Saint Augustine grass can be planted out at most times of the year in the warmer regions where winter is not expected to be too cold, however different regions will differ as to the best time of year to plant new Saint Augustine lawns, and this is usually based on climate and rainfall conditions, winter temperatures etc. Besides these considerations, planting a new Saint Augustine lawn
at different times of the year will also impact the amount of lawn care we must provide to that newly laid lawn, including such things as watering the lawn regularly during its establishment period.
Planting A Saint Augustine Lawn In Spring
Spring is a brilliant time of the year to establish a new Saint Augustine lawn. Warm season lawns are coming out of semi dormancy and are beginning to grow again, meaning the new sod can send down new roots into the soil much quicker than in winter. The weather is still fairly mild and warming up slowly as the new Saint Augustine lawn is also becoming more established and can cope more and more with the increasing heat as Summer arrives, and should be fully established by the onset of Summer.
Planting a new lawn in Spring also means the newly laid sod will need far less regular watering during its establishment, both of which can be fit around our busy work schedules. And of course if there are any rains, then we can forget the lawn watering for the time being.
Planting A Saint Augustine Lawn In Summer
Saint Augustine can of course be planted easily in Summer time. However there are some extra considerations when doing so. During its establishment phase while the new sod is setting down roots, the roll on lawn will need to be kept moist at all times and cannot be allowed to dry out from heat. If the new Saint Augustine lawn dries out during establishment, then the turf can easily and very quickly suffer, with little chance of saving the new turf, because it still has no root system to support the sod growing in its new home.
In reality, the hotter the weather the more we need to water the new Saint Augustine sod every day until it’s established. Which can equate to watering several times a day for the first few weeks after laying the new Saint Augustine grass sod, because we can never allow it to dry out. Of course as the weeks go by, this watering can be reduced slowly.
So the main problem for planting a new Saint Augustine lawn in Summer is that we must be able to water the new lawn several times a day during peak heat periods.
Other than that, Saint Augustine Grass will establish the fastest when planted in Summer, as this is the peak growing season for this grass.
Planting A Saint Augustine Lawn In Fall
Fall is also a great time of year to plant that new St Augustine lawn, and is environmentally friendly too. We're out of the heat of Summer, so we won't need to water the new turf as often, and the new sod will be under far less stress than if we planted in the middle of summer.
However, when planting our new lawn in the Fall, we want to ensure it grows to be as established as possible before the onset of Winter. And the colder the winter where we live, then the more established the new turf will need to be before winter arrives.
So for regions which will experience colder winters, we must plant the new St Augustine lawn as early in the Fall as possible to ensure it is as established as possible before the onset of Winter.
For warmer regions, there is far less rush or urgency as the winter weather does not get cold enough to cause any major issues to new turf. However, the colder weather does slow down growth even in these regions and can still cause some possible damage to the new lawn. So it would still be wise to establish the new St Augustine lawn at least before the worst of the Winter arrives. Do this, and we'll achieve the best results for our new Saint Augustine lawn over its first winter.
Planting A Saint Augustine Lawn In Winter
Planting new roll on Saint Augustine grass lawn in Winter is never a good idea for all the cooler regions. So it would probably be best to wait a few more weeks until Spring arrives and use that extra Winter time to prepare the lawn soil in advance, spray out or remove lawn weeds which are growing in the new lawn area, improve the lawn soil etc. As all these things will do wonders for our new Saint Augustine lawn when we plant it in Spring.
Going back to the warmest regions, and we do have some more options open for us. Because winters in these regions can be so mild, we can plant our new St Augustine lawn all the way through the Fall and even into Winter without any real issues arising, and of course the lawn will need far less water during establishment at these times too, or perhaps no watering from us at all.
In most cases we can also safely plant the new St Augustine sod towards the end of the winter months with ease, and without worry in these warmer areas. However the homeowner should always be aware of the weather conditions at the time to ensure the coldest part of the winter is indeed finished.
The only exception to this rule would be to try and avoid planting the new Saint Augustine lawn in the coldest parts in the middle of winter, even in these warmest regions. It’s much better to do the soil preparation and weed control in these few weeks, and to instead wait a few more weeks for the worst of the winter to be over, and this will ensure our greatest opportunity for success in planting our new Saint Augustine lawn.