St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is a highly sought-after turfgrass in warm, humid climates, prized for creating a lush, dense lawn. This warm-season grass establishes a thick, carpet-like cover through above-ground runners, known as stolons, which quickly fill in open areas. Its broad, coarse blades create a visually appealing, dark green turf that is a staple across the southern United States.
Available Forms for Purchase
St. Augustine grass is almost exclusively propagated through vegetative means, meaning it cannot be reliably grown from commercial seed. This necessitates the purchase of living plant material, which is typically sold in one of three primary forms. The most immediate method is purchasing sod, which consists of strips of mature grass grown on a thin layer of soil, cut into rolls or slabs. Sod provides instant coverage and a fully established appearance, although it requires intensive watering and careful handling to ensure the roots successfully anchor into the prepared ground.
A more economical alternative is purchasing grass plugs, which are small, individual sections of turf, typically two to four inches in diameter. Plugs are planted in a grid pattern across the lawn area, often 12 to 18 inches apart, and they rely on the grass’s aggressive stolons to spread and fill in the gaps over time. This method saves on upfront cost, but the process takes several months to a full growing season to achieve complete coverage. The third option, sprigs, involves planting individual runners or stolons without soil, which is the least expensive but requires the most time and labor.
Primary Retail Sources
The source of your St. Augustine grass can influence the quality, price, and convenience of the purchase. For large-scale projects, specialized sod farms and turf growers represent a reliable option, offering the highest quality, freshly harvested material directly from the field. These growers handle bulk orders and may provide delivery or installation services. Ordering directly from a sod farm ensures the grass has been cut recently, minimizing the time the turf spends stressed and rolled up.
Local nurseries and independent garden centers are excellent resources for smaller projects or for those seeking personalized regional advice. They carry smaller quantities of sod by the piece, as well as grass plugs, and their staff can offer guidance specific to local soil conditions and climate variations. National home improvement or big box stores provide convenience and easy access, stocking sod and plugs that can be picked up immediately, though the quality can be variable depending on storage time. Online retailers specialize in shipping smaller forms, such as grass plugs and sprigs, directly to the consumer, which is practical for those seeking specific cultivars not available locally.
Selecting the Right Variety and Quality
Choosing the appropriate St. Augustine cultivar impacts the lawn’s long-term health and maintenance requirements. Varieties address specific environmental challenges. For example, ‘Floratam’ is known for its coarse texture and heat tolerance, but requires full sun and has limited cold tolerance. For properties with significant tree cover, cultivars like ‘Palmetto’ or ‘Bitterblue’ offer improved shade tolerance. ‘CitraBlue’ is a newer selection known for its deep blue-green color and superior resistance to certain diseases and shade.
Other cultivars, such as ‘Raleigh,’ are valued for their cold hardiness, making them suitable for the northern edges of the St. Augustine growing region. When purchasing any form of the grass, a visual inspection is necessary to confirm quality and health. Healthy St. Augustine sod should exhibit a uniform, vibrant green color with no signs of yellowing or brown patches. The roots are a sign of freshness; they should appear dense, white, and moist when a corner of the sod is lifted.
Avoid material that shows evidence of weeds, insect damage, or fungal diseases, which can appear as lesions or irregular spots on the blades. The thickness of the sod is also important, typically measuring about one to one-and-a-half inches, with soil firmly clinging to the root mass. Plugs should have a robust root system visible at the base of the soil core, indicating they are actively growing and ready for successful establishment.
Timing Your Purchase for Successful Installation
The success of a new St. Augustine lawn depends on installing the grass during its active growing season. As a warm-season turf, it performs best when air temperatures are consistently warm and the soil temperature is above 70°F, typically from late spring through early fall. Planting within this window, generally May through August, allows the grass to quickly establish its root system before cooler weather arrives.
Installing St. Augustine grass too early in the spring or late into the fall can lead to poor establishment and increased vulnerability to disease. The grass will not actively grow or root into the soil if temperatures are too cool, leaving the sod or plugs susceptible to drying out or developing fungal issues. While installation is possible during the peak of summer, high temperatures and intense sunlight necessitate an increased watering schedule to prevent desiccation and heat stress.