St. augustine sod

Tommy – posted 11 March 2002 06:17

I just laid some dormant st. augustine sod.When will it begin to green and will it spread rapidly when it does?

seed – posted 11 March 2002 21:09

Tommy, assuming that the sod was just a frosted on the leaves, you can expect to see widespread greenup in one month, and complete recovery in two months.

However, the cause of the “dormancy” could also have been a killing cold, below 16 degrees Faherenheit, in which case the St. Augustine may never come back.

I don’t understand why you ask about when it will “spread rapidly,” because if it is sodded wall-to-wall, there will be no need to spread in area, since it’s already occupying the area you planted it.

Phil

Tommy – posted 13 March 2002 14:49

Phil,

Thanks for the reply. The grass is dormant because it was cut before it ” greened up ” from the winter which I knew. But I sodded it solid in places and then spaced it out in others. I think some people refer to this as ” checker boarding ” and I just wonderd how fast it would grow together in these places.

seed – posted 13 March 2002 15:43

Tommy, another word for what you describe is “spot sodding.” Once the sod greens up and runners form, and depending on the size of the pieces and their spacing, they should be able to cover during 4-6 weeks of warm growing weather (assuming also that there is water, appropriate fertilizer, and no major weed problem). A runner (or stolon) of Floratam St. Augustinegrass can spread at 3/4 inch per day, once it starts running. The dwarf varieties such as Seville are slower to spread, but actually cover the ground in between faster because they branch.

Once your sod is covered, however, it may take another year for it to level itself out, because the checkerboard pattern will be obvious when you mow.

Phil

Tommy – posted 14 March 2002 09:49

Phil,

That is exactly what I needed to know.

I’ll pamper it like a baby.

You’ve been a great help.

Thanks a lot for the information.

Tommy

seed – posted 14 March 2002 14:24

You’re welcome!