of water on the ground per week
What do you suggest to rid torpedo grass from my St Augustine lawn. I believe it either came in with my sod, or a top dressing of top soil that I spread to level some low areas…really enjoyed this segment…you got a new sub
I had to do a quick Google search because torpedo grass isn't an issue where I live. There appears that there isn't a selective herbicide for torpedo grass that will not knock back or kill st Augustine. I know that isn't the answer you are looking for but pulling might be your best option. Thanks for the sub! It is greatly appreciated!
In my area of west north/central florida (50 miles south and west of Ocala), many homes have the Floratam variety. It is my understanding that Floratam reacts differently to most weed killers than other types of St. Augustine. In other words, weed killers that work fine on most St Augustine grasses will kill Floratam. Please comment on what weed killer to use.
Floratam is a little more sensitive to weed killer than other St. Augustine grasses. Off the top of my head, I think Image makes a product for Floratam but I am not 100% certain. Check the label, it will let you know.
Great video. I'm here in Daytona area and my St. Augustine will not grow, although it is fairly green. Our last lawn company kept mowing it low so after multiple warnings, I got rid of them. However, I think one of reasons was it wasn't growing and they cut it lower to keep it uniform. I'm now 3 weeks since mowing and some areas haven't grown at all while neighbors look great. We do have a company doing the fertilization. Any ideas on what is stopping this from growing? I have added some compost to help with soil.
Send a soil sample off to the university of Florida and go from there. It's cheap and invaluable information. Just google university of Florida soil sample and go from there. It's your land grant institution so they should offer the service.
Thank you for posting this video it's tremendously helpful. Unfortunately my lawn has weeds and Rhizoctonia right now. Would I apply the fertilizer, Image and Copper Sulfate at the same time or do I need to stagger them?
I think you could. Just review the image label first. Sometimes mixing certain chemicals will cause them to precipitate out of solution and just be crystals sitting in the bottom of the tank.
What are your thoughts on weed killers listed for St Augustine that include some 2-4,D? Can it be okay in small amounts when temps are below 85 degrees?
St Augustine is definitely more sensitive to 2-4d than say Bermuda or zoysia. I get the appeal of using it because it is cheap. I would focus on weed control with pre emergent and perhaps likely spot spray broad leaf weeds with 2-4d on a cooler cloudy day. The good news is if you burn the St Augustine it will grow back in.
Can you recommend a brand for the nitrogen? Should I put down a small amount of nitrogen now if I'm just getting started in the Tampa area or wait until October and start with the preemergent in October?
I wouldn't get too hung up on brand. They are all the same thing if you look at the guaranteed analysis on the bag. Just a slow release prill is all you are after and as long as Florida isn't under a fertilizer ban period right now you should be ok putting some out.
@@Dr.Warren Thanks for the reply. I don't really know what to look for with the fertilizer. Is 'turf builder' or I have seen 26-2-11 blends or 16-4-8. Not sure which one would be best for this time of year.
A slow release blend. I would send a soil sample off to the University of Florida and go by what they recommend. Also, read up on Florida fertilizer law. Its a little more restrictive for when you can put it out because of all the run off causing red tides, etc.
The video mentions Prodiamine, but a product link for that is not given. There is a product link for Pendimethalin. Are they similar? Also, I saw a comment on the web that Pendimethalin is either controlled or banned in a lot of states. What gives?
I need to check the link but the two both accomplish the same task. To my knowledge there isn't a ban on pendi. Some places with tight restrictions like California might have it listed as controlled but I would need to research it to know.
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing with us. I could see that area being a microclimate that stays warmer being surrounded by water and proximity to the Gulf stream pushing warm water North.
@@Dr.Warren I had no idea St. Augustine grass was planted on our property until the local group of Master Gardeners did a soil test around our property last summer. I thought that it was all crab grass.
When you say to apply 1.5lb of nitrogen, how does this work. For ex i have 2 bags that has 15-x-x and another of 25-x-x the amount the of nitrogen to apply will be the same(1.5lb) or it differs?
GREAT question and something that needs to be addressed. I am going to pin your comment at the top with my answer. For demonstration and easy math I can do in my head really fast, let's say you have a 10-x-x fertilizer. This means 10% of the fertilizer is actually usable nitrogen. So to get 1.5lbs of N/1000 sqft I need to put down 15lbs of actual product per thousand to achieve 1.5lbsN/1000.
