Turfgrass can be tricky in Florida and at times, you may find some thin spots in your yard that you would like to improve. Originally coming from the Northeast, I remember throwing out some Tall Fescue or Kentucky Bluegrass seed to accomplish this but, being Florida, it’s not that simple here. Specifically, we do get questions at times as to where you can find St. Augustinegrass seed and you will find that if you go shopping in-person or online, this product simply does not exist.

Why is that?

Basically, St. Augustinegrass varieties do not produce enough seed heads to be a viable option. This actually preferred for your lawn so you don’t get ugly seed heads in your lawn all summer. If you are looking to plant St. Augustinegrass, you are stuck using either sod or plugs. This is also true for some cultivars of other turfgrass varieties as well.

One tip is that if you don’t want to shell out money for your plugs to plant in your thin areas, make your own. Cut small sections of either purchased sod or take some from other areas of your lawn. Take from healthy areas of your yard that are a bit out of sight but be sure to leave enough roots. Plant these is the thin areas, provide water to keep the soil moist through the first few months and watch them fill in.

For more information about St. Augustinegrass see https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/lh010 or to get help on how to best establish your Florida lawn, visit https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/LH013 . With questions, an UF/IFAS Extension agent is never far away in your county. To find your nearest Extension office, visit https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/find-your-local-office/ .

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