I Want St. Aug in my yard

peejay – posted 01 February 2009 10:38

I live in North Central Texas and our yard is in a sad state of affairs. I’m not sure if there’s actually grass in the yard. I think it’s all grass burrs. I’d like to just sod the whole thing with St. Aug. I’d end up having to do the work myself because I can’t really afford to have a landscaper do it. I figure anything is better than what I’m dealing with now. Do I need to till up the yard? When should I do all this? Should I apply some of that Scott’s stuff for seeding soil? Is there a better product out there? And how exactly does one “sod” a yard anyway? Do I just lay the squares down? The yard is in full sun facing West with minimal trees so I figure it should do well. Eeek! I’m asking too many questions. If someone could point me to good books or anything that would help too! Thanks!

saltcedar – posted 01 February 2009 14:19

Tilling tends to encourage weed seeds to germinate.A preemergent like Amaze Grass & Weed Preventorwould be used in Mid-February and Fertilizeris used mid April (Which is why you don’t wanta combination product like Scott’s)Just laying the sod down over the existing growthcan work if you don’t have lots of undesirable weedsand grasses like bermuda which will grow twice asfast as your sod when you start watering and fertilizing. Another thing to consider is we’re in the midst of a catastophic drought right now and I don’t consider St. Augustine a waterwise grass unless you’re on a well shaded property. This might be a better choicehttp://www.ironoakturf.com/palisades.html

[This message has been edited by saltcedar (edited 01 February 2009).]

Alex_in_FL – posted 14 February 2009 13:03

PeeJay:

If you want a good yard do it right from the get-go. Otherwise you spend more time (and money) later. Here is what I would do for St Augustine:

Spray the lawn with Roundup and kill everything. Wait 8-10 days and repeat.

Wait 3 days or more then mow as close as possible (scalp the yard). Then lightly till the top or rake it to loosen the soil. You want to welcome the new sod not make it work to establish itself. The seeds are going to be there regardless of the method.

Water your yard 2 days in a row about an inch each time (put out a pan and measure don’t eyeball it the first time). Now lay your sod. Water it well (1-2 inches the first day). Fill any cracks in the sod with sand (not topsoil).

Water daily for a week or two then everyother day for a week or two then every three days. If you have water restrictions, water as much as allowed for the first 2-3 weeks.

After about 10 days, pull up on a few pieces of sod and confirm roots are taking hold.

After 3-4 weeks put down a pre-emergent (some might disagree but I say go for it).

Best of luck!Alex

Almaroad – posted 26 February 2009 15:02

I agree with Alex. As for the Pre-emergent–By the time you get all of this done, the weeds have already sprouted and are making their way to the top of the turf. Newly seeded sod SHOULD not have any Post-Emergent Herbicides like Manor, Atrazine, Image until the next growing season. Atrazine can be applied after the turf goes dormant. The Pre-emergent will PRUNE the ROOTS for any grass. The best one to use for the least Root Pruning is Gallery–a liquid pre-em. Pendimethalin (One is Lesco’s Pre-Em) is the worst, Dimension (Many manufacturing companies) is the second worst and Barricade (Prodiamine) is the least worst. All of these are granular in structure. Since Gallery is a liquid mixed from a wetable product, you may not be able to use it. Then in that case, call a pro who will apply it for you next growing season. A good thing to do for your St. Augustine is to mow and keep those weed plants from setting seeds as most weeds are annuals. As for a fertilize, start applying a good Nitrogen mix and Potassium. St. Augustine loves Nitrogen but let it get established first. Then start with a little potassium. Potassium strengthens the roots and helps the grass thicken. A thick turf is your first defense of weeds. Just before you lay the sod, put down a little starter fertilize available at Lesco or even Lowes and Home Depot and as Alex said, watering the lawn deeply will almost guarantee the grass gets established and growing. Good Luck.

Almaroad – posted 26 February 2009 15:05

That second sentence should read Pre-Emergent Not Post-Emergent like Manor…. I wish there was a way of editing the post!