Install St Augustine grass plugs 1st day Plug your lawn with sod plugs (2023)

FAQs

How do you lay St. Augustine sod plugs? ›

Press one plug firmly into each hole, making sure each is level with surrounding ground. If your holes end up being too deep, you can add a little nutrient-rich soil to fill in the extra space. Water daily or as needed until the plugs are firmly rooted and starting to spread.

Augustine grass spreads rapidly once it gets established. It will take about 2 weeks for St. Augustine grass to start spreading. You can improve this spread with regular treatments of fertilizer and keeping your lawn properly mowed.

Plugs placed 18 inches apart should cover in 2 to 4 growing months. Reduced spacing should be used for areas subject to erosion, such as slopes, or when a quicker establishment is desired.

The holes should be only as deep as the plug roots. To speed this up use an auger made for planting bulbs and plugs. This is attached to a hand drill and will save you time and a backache. In each hole put a scoop of lawn fertilizer to give the grass a head start.

Take care never to overwater the sod while it is in the rooting stage. Soggy sod can lead to root rot and eventually new sod failure. Instead, water the sod in smaller amounts, several times during the day.

St. Augustine sod and plugs establish best under warm conditions (80º-100º F) so care should be taken not to plant in late fall. Plant St. Augustine plugs or sod in late spring as temperatures warm and up until late summer (90 days prior to the first frost date in cooler regions).

If you want an instant lawn, sod is the best option for you. Similarly to sod, seed takes about a month to germinate, but you will be looking at bare soil up until that point. If you really want to save money and you're okay with looking at a few bare spots in your soil for a while, plugs may be the better option.

There is no way to revive dead grass, but you can lay new sod to grow your landscape again from scratch. If you notice brown, bare, or thinning areas in your lawn, these are clear signs that you need to sow new seed or replace the sod.

Grass plugs are great for small damaged areas and lawns or if you can't get a pallet of sod delivered to you. They're relatively inexpensive and easy to plant, and they grow quickly enough that you won't have to wait long before they look good in your yard.

How many sod pods do I need? ›

How do you calculate the correct amount of sod? 1 piece of sod is 16" x 24", which equals 2.75 square feet. A 500 square feet pallet contains approximately 180 pieces of green sod. To calculate how many pieces of sod you need, measure the total area (length x width) and divide by 2.75.

Grass plugs are typically used in one of two instances: to repair damaged areas of a lawn, or to establish a lawn when sod or seed is not available or not practical.

Post Pod Care

Thoroughly watering EVERY DAY is the key to plugging success! Keep soil moist at least 6″ to 8″ deep. Once pods are rooted (10-20 days), new runners should appear. Decrease watering to twice per week.

Finally decide how far apart to plant each plug. Super Plugs we recommend from 2 plugs per square foot, up to 1 plug per 4 square feet. Freestyle Plugs (min 1" size) from 4 plugs per square foot, up to 1 plug per square foot. Once again you can try different spacing before making a final decision.

During the fall, grass plugs will still go through a 30 day establishment process after installation. However, they will stop growing during the winter and will not spread any further until spring the next year.

Before planting grass plugs into bare soil, it is essential that the soil be enriched with compost and other organic or natural fertilizers to insure that the plugs grow vigorously and cover the area quickly. Proper soil preparation can be done any time before planting the plugs.

It can take up to six weeks for the sod to develop a deep root system. As the sod develops its shallow root system and moves on to develop a deeper root system, it's critical to increase the amount of time between waterings to encourage roots to grow deeper in search of moisture without stressing the lawn.

It is essential to water your lawn immediately after aeration to prevent the soil from drying out. Water your lawn deeply, and ensure that the water penetrates the soil to a depth of at least six inches. A well-watered lawn promotes root growth, which helps the grass recover quickly from aeration.

Your new lawn needs to be watered twice a day, for about 20 minutes per session every day for at least two months. This should be enough so that your lawn gets a solid six inches of watering per cycle.

Change in Color: Overwatered St. Augustine often changes in color. The blades take on a grayish-blue hue, instead of a deep green.

What is the best month to plant St. Augustine grass? ›

But to keep this grass healthy, it needs to be planted at the right time. Therefore, it is best to know when to plant St Augustine grass. Grow this turf in May through August, around spring or summer, 90 days before the first frost for ideal growth.

The best soil types for this particular warm-season grass are sandy, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. Since St. Augustine grass requires sufficient oxygen supply to support its growth and development, it does not flourish in compacted clay soil due to the lack of oxygen flow.

The best fertilizer for St Augustine grass is any fertilizer that has one pound of nitrogen for every 1,000 square feet of sod. Fertilizing every two months is ideal unless you apply slow release fertilizer that can be spread every 10 weeks.

Can You Lay Sod Over Existing Grass? No. This might seem like a pretty sweet shortcut, but it could kill your new sod if the grass can't make contact with dirt. Your new sod needs to establish its roots in the soil, to take advantage of the water and nutrients there.