I should have gone into greater detail. "Image" gets bottled with several different combinations of chemicals. Image with imazaquin is ideal. You can use the "southern lawn version" as long as it's cool outside.
The house I moved into 5 years ago.Grass will not grow in the front. There. Is a lot of shade. I finally decided To rake all the way down to the actual dirt and holy crap so much leaves and acorns everywhere. So now i need to till uo the area i cleaned. I heard st Augustin grows better in the shade.
Finally, a complete annual yard recipe with chemical and brand names. Ordering preemergent now. Many thanks from coastal NC.
I lived "down east" for a short period of time. I was a sales rep for Monrovia. They had a nursery in La Grange pre 2008 housing crisis and then it went under. I spent my weekends on topsail Island and Atlantic Beach. I'm glad you found the video helpful.
Phenomenal video Plant Dr. I’m in Louisiana. I have used Tenacity and Image and Sedgehammer for two years with great results. Applied Prodiamine 3 weeks ago for first time. I plan to add Celsius to the team in the coming year. Glad I found your channel today 👍🏾
I'm in Louisiana too. I got some Tenacity but returned it because I kept coming across instructions to not use it on residential lawns. Glad to hear you've had good results. I just put down some atrazine yesterday. We'll see what happens. I may try Tenacity in the future.
@@cjph7 I didn’t think we could get Tenacity in the past down here. Let me know how the Atrazine worked for you. Amazon won’t ship 0:17 the bottle of Celsius here, but they will ship the packet!
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome video on St Augustine grass!
Thanks, Doc. This video was exactly what I was looking for. My "St. Aug" lawn is an absolute mess. I appreciate your content. Didn't see this until just now. I put down atrazine yesterday. I'm hoping that was a good move. Will try your suggestions moving forward.
-Southeast Louisiana
Glad it was helpful!
i have st augustine and so do a lot of my neighbors and i'm 30min north of gadsden.....1hr south of huntsville in the albertville/boaz area. i've tried different heights but i mow it at 2.5" ...if it's mid summer and we aren't getting rain i just don't mow it so it will be 4-5" tall during that time. soon as it rains i mow it. this grass needs water but you can go about a month or so without water and it will come back. just don't mow it during periods of no rain like that. just let it go until it rains again then you can start back mowing.
So you are my neighbor. We can't live more than 15 minutes apart. It's awesome you are growing it this far north.
Thank you for the informative video!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you, sir, for sharing your knowledge.....................new home for 2 years, no grass.....TX............sandy & clay -I'll try this St Augustine, and I don't mind the extra labor to maintain the edging.
Best of luck
First time homeowner on a new build here in Jax, FL! Learned a lot from your video, going to pick up some Prodiamine and Image weed killer tomorrow at the store to try and control the weeds popping up! Grass is dormant now but I’d imagine it’ll change soon and I’ll put the nitrogen fertilizer next month! Thanks for your video
Glad I could help and thanks for the kind words.
Hey neighbor!! Welcome to Jax!!
I planted a pallet of St Aug at a townhouse a few years ago here in Shelby County Alabama south of Bham. It only got 4-6 hours a day of sun on one side and 6-8 hours on the other. 1 year later it had survived on the side with more sun, not on the other. Better have it in an open area if planting this far north!
It does better than the other warm season turfs in shade but it's still not ideal.
I live in Hampton Road, Virginia. I planted Palmetto St Augustine grass in my yard in 2000. What I have found over the years is that I can't treat my yard like those who live in Florida, my mower height is lower (2") to keep the stolens in contact with the soil to survive the winter.
This is great information. Thanks for sharing. It makes sense.
Are you at 2" year round? Or do you go lower around October to prepare? I'm also in Hampton roads 👍 but i have always left mine high. [St aug]
@@TrevorMcElhannon Yes, I keep it 2- 2.5" depending how much I fertilize. In the spring I drop my mower 1.75" to remove the dormant grass and back to 2 -2.5". For years I was mowing at 3-4" and one winter wiped out about 50% of my yard. What I found at the higher mowing height I had a thick layer of dead stolens, stolens on top of stolens and those were the areas that died. The areas that survived were the ones that had contact with the soil.
