Raleigh | Palmetto

St. Augustine grass is a fast growing grass that has a medium to dark green color and coarse leaf texture. With proper maintenance, it will provide a dense, lush cover for a turf lawn. As a warm-season grass, it is best adapted to warm humid areas that are not exposed to excessive or intense periods of cold weather. The "Raleigh" variety has the best cold tolerance and seems best suited for North Carolina's eastern piedmont and coastal plains regions.

Seed is not available, so it can only be vegetatively planted. St Augustinegrass generally grows best in fertile, well-drained soils. It has excellent shade tolerance and exhibits good salt, heat, and, to a moderate degree, drought tolerance.

Since it is fast growing, St. Augustinegrass needs to be mowed frequently during the growing season. It should never receive more than 4 pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet in one year. At high rates of fertilization and irrigation, thatch buildup may be a problem. Buildup of thatch can lead to other problems, such as disease and insect damage. St. Augustinegrass is not tolerant of heavy traffic or cold weather.

Chinch bugs are often a problem, causing leaves to rapidly begin to wilt and turn brown. Yellow spots are often associated with chinch bug activity. In addition, brown patch can be a nuisance, creating brown circular patches up to several feet in diameter that usually warrant treatment. St. Augustinegrass is sensitive to some postemergence herbicides, such as 2,4-D and MSMA; however, some herbicides can be used at lower rates.

Palmetto St. Augustine is characterized as having a dark green to parrot green color and a semi-dwarf texture. Palmetto has an extremely dense root structure extending several inches into the soil. Palmetto will remain green longer than any other variety of St. Augustine, and will stay green longer that Bermuda and Centipede. Palmetto will slowly become dormant after several heavy frosts, and will remain evergreen in temperatures below freezing if there are no frosts.

	Characteristics
	Dark Green to Parrot Green in Color
	Cold Tolerant
	Excellent Drought & Wear Tolerance
	Exceptional Shade Tolerance
	Less Prone to Thatching
	Superior Disease Tolerance