Though you can sometimes have decent results growing grass in poor soil, most lawn grasses need ideally at least 4 inches of topsoil to do well. Topsoil should contain some organic matter and also have a balance of clay, sand, and silt. Healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy lawn!

Black loam provides an abundance of water and nutrients to the soil which is extremely important for their health. It provides better drainage that clay-rich soil, which is why it's commonly used to prepare the soil for sodding. It consists of 95% pure black loam and 5% peat moss.

Yellow dying sod can be revived and become green again. However, before you rush to remedy yellow dying sod, make sure that you identify the cause before jumping to the assumption that your lawn isn't getting enough water.

Brown spots occur when sod dries out and experiences drought shock. Sod will go into dormancy to combat the lack of water it's experiencing. Once dormant, it needs water or it will die. Oftentimes, edges of sod dry out first because they are exposed to the moist air.

The key reason why lawns turn brown is that they're thirsty. Areas where sod is wilting or turning brown, indicate that it's not getting enough water. New sod must get plenty of water to establish its roots. Typically, you water fresh grass at least twice a day (more often if hot) for at least a week to two weeks.

For the best results, use an aerating tool or machine that actually removes plugs of soil. Poking holes is less effective and can actually cause additional compaction in the areas around the holes.

What should you not do when laying sod? ›

If your lawn is 10,000 square feet (an average lawn size), it will take you 20 to 30 hours to install sod.

As a rule, a person can lay about 500 square feet of sod per hour. The rolls weigh about 35 pounds each, and there is no such thing as too much help.

Lay sod on the day of delivery

The average person can comfortably lay 2,000 to 2,500 square feet in one eight-hour day. Make sure your yard is completely ready before delivery or pick-up, and order only what you can lay in one day. Sod is perishable!

Only water one to two times a week, depending on the rain in your area, and only mow as needed. In winter, St Augustine grass reaches a dormant stage if the average temperature of the soil goes below sixty-eight degrees. This means the leaves will lose their pigment and begin to become brown.

Fertilizing your St. Augustine grass is a major key to its growth. Fertilizer high in phosphorous will help get the roots established post-installation, but it must have very low or no nitrogen. Later on, you should use a fertilizer with nitrogen to help improve the grass's growth rate.

Keep Watering

Water daily or as needed until the plugs are firmly rooted and starting to spread. This will normally take about 7-14 days for the roots to establish. Afterward, water weekly unless your lawn is receiving generous rainfall.

St. Augustine grass plugs are a great way to fill in bare and dead spots. With a little care and patience, plugs will easily renovate your yard. Not only will it be the envy of the neighbors, you can do it 10x less than using sod.

Sod is also the cleanest choice; not a lot of dust or mud. Seed – Though it can take longer to establish a dense lawn, over time I think seed edges out sod on quality. There are more grass types and varieties to choose from so can select a turf you know will grow well in your area.

Can I just lay sod on dirt? ›

If you do install sod over bare ground, make sure you properly prepare it before diving in. You'll need to till the soil and make sure it's level before laying down the sod. Additionally, you'll want to test the soil to ensure it has the proper nutrients to help your sod thrive.

TIPS FOR LAYING SOD | BE SURE TO FERTILIZE FIRST!

Apply a Starter Fertilizer first, before laying down the sod. You would also want to include an application of Gypsum, which will loosen the existing ground and encourage a healthier root system.

Before planting grass plugs into bare soil, it is essential that the soil be enriched with compost and other organic or natural fertilizers to insure that the plugs grow vigorously and cover the area quickly. Proper soil preparation can be done any time before planting the plugs.

If you want an instant lawn, sod is the best option for you. Similarly to sod, seed takes about a month to germinate, but you will be looking at bare soil up until that point. If you really want to save money and you're okay with looking at a few bare spots in your soil for a while, plugs may be the better option.

Plug hole depth will vary based on the amount of root system on the St. Augustine plugs. Typically, holes will be between 2”-4” deep. After the holes have been dug, thoroughly water the area.

Planting grass plugs in the early fall or mid-fall can be done, but it is not the most ideal time. Although temperatures have cooled down from the summer highs, you will begin to enter winter dormancy soon. Your grass plugs will stop spreading during this time.

Grass plugs are great for small damaged areas and lawns or if you can't get a pallet of sod delivered to you. They're relatively inexpensive and easy to plant, and they grow quickly enough that you won't have to wait long before they look good in your yard.

Though you can sometimes have decent results growing grass in poor soil, most lawn grasses need ideally at least 4 inches of topsoil to do well. Topsoil should contain some organic matter and also have a balance of clay, sand, and silt.

Continue watering new sod twice per day, in the morning and afternoon—thorough, deep watering is best until the soil is saturated but not puddling. Morning is ideal with lower wind speeds and less water is lost to evaporation.

Expect to spend anywhere from 14 to 28 days babying your new sod as it tries to root down into the ground. While some sod varieties may establish roots quicker, it is still best practice to care for new sod for at least 3-4 weeks to ensure optimal establishment and growth.