Houston St. Augustine Grass

During winter much of Harris County/Houston will most likely experience freezing temperatures this can be hard on our native Houston St. Augustine. Most people will receive frost on their St. Augustine grass lawns. Cold weather and wind will cause stress on your Houston St. Augustine grass. February in Texas is a great time to start preparing  for the healthy, vigorous lawn you want for spring and summer.

Signs that you have had winter stress on your Houston St. Augustine grass

Signs that you have had winter stress on your St. Augustine grass your grass changing or fading into different shades of dark colors then turning black and eventually brown. This does not mean your grass is actually dead. Your lawn will bounce back when warm water returns. The new growth will replace the yellowed and brown grass currently in your lawn.

The crabgrass in your lawn will turn brown but it has not died off. When the warmth of summer returns the crabgrass will return also. Areas that are mostly crabgrass now are a great time to consider planting grass plugs, Houston St. Augustine grass runners. Before planting new sod in these areas it is very important to remove the crabgrass. This can be done by digging 6-8” into the ground and removing the roots of the crabgrass. If you have a compost pile these make great additions to your compost pile.

The thicker you grow your St. Augustine grass.

The thicker you grow your St. Augustine grass the better it is. Your current grass can choke out the invading crabgrass. One way to thicken your St. Augustine grass is by not cutting lower than 3”. This promotes a thicker more healthy lawn that naturally chokes invading weeds.

Towards the end of February is the time to start fertilizing your Houston lawn. We recommend you to use a slow release granular fertilizer. The helps to begin growing a nice green healthy lawn. This gives you a great start for summer and spring. You can apply a weed/grass feeder to help control those bothersome weeds.

Do not wait until it is to late to use these. If the temperature is above 80 degrees then you can burn or even kill your St. Augustine grass. Make sure to read the instructions on the fertilizer. This will prevent you from accidentally hurting your lawn. If you have weeds spread out you can spot treat to kill these weeds. We recommend that you pull the weeds up whenever possible.

These are helpful tips to help you ensure that you have the best out of your lawn. Don’t forget that Spring is right around the corner, begin now and you will ensure a strong healthy St. Augustine grass to be proud of. Taking care of your lawn now will give you a great lawn for the hot summer months.

Remember your St. Augustine Grass loves to be watered weekly!!