@@TrevorMcElhannon At 2-2.5" I cut my grass twice a week and I bag the clippings.
Wow! Awesome video.. I’m in Texas and have St. Augustine but new to maintaining it as a new home owner. Can you recommend a Scott’s turf option fertilizer ?
I tend not to recommend specific brands because it is just marketing the exact same product in different bags. I encourage people to look a the guaranteed analysis on the bag required by federal law. This will tell you exactly what is in the bag without all the pretty advertisement. The main thing you are after is just a slow release product.
Outstanding Dr.thank you
Thanks for the kind words Ronnie. Gives me some motivation to keep making content.
How often / how much do you water outside of the growing season (i.e. fall / winter). Thank you. Very helpful video.
Once dormant I wouldn't water
@@Dr.Warren I live in Sarasota. Does the grass grow dormant here?
* Go dormant here
Thanks for the very informative video. We just moved into a new home in Sarasota, FL with St. Aug. sod/grass. New to doing my own fertilizer. Do you recommend using a spreader or applying a liquid application?
Use a slow release granular. Also read up on Florida fertilizer rules. You have "non application" periods to help prevent algae bloom in the swamps and bays.
I have a lot of brown patches, probably caused by chinch bugs. After putting some Triazicide on the lawn, how do I make the St. Augustine grass come back? Do I just put soil over it?
I live in Palm Bay in Brevard County. Should I even water in the rainy season? It has been raining everyday here. Secondly, how often and how long should I water when it is not raining that much?
As long as you are getting one inch per week I wouldn't water. IN terms of irrigation I would water 2-3 times a week if no rain and try to get around an inch of water on the ground per week
What do you suggest to rid torpedo grass from my St Augustine lawn. I believe it either came in with my sod, or a top dressing of top soil that I spread to level some low areas…really enjoyed this segment…you got a new sub
I had to do a quick Google search because torpedo grass isn't an issue where I live. There appears that there isn't a selective herbicide for torpedo grass that will not knock back or kill st Augustine. I know that isn't the answer you are looking for but pulling might be your best option. Thanks for the sub! It is greatly appreciated!
@@Dr.Warren Thanks, just thought you may of something, I’ve been digging it up, but if you leave any of it in the ground, it regrows.
In my area of west north/central florida (50 miles south and west of Ocala), many homes have the Floratam variety. It is my understanding that Floratam reacts differently to most weed killers than other types of St. Augustine. In other words, weed killers that work fine on most St Augustine grasses will kill Floratam. Please comment on what weed killer to use.
Floratam is a little more sensitive to weed killer than other St. Augustine grasses. Off the top of my head, I think Image makes a product for Floratam but I am not 100% certain. Check the label, it will let you know.
Great video. I'm here in Daytona area and my St. Augustine will not grow, although it is fairly green. Our last lawn company kept mowing it low so after multiple warnings, I got rid of them. However, I think one of reasons was it wasn't growing and they cut it lower to keep it uniform. I'm now 3 weeks since mowing and some areas haven't grown at all while neighbors look great. We do have a company doing the fertilization. Any ideas on what is stopping this from growing? I have added some compost to help with soil.
Send a soil sample off to the university of Florida and go from there. It's cheap and invaluable information. Just google university of Florida soil sample and go from there. It's your land grant institution so they should offer the service.
Thank you for posting this video it's tremendously helpful. Unfortunately my lawn has weeds and Rhizoctonia right now. Would I apply the fertilizer, Image and Copper Sulfate at the same time or do I need to stagger them?
I think you could. Just review the image label first. Sometimes mixing certain chemicals will cause them to precipitate out of solution and just be crystals sitting in the bottom of the tank.
@@Dr.Warren Thank you
Are there any particular nitrogen fertizilers that you recommend?
Any slow release would do.
amzn.to/3QUepNE
What are your thoughts on weed killers listed for St Augustine that include some 2-4,D? Can it be okay in small amounts when temps are below 85 degrees?
St Augustine is definitely more sensitive to 2-4d than say Bermuda or zoysia. I get the appeal of using it because it is cheap. I would focus on weed control with pre emergent and perhaps likely spot spray broad leaf weeds with 2-4d on a cooler cloudy day. The good news is if you burn the St Augustine it will grow back in.
Can you recommend a brand for the nitrogen? Should I put down a small amount of nitrogen now if I'm just getting started in the Tampa area or wait until October and start with the preemergent in October?
I wouldn't get too hung up on brand. They are all the same thing if you look at the guaranteed analysis on the bag. Just a slow release prill is all you are after and as long as Florida isn't under a fertilizer ban period right now you should be ok putting some out.
@@Dr.Warren Thanks for the reply. I don't really know what to look for with the fertilizer. Is 'turf builder' or I have seen 26-2-11 blends or 16-4-8. Not sure which one would be best for this time of year.
Great video, What do you suggest for overseeding st aug?
Rye grass would be a good winter choice
I lived Tallahassee,,with st Augustine front yard. .. any recommendation for nitrogen fertilizer??
A slow release blend. I would send a soil sample off to the University of Florida and go by what they recommend. Also, read up on Florida fertilizer law. Its a little more restrictive for when you can put it out because of all the run off causing red tides, etc.
what is the ideal soil ph?Thx for the good info.
Great question. Slightly acidic. 6.0-6.5 is ideal.
Can I use tenacity instead of Celsius on st Augustine ? I have that left over from up north.
A quick Google search suggested the label is rated for St Augustine
Is the central Georgia area a good growing area for St. Augustine grass?
The fall line south is generally the line. However, I have seen it as far north as Rome but it is slow coming back after a hard winter.
The video mentions Prodiamine, but a product link for that is not given. There is a product link for Pendimethalin. Are they similar? Also, I saw a comment on the web that Pendimethalin is either controlled or banned in a lot of states. What gives?
I need to check the link but the two both accomplish the same task. To my knowledge there isn't a ban on pendi. Some places with tight restrictions like California might have it listed as controlled but I would need to research it to know.
We live in Williamsburg, Virginia and apparently St. Augustine grass was used near Virginia Beach and the Peninsula.
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing with us. I could see that area being a microclimate that stays warmer being surrounded by water and proximity to the Gulf stream pushing warm water North.
@@Dr.Warren I had no idea St. Augustine grass was planted on our property until the local group of Master Gardeners did a soil test around our property last summer. I thought that it was all crab grass.
When you say to apply 1.5lb of nitrogen, how does this work. For ex i have 2 bags that has 15-x-x and another of 25-x-x the amount the of nitrogen to apply will be the same(1.5lb) or it differs?
GREAT question and something that needs to be addressed. I am going to pin your comment at the top with my answer. For demonstration and easy math I can do in my head really fast, let's say you have a 10-x-x fertilizer. This means 10% of the fertilizer is actually usable nitrogen. So to get 1.5lbs of N/1000 sqft I need to put down 15lbs of actual product per thousand to achieve 1.5lbsN/1000.
@Dr.Warren my other question on what # would u set your seed spreader
@@dannymartinez8522 ahh!!! That depends on the make and model. They are all different.
Is the Reel Lawn Mower suitable for this type of lawn?
You probably could but your blade is going to be up really high for a reel
@@Dr.Warren What about the robotic mower? It has a blade disc with an adjustable cutting height ranging from 2.5 cm to 7.5 cm.
Image for southern laws (ST. Aug) does contain 1.46% of 2-4-D.
Is it because of the low % it can be used?
I should have gone into greater detail. "Image" gets bottled with several different combinations of chemicals. Image with imazaquin is ideal. You can use the "southern lawn version" as long as it's cool outside.
What can kill Bermudan grass intruding in my St Agustin grass without killing my St Aug?
Is Milograntie a good source of nitrogen for St Augustine?
It will work especially if you need to build soil physical structure.
I live in St. Petersburg. I was told by a reputable plant store not to use Atrizine in my St. Augustine. It certainly killed the Bermuda grass!
If I am not mistaken the label on Atrizine is rated for St Augustine.
The house I moved into 5 years ago.Grass will not grow in the front. There.
Is a lot of shade. I finally decided To rake all the way down to the actual dirt and holy crap so much leaves and acorns everywhere. So now i need to till uo the area i cleaned. I heard st Augustin grows better in the shade.
St Augustine tends to do the best in shade out of all the southern turfs
california here home has it already
Dr I grow it in Sacramento Ca
That is great! I have heard of some isolated pockets out west where it does a good job.