Grass seeding is nothing new; most of us have given it a go at some point. If you are working out the costs of a new lawn or filling in the gaps of a patchy lawn, then grass seeding is the easiest and most cost-effective solution. But you may wonder where all the St. Augustine seeds disappeared to. Well, I’ve looked up and down the shelves in various stores and discovered where they are, or should I say, where they are not. Let me explain.
Can St Augustine Grass be Grown From Seed? (The Short Answer)
St. Augustine turfgrass (Stenotaphrum Secundatum) propagates in two ways; seed and vegetatively. Like other grasses in the Poaceae family, seeds produced from St. Augustine during flowering disperse naturally, germinate and produce new plants. In addition, seeds collected from St. Augustine can be propagated and grown into seedlings that will continue to grow through the plant stages.
Should You Try to Grow St. Augustine Grass From Seed at Home?
Well, before you head to the shops looking for a bag of St. Augustine seeds, there’s some more information you will want to know. Unfortunately, a high percentage of the seeds produced are sterile. As a result, with St. Augustine it is not viable for producers to rely on seeds for production. Because of this, St. Augustine seeds are not usually harvested for the purpose of growing lawns.
So, even if you could get yourself a bag of St. Augustine grass seeds, a high percentage of them won’t germinate, and you would end up with just a few successful shoots. Not the kind of lawn I’m guessing you are looking for.
So, can St. Augustine grass be grown from seed? I think you already know the answer to this question. Technically, yes, but you will never be able to grow a lawn due to the high level of sterile seeds.
Alternatives to Seeding St. Augustine Grass
So, can you seed St. Augustine grass? Well, it would appear that the answer is no. Now that seeds are off the table, what other options are there to grow a St. Augustine lawn? The answer is simple: sod or plugs. But hold on, what is sod, and what are plugs? Let’s take a closer look.
St Augustine Grass – Sod
When referring to grass, sod is a patch of adult grass, including the plant top, roots, and a few inches of soil. If you have ever laid floor tiles, you’ll probably be able to lay sod. Growers produce and harvest grass sod in rectangles, usually 1-foot x 2 feet.
With some ground preparation, laying out sod in a tight uniform pattern, and proper watering, you, too, can have a new St. Augustine lawn.
St Augustine Grass – Plugs
Plugs are basically the same as sod, but they are much smaller. Plugs are usually just a few square inches. When you plant plugs, you space them out and allow them to grow into one another.
Should You Choose St. Augustine Plugs or Sod?
Since the option of seeds is out the window, you need to choose between St. Augustine Plugs V Sod. There are a lot of different benefits with either option, so you want to figure out what works best for you. Here are a few of the benefits of each.
St. Augustine Sod Benefits
- Even Placement
- Instant Lawn
- Less Damage to Turf
St. Augustine Plug Benefits
- Less Expensive
- Easier to Install
- Easier to Isolate Problems
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