St. Augustine grass is one of the most popular lawn grasses in Florida, for lots of reasons.
You get the idea. St. Augustine sod is pretty great.
We recommend three different types of St. Augustine: Classic, Floratam, and Seville.
Let’s take a closer look at St. Augustine grass and see which variety is best for your lawn.
If your property is a mix of sun and shade — and many are — St. Augustine Classic is a great choice.
The Classic variety of St. Augustine has wide blades and a beautiful, rich green color.
Classic St. Augustine requires direct sun or partial shade.
Classic St. Augustine is best maintained with a standard rotary mower, cutting no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade off per cut. It needs mowing approximately 46 times each calendar year. Water 2- 3 times per week during the warm, dry season.
It has better disease and insect resistance than other types of St. Augustine.
Classic St. Augustine is not drought tolerant. It also is not traffic tolerant and requires a lot of maintenance.
This is the most common type of grass today for homes and businesses in the Central Florida area.
Floratam is a thick grass with deep roots. It has a coarse texture and the blades are longer than other St. Augustine grass types.
Floratam St. Augustine needs plenty of direct sunlight, a minimum of six hours or more per day.
Floratam is best maintained with a standard rotary mower, cutting no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade off per cut. Grass should be maintained at 4 to 4.5 inches high. It requires mowing approximately 46 times each calendar year. Water 2-3 times per week during the warm, dry season.
With Floratam St. Augustine you need to watch closely for sod webworms and chinch bugs. Look for signs of fungus.
The grass type is not drought tolerant or traffic tolerant. It is also not low maintenance.
Seville has been around since 1980, so it has a proven track record. Its big claim to fame: it thrives in shade.
Blue-green in color, and considered a dwarf St. Augustine grass, which is popular with many Florida homeowners.
Seville needs a minimum of just two hours of sunlight per day, making it a perfect grass for shaded areas where other grass struggles.
If you have less than two hours of sunlight a day, then grass isn’t your best option. Better to opt for a shade-loving ground cover, like Asiatic Jasmine, ivy, Mondo grass, or liriope.
We’ve found from experience and over time that Seville tends to develop thatch after several years when installed in direct sunlight. So keep this variety of St. Augustine turf in mind only for shaded or partially shaded areas.
Seville St. Augustine can be cut as low as 3 inches and as high as 3.5 inches to achieve maximum health. Drought tolerant, it doesn’t need as frequent watering as the other types of St. Augustine grass.
With Seville grass, fungus can be a major concern in very wet areas.
This grass type is not traffic tolerant. It also is not low maintenance.
Think St. Augustine grass might be for you? Let us help you figure it out.
We’re sod experts, but our skills don’t stop there. We’re with you every step of the way as you plan your perfect outdoor space.
Sod, irrigation, landscape design: Let us transform your yard from an embarrassing eyesore to a place you spend every spare minute.
Are you ready to enjoy the vibrant, impressive yard you've always wanted? Request a quote today! We’ll help you review your options and then transform your property.