Mercedes® St. Augustine Lawn Maintenance

We’ve carefully grown your new Mercedes St. Augustine sod.

You’ve carefully installed it.

Now, follow these simple instructions to maintain a healthy Lifetime Lawn:

• Mow at 3 inches cutting height. Mow no more than 1/3 of the leaf off at one mowing. Use sharp mower blades and catch and remove clippings. Best mowed with a rotary mower.
• Mowing may be required on a 7 to 10 day interval.
• Water to supplement rainfall shortages only. Avoid fixed timer irrigation settings. Though NOT drought tolerant, St. Augustine prefers infrequent deep watering and should receive approximately 1 inch of water per week. If one or more inches of rainfall occur in a week, additional irrigation is not necessary. (Example: if 1/2 inch of rain occurs within a growing week, apply 1/2 inch by irrigation.) Do not waste water by over watering; avoid run-off and standing water for any period of time. (How and When to Water)
• Fertilize with Super-Sod’s Total Lawn Food 16-4-8 + Iron and Pelletized Dolomitic Limstone, which can be purchased at your local Super-Sod outlet. Fertilize according to the table below and according to soil test recommendations.
• Apply between 2 and 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet annually, during the growing season. Select a fertilizer that is labeled for use on St. Augustine lawns. Do not apply fertilizer to wet turf to avoid burning. Too much fertility will result in disease and a thatchy and unhealthy lawn.
• Lime should be applied when soil pH is below 6.0 at the rate of 50 pounds per 1000 square feet.
• The use of a pre-emerge herbicide, recommended for use on St. Augustine lawns on the label, is strongly recommended in the spring.
• Apply pre-emergent weed control and “weed and feed” combinations that are specifically labeled for St. Augustine grass. Apply weed control according to the table below. Read and follow all label directions.
• Pests may become a problem, especially if St. Augustine is not growing healthily (too much or too little fertilizer or water, etc.).
• For assistance with weed identification and pest control contact your nursery/garden center, landscaper, or State cooperative extension service agent.
• Thatch Removal: Periodically it may be necessary to rake heavily to remove accumulated thatch. This is best accomplished in the spring. An application of fertilizer at the rate of 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet is recommended after thatch removal.

Mow Table

Fertilizer/Weed Control Table