What is the Best Fertilizer for St. Augustine Grass?

With its striking blue-green hue, there’s no doubt that St. Augustine grass makes for a beautiful lawn. However, like any other grass, it will only look as good as it is taken care of. 

A regular fertilizing schedule is key to keeping it healthy and vibrant. While choosing the best fertilizer for this grass variety is not rocket science, it’s also not as easy as picking up any bag from the local garden store. 

It’s essential that you understand how to properly maintain St. Augustine grass, starting with understanding its specific nutritional needs.

What is St. Augustine Grass?

St. Augustine, also known as Charlestone grass, is a warm-season grass variety that thrives in Florida's warm, sub-tropical climate. Characterized by its attractive deep blue-green hue, coarse texture, and broad flat blades, this grass features a low-creeping habit—spreading via stolons to form dense lawns.

This grass is preferred in warm coastal regions due to its high humidity and salt tolerance. It grows in well-drained soil and, while it typically prefers full sun, can endure some shade. Its improved varieties like CitraBlue St. Augustine has better drought tolerance, making up for a low-maintenance and highly-durable lawn.

While generally low maintenance, St. Augustine grass may become sparse without adequate soil nutrition, which is often the case in sandy coastal soils. It can also be sensitive to some fertilizers, emphasizing the importance of knowing your fertilizer.

What to Consider When Buying Fertilizer for St. Augustine Grass

Every fertilizer has a different balance of nutrients—you’ll find the nutrient breakdown on the fertilizer bag, which reveals its nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content, or the NPK ratio.

The best fertilizer for St. Augustine grass will largely depend on your soil’s specific nutrient needs. A soil test will help determine your soil’s pH and its nutrient makeup, which are valuable insights in making the necessary amendments to create the optimal conditions for your grass to flourish.

Fertilizer Options for St. Augustine Lawns

Fertilizers come in various forms, including liquid, granular, and water-soluble, and they can be further

categorized into organic fertilizers and synthetic fertilizers. While your choice is mostly a matter of personal preference, slow-release fertilizer is generally better for St. Augustine lawns than liquid or water-soluble granular fertilizers that release their nutrients immediately into the soil.

This granulated fertilizer feeds lawns a consistent and gradual nutrient supply for grass. Instead of dissolving in water, it is applied directly to the soil, slowly dissolving to provide reliable grass nutrition over an extended period. 

The effects can last 6-8 weeks, meaning you can space out your applications. Slow-release fertilizers also lower the risk of nutrient leaching, a common issue with liquid fertilizers, promoting optimal nutrient absorption without causing harm to the environment.

Introducing NutriPod™ St. Augustine Grass Plug Fertilizer

A type of slow-release granular fertilizer, NutriPod™ features a 17-1-10 NPK ratio, formulated to provide balanced fertilizer nutrients to foster immediate leaf growth, strong root development, and long-term vitality for your St. Augustine lawn.

The nutrients come pre-measured in dissolvable casings, which you drop into the hole when planting grass plugs. It slowly releases nutrients into the soil, ensuring your grass plug receives the right amount at the right time. The effects last longer than liquid fertilizers, usually lasting up to 45 days. It promotes consistent and even growth and reduces the risks of over-fertilizing and nutrient runoff.

Beyond Lawn Fertilizer—How to Grow and Maintain St. Augustine Grass

There's more to growing and maintaining St. Augustine lawns than picking the right fertilizer alone. It also involves understanding when and how often to fertilize your soil, among other measures to ensure your grass stays healthy and attractive.

Fertilizing

Your lawn care practices will be largely based on your region and the specific conditions of your soil. Nevertheless, a widely accepted guideline is to fertilize warm-season grasses like St. Augustine at the onset of their active growth season. This usually falls in mid-late spring, followed by a second application in summer. Avoid fertilizing during extreme weather conditions, as this can add further stress to your grass.

Watering

St. Augustine grass will benefit from 1-2 times of watering a week, adjusting as necessary based on the weather. Make sure to water your lawn deeply and thoroughly, particularly when it's dormant, to prevent excessive dehydration, which can lead to its demise.

Mowing

For new St. Augustine lawns, wait until the roots are established before mowing. When using sod or grass plugs, it will usually take at least four weeks after planting. For already-established lawns, you can start mowing as soon as the grass begins turning green in the spring as it emerges from dormancy. Follow the one-third rule: cut no more than one-third of the grass height in a single mowing.

You can leave the grass clippings on the lawn to serve as an organic fertilizer, recycling the nutrients back into your soil. Make sure to use a sharp mower blade to cleanly cut the grass blades, instead of tearing them, which makes them more susceptible to diseases.

Aerating

For best results, aerate your soil to loosen it up and relieve soil compaction. Punching small holes into your soill will allow better air penetration and improve drainage. You may also want to take this opportunity to dethatch, keeping your thatch to no more than 1/3 inch. Anything in excess can block water, air, and nutrients from reaching the roots. It can also increase humidity in your soil, which can harbor pests and lawn diseases.

Weed Control

Applying post-emergent, selective herbicide will help with weed control, preventing unwanted vegetation like crabgrass, goosegrass, sandspurs, and other common lawn weeds from competing with your desired St. Augustine grass.

Final Thoughts

Establishing a vibrant and resilient St. Augustine grass depends on the use of the right fertilizer and diligent lawn care practices. Understanding the specific requirements of your grass, adhering to a consistent fertilization schedule, and avoiding common pitfalls like over-fertilization are key to fostering healthy grass growth.

For premium-quality grass plug fertilizer, shop for NutriPod™ on our website today!