Fertilizing St. Augustine

whwatson2 – posted 18 May 2005 18:35

New turf just laid and have been watering at three day intervals. It’s late May, temp about 82 during the day, 60 at night. Grass still has not greened up significantly. Does it need a light sprinking of fertilizer either granule or Spray?

New To Turf – posted 20 May 2005 20:14

I have been doing a good bit of reading as I have just laid Floratm in my yard…Found this on the University of Florida site. Hope it helps.

Establishment of Lawns and LandscapesFertility and irrigation needs of recently established lawn and landscape plants differ from those of mature lawn and landscape plants. During establishment, plants are less able to support themselves and generally require more fertilizer and water. The water and fertilizer needed vary according to season and location in the state, but some general guidelines can be followed:

LawnsIrrigationFlorida lawns are generally established by sod, sprigs, or plugs. These lawns will require frequent, short waterings to develop a root system following planting. The objective in watering during establishment is to keep the root system alive until it starts to root down and then to encourage deep rooting. To ensure that roots don’t die from lack of water following planting, irrigate a few times during the day until roots have pegged down into the soil. This will generally take five to ten days. Only irrigate enough to wet the top few inches of soil for this period (five to fifteen minutes per zone). After roots are pegged down, reduce irrigation gradually over the next two weeks to two to three times weekly. In the summer months, under drought conditions, daily irrigation may be necessary for this period.

mwhite125 – posted 21 May 2005 21:01

New sod should be watered every day untill roots start showing..