How to Lay St Augustine Grass

Remove weeds, sticks and other debris from the yard. St. Augustine grass seed needs direct contact with the soil to germinate.

Apply 1 inch of peat moss or topsoil to the planting area. Loosen the ground to a depth of 4 to 6 inches with a rototiller. Combine the peat moss or topsoil into the local soil as you go. Grass seed grows best when the roots can easily spread.

Disperse St. Augustine grass seed with a hand spreader for small areas and a mechanical spreader for large yards. Determine how much seed to use by following the product instructions.

Lay straw down on top of the grass seed if your region may receive heavy rain. If not, work the seeds gently into the top of the soil with a rake, lightly covering them by about 1/4 inch.

Step on the soil lightly to press the seeds into the ground. Keep them moist until they root, by watering daily. It usually takes about 10 to 14 days for St. Augustine grass to germinate.

Mow St. Augustine grass once has become well established. Cut it to a height of 3.5 to 4 inches. Mowing it shorter will invite pest problems, make the grass lose its ability to handle stress and force the roots to grow too shallow.

Begin fertilizing St. Augustine grass in the spring, when it turns green. Apply fertilizer two to six times until the end of fall. Slow-release food requires fewer applications than water-soluble food. Follow the manufacturer's application instructions.

Spread 1 lb. slow-release or 1/2 lb. water-soluble nitrogen fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of St. Augustine grass.