Helping Your St. Augustine Grass Survive the Winter
When you live in the south, there’s nothing quite like St. Augustine Grass to give you a lush and beautiful front lawn. Its durability helps it stand up the rigors of a southern summer, and its resistance to salinity means it’s appropriate even if you have a home on the coast. For those who live a bit further north and use St. Augustine grass for their lawn, however, winter can be a bit of a challenge. If you live in a climate that gets mild winters the following tips will help your yard survive if you get harsh winters, you should consider a different type of grass.
Start Being Vigilant in Summer
St. Augustine Grass can begin preparing through Winter through Summer; it’s most active growing season. Unfortunately, while the grass is strong and healthy and booming for the future, so is it vulnerable to pests, diseases, and other nuisances that can impact its ability to survive the winter. Regular mowing and watering will make sure it grows at its best, and liberal use of pest control solutions will keep down bugs who would impact its hardiness.
Continue Through the Fall
As fall settles in you’re going to want to double down on your efforts to help St. Augustine Grass prepare for the long winter months ahead. You can best accomplish this goal by ensuring you fertilize your lawn monthly, ensuring that it has a strong base in nitrogen, but don’t skimp on the potassium either. Your fertilizer should contain approximately half as much potassium as it does nitrogen to help your grass put up with the abuses of Winter.
You’re also going to want to reduce the amount of mowing you do in the Fall. The reduced sunlight and temperatures are going to start having an impact on your lawn’s robust nature, so give it every chance to reserve its energy rather than encouraging it to use that supply to rebuild its height. An inch higher should be enough leeway.
One of the other elements that make St. Augustine Grass suitable for commercial and residential lawns is its ability to withstand moderate amounts of wear and tear. Unfortunately, it gets a bit more sensitive about this in the colder months as the year winds to a close, so encourage your family to tread lightly on it during this time.
Watch Out For The Rainy Season
The winter tends to be a heavily rainy time in the South, making it necessary to hold off on your watering habits or risk drowning the grass. When the grass starts to wilt, turn brown, or begins to take on a gray tinge it’s time to put a little extra water on it to help perk it up. If you don’t mind having a lawn that’s a bit wilted, you’ll want to avoid watering entirely unless it starts turning brown or gray. Over-watering can be a severe problem if you aren’t careful with how often you do it.
St. Augustine Grass is a healthy grass that is uniquely suited to the southern climes, but that doesn’t mean that its indestructible. If you’re one of the lucky homeowners that get to sport a lawn made of this lush and resilient grass, make sure you take the proper steps to help it survive the hardest part of the year. With careful maintenance and adequate treatment, you’ll see your lawn flourish year after year, ensuring that you always have a beautiful place to create memories with your family.