Scroll below to view and save a step-by-step D-I-Y Lawn Fertilization & Weed Control Program for a St.Augustine lawn (provided by Wilson Bros. Nursery in mid-Georgia).
Fertilizing a St. Augustine Lawn
How often does a St. Augustine lawn need to be fed?
St. Augustine can be a heavy feeding grass, particularly where their is plenty of rainfall and/or automated irrigation. Typically, it requires two to three feedings during a growing season, but may require more in regions where there is no dormant season.
What type of fertilizer should I apply to my St. Augustine lawn?
Soil types influence fertilizer needs. Soil tests are required to determine phosphorus, potassium, calcium and other nutrient deficiencies. Before starting on any lawn fertilization program, it's best to have a soil test done. Test results can show you what nutrients are deficient and give you the pH of your soil. St. Augustine grass performs best at a soil pH between 5.0 and 8.5.
Once your soil has been adjusted properly, you can then begin with a lawn fertilization program consisting of several applications of fertilizer per year.
The First Application - Spring
In areas where it goes dormant, when your St. Augustine has greened up by 50% or more in the early spring, it's time for the first application of fertilizer. For this first application, a fertilizer high in nitrogen is okay (the first number), however you want to make sure there is little or no phosphorus (the middle number) and plenty of potassium (the last number). Most nursery and garden centers stock 15-0-15 or 18-0-18 for St. Augustine lawns.
Second Application - Summer
About 6 to 8 weeks after the spring application you can apply another dose of the same fertilizer used in spring.
Third Application - Fall Feed/Winterizer
In early fall, you’ll want to apply a fall feed/winterizer fertilizer. This fertilizer will be low in nitrogen but high in potassium with maybe a little phosphorus. Potassium will help to build up the root system, helping to protect your grass from the harsh winter. The idea is to get the fertilizer down and watered in before the grass goes back into dormancy.
Weed Control
Several fertilizer brands out there mix in weed control products with the lawn fertilizer. This way you can kill two bugs with one stone, pun intended:-) Whatever nursery and garden center you do business with, it’s likely you’ll find fertilizers that contain a weed control product.
*NOTE: If using a 'weed and feed' to kill weeds in your St. Augustine lawn, always use one containing Atrazine for weed control.
Lawn Fertilization & Weed Control Program
Below is the St. Augustine Lawn Fertilization & Weed Control Program we provide to our customers at Wilson Bros. Nursery in mid-Georgia. The program uses Lebanon ProScape Fertilizers with Barricade Weed Preventers. If you do not live within driving distance from Wilson Bros Nursery, save and print or print the program and take it to your local independent nursery and garden center. Speak with a professional there to see if they carry Lebanon Turf Products or a similar alternative.
