Raleigh-St. Augustine Grass

 

Raleigh-St. Augustine grass is a hybrid of the common St. Augustine, developed in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is more shade tolerant than some other species of St. Augustine and is more resistant to " St. Augustine Decline" or "SAD". It is the most popular variety grown in this area of the state and the only one that we grow.

 

Preparation and Care

 

 

 

Lawn conditions vary from area to area, city to city, county to county. Preparation work is necessary to ensure that the sod stays as pretty and green in your yard as it does at the farm. In new or old lawns, before you start to lay the new sod, the ground should be clean and level. No weeds, no old grass or debris, no low spots or hills.

To lay the sod solid, use the same pattern that bricklayers use. If you have brick on your house, it is easy to see and use it as a guide. After you have laid all the sod, flood the whole area with water. Rolling the sod is not usually necessary, instead, just walk over every piece to make sure that it is touching the ground underneath and not floating.

Fresh sod from our farm has fertilize on it. DO NOT FERTILIZE THE NEW SOD FOR AT LEAST 6 WEEKS. The new sod is already in shock and shouldn't be given another one. We only advise that you use the same formulation of fertilize that we use on the farm, which is "19-5-9". This is a time release formula and almost any brand with trace minerals is okay to use. It is not necessary to put fertilize or anything else on your bare dirt before laying the sod.

Depending on your area and the weather conditions, watering the sod 2 or 3 times a week should be all that is necessary. Too much water is as bad as not enough. It should be kept moist, but not wet. As soon as you see growth going up, you can start mowing your grass. This will help force the runners out and increase new growth.

REMEMBER.................

If you have a lot of trees in your yard, they compete with the grass for all the water, fertilize and nutrients. You may have to water your grass more to compensate for what the trees are getting.

Seed for St. Augustine grass is NOT commercially available. For more information, please call the farm.