What is the Best Fertilizer for St Augustine Grass?

St Augustine Grass is a perennial grass. It makes them preferable for lawns and pastures. Regularly applying fertilizer to St Augustine grass will enable healthy growth of the grass. The best fertilizer for St Augustine grass is the one that has a high amount of nitrogen. Fertilizing the grass during summers will flourish the lawn of St Augustine grass. This article is to help you choose the best fertilizer for St Augustine Grass lawn.

The soil pH of 5 to 8 is suitable for St Augustine grass. The expert’s advice is to test the soil before adding the fertilizer. Depending on the number of nutrients present in the ground, you can add fertilizer.

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St Augustine Grass

St Augustine grass is a low mat-forming grass. It does not require high maintenance, and it is a perennial grass. It makes the grass excellent for house lawns. St Augustine is a warm-season grass that thrives in temperatures ranging from 23 to 37 degrees Celsius. The right time to plant this grass is in spring or summer. Most of the cultivars of St Augustine go dormant in the winter season. St Augustine is better cold-tolerant than other warm-season grass. It is dark green or blue-green dense grass. The blades of grass shoots are flat and coarse.

This grass is native to the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean. Hence, it has good tolerance to salt. This grass can grow well in shadow regions as well. St Augustine provides drought tolerance in limited ways. It sustains the color of the grass during drought conditions in contrast to Bermuda grass or Zoysia grass.

There are some essential nutrients for St Augustine grass. If the soil lacks the nutrients, it will affect the growth of the grass. Various cultivars need different amounts of nutrients. Excess of these nutrients can also harm St Augustine grass. It will increase the acidity of the soil. It will make the soil less favorable for St Augustine grass. There are different chemical fertilizers available in the market to boost the growth of the grass.

There are various other benefits of fertilizers. It will induce disease resistance as the grass will have nutrients that will develop immunity in the St Augustine grass. Moreover, it will also reduce weeds as the fertilizers have weeds-resistant chemicals. If the grass grows more green, it will produce more oxygen and provide fresh air around your home.

To know if and how to grow St.Augustine Grass in shade, click here.

Things to consider before choosing the Fertilizer

Apply the fertilizer as per the requirement of the soil. You must test the soil before fertilizing it.

N-P-K Ratio

Fertilizer and turf fertilizers are listed by number, by weight, for three specific nutrients: Nitrogen (N) promotes pigmentation and accelerates growth, phosphorus (P) promotes plant and seed formation, and potassium (K) promotes plant growth. Although all three are necessary for the grass of St. Augustine, it is a well-developed, highly nitrogenous soil nutrient.

St Augustine grass usually contains more nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. The typical composition of turf fertilizer, for example, has an NPK rating of 15-1-5. As you browse the grass compost, you will see how many NPK compounds it produces, but almost all of them are very high in nitrogen.

Formulation of Fertilizer

The fertilizers are available in three ways: liquid, granular, and soluble in water.

Liquid

It is more convenient for farmers and caregivers to use liquid manure to grow grass faster since it is absorbed and starts working quickly, encouraging new growth. Results can be seen 3 or 4 days after applying the liquid fertilizer to the grass of St. John’s. Augustine. As a liquid fertilizer passes through the lawn quickly and escapes, it may be necessary to apply it more frequently than granular varieties.

“Sample Lawn Solutions” is a liquid fertilizer containing Iron, Nitrogen, and Micronutrients. It provides essential nutrients needed to darken the green of your lawn. It has a 6-0-0 Nitrogen- Iron- Micronutrients ratio. Due to its high nitrogen content, it can be an option for St Augustine grass.

Granular

Granular fertilizer contains many of the same nutrients as liquid manure. Granular fertilizers are generally released more slowly, so grassroots have access to nutrients for longer. Granules will not provide instant growth like liquid manure, but they usually require less work. Granular manure is applied to the grass using a spreadsheet.

Lesco Turf fertilizer is granular fertilizer that is specifically for turfgrasses. It is an excellent choice for St Augustine grass. The results will be visible in two weeks, and the slow-release formula will last for eight weeks. The ratio of N-P-K is 16-4-8, which makes it suitable for St Augustine grass.

Soluble Water

You can use a hose-end dispenser attached to a garden hose to prepare the water-soluble fertilizer. Water flows into the dispenser, disperses and purifies the granules, and disperses the fertilizer with a hand-held spray. Like liquid manure, water-soluble manure can quickly turn green.

Chemical Fertilizer

The manufacturing of these fertilizers takes place in factories and chemical laboratories. Most of the synthetic fertilizers are the products of different industries. We need them in less quantity as they are concentrated. This fertilizer is cheaper compared to organic fertilizer available in the market. They contain essential nutrients and are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Organic Fertilizer

Organic fertilizers are natural resources that contain a limited amount of essential nutrients. They can reduce the problems associated with synthetic fertilizers. They reduce the need to double the fertilizer applied to maintain soil fertility. They gradually release nutrients into the soil solution and maintain nutrient balance for St Augustine growth.

The fertilizers also serve as an active source of healthy microbes, which improve soil structure and plant growth. Organic fertilizers are full of trace elements, and they loosen the compost slightly. Hence, they are a safe alternative to chemical fertilizers. You can prepare this fertilizer at home with exceptionally less effort. It will reduce the cost of the fertilizer.

Milorganite is a good option for organic fertilizer, which can protect your grass from burning. Click here to know all about trace elements and soil minerals.

Conclusion

Before choosing a fertilizer, it is essential to see the type of fertilizer, the time it would take to act on the lawn, and more. Noting all these down, we have suggested some excellent options for fertilizers that are available online store. Do you already use any of these fertilizers? Tell us about the results of using the fertilizers. If you are planning to use any of these for the first time, go check out online stores. Tell us about your experience of using them in the comment section below.