Cole Harris
region you live in directly affects the vegetation in your yard, local parks, and surrounding landscape. All plants, from turf grass to towering trees, require a fairly specific set of conditions in order to fully thrive. For this reason, lawn care professionals offer well-informed recommendations based on what works best for an area’s climate, soil types, and so forth.
In North Texas, St. Augustine grass is a long-standing favorite, and for good reason. This hardy turf may not be native to Texas, but it has several attributes that line up nicely with Texas temperaments.
For additional information about how St. Augustine compares to other popular grasses, take a look at Top 3 Grass Types For Texas.
Features
St. Augustine grass tends to produce broad, deep green blades. It provides a dense carpet that’s comfy for bare feet. The close-knit growth pattern, however, is unwelcoming to invasive weeds, offering them little chance to take root and settle in.
St. Augustine grass spreads via above-ground stems called “runners,” but tends not to produce an abundance of thatch.
Sun Exposure
Like most Texans, St. Augustine grass enjoys a good bit of sun, but ultimately prefers the comfort of shade. This makes it a good candidate for lawns that are adjacent to large buildings and mature trees that will cast thorough shade coverage for fairly large portions of the day.
It will languish in full sun exposure, so be sure to survey all parts of your yard at various times of day before choosing to lay St. Augustine sod grass.
Weather
St. Augustine can tolerate extreme heat, and even a minor stretch of drought. This is good news for Texas lawns, as even our most versatile regions tend to trend toward warmer weather for most of the year. Just be sure to check your rain gauge, and follow the advice below during lengthier dry spells.
A light frost or a few days of freezing weather won’t harm your St. Augustine so long as you’ve followed an adequate fertilizing schedule that fortified the root system for winter.
Irrigation
While this grass type can withstand some drought, it does need watering a bit more regularly than some other common Texas turf grasses. 1 to 1.5 inches per week is generally sufficient.
For areas with watering restrictions, the best practice is to run your irrigation less often, but for longer periods. This way you’re watering deeply if not frequently, which helps with root growth.
Propagation
St. Augustine grass does best when cultivated by sod installation, but seeds have recently become more available as this grass type has grown in popularity.
While sod installation is more expensive up-front, it may save you money in the long run. Cultivating grass turf from seeds requires more care and irrigation while the seeds germinate, which can be less efficient for busy homeowners.
Usage
St. Augustine is now widely used in both commercial and residential properties. Its affordability and versatility make it a popular choice for the North Texas region. This turf is widely available through most gardening stores and lawn care providers.
