Do you want to own a green and lush lawn or a lawn with a lot of bare spots? I am sure that all of you will choose the first choice. Like other plants, St. Augustine grass also requires you to take care of it well and provide it with enough nutrients. Thus, remember to buy the best fertilizer for At. Augustine grass for the best performance.
Here are the best fertilizers for st augustine grass you can buy in 2024:
- Best For More Even Distribution: Andersons Professional PGF Fertilizer
- Best For Lush Lawn: Simple Lawn Solutions Liquid Fertilizer
- Best For Root Growth: Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food Fertilizer
- Best