What should I do for my neglected St. Augustine lawn?


QUESTION:

We just moved into an older home. The yard was neglected. There is St.Augustine grass, but it is crying out for food. What is the best ORGANIC fertilizer for St.Augustine, and when is the best time to fertilize in Texas?

I am only interested in organics because one of my daughters has asthma and is very chemically sensitive.

Thanks!
Liz

ANSWER:

The best time to fertilize St. Augustine – and other warm-season grasses – is 3 weeks after the lawn has started to green up in the spring. Three applications of slow-release nitrogen at a rate of 1lb per 1000 ft2 will keep your lawn healthy and green. Space these feedings 10 weeks apart – starting in the spring after green-up, summer and then early fall. Watch for iron deficiency, this can be a problem with St. Augustine.

Best organic fertilizer? Well…fertilizers are used to supply nutrients to plants and the plants don’t care where it comes from. For lawns, the most important nutrient in fertilizer is nitrogen and it is important to supply the proper amounts.

Your daughter’s asthma is a very important concern, so look into using a natural organic lawn fertilizer in liquid form. Granular and pelletized organic fertilizers are commonly made from poultry manure, sewage sludge or plant by-products – these are dusty and could also aggravate your daughter’s asthma.

That said, Sustain, Ringer and corn gluten meal make excellent natural organic lawn fertilizers.

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