Choosing Your Central Florida Sod

St. Augustine – Floratam Sod Grass

Like other Florida turf types, Floratam is a vigorous, coarse textured St. Augustine grass variety. Stolons of Floratam are large, purplish-red in color with internodes averaging 3 inches in length. Leaf blades are wider and longer than common St. Augustine grass. Floratam is extremely deep rooted and is the most drought-tolerant of all St. Augustine grasses.

Weed growth competes with turfgrass growth. Good maintenance practices help eliminate weed problems. However, it may be necessary even under the best of care, to apply herbicides to maintain weed free turfgrass. Contact your local County Extension agent or herbicide dealer for recommendations for your type turfgrass.

After a good turf has become established, good maintenance practices will result in a dense, weed-free, uniform turf with a minimum of problems. Good maintenance involves proper mowing, fertilizing, watering and control of weeds, nematodes, insects and diseases

 

Mowing: Floratam should be mowed weekly at a height of 3 to 4 inches or a high as the mower will cut using a rotary type mower during the period from March through November. During winter months less frequent mows will be required because the growth rate is slower. Maintain the 4-inch height-of-cut during this period. Sharpening the blade several times during the year will result in a better cut and do less damage to the turf.

Fertilization: Floratam is a vigorous St. Augustine grass that responds to fertilization, especially nitrogen. Nitrogen fertilization will produce a dense turf with excellent color. A complete analysis, slow-release formulation fertilizer such as 19 -5 -9 is recommended in March -April followed by a 3 -1 -2 or 4 -1 -2 “winterizer”-ratio such as 15 -5 -10 or 20 -5 -10 in September or October.

Watering: Water Floratam at the rate of 1.5 to 2 inches per week.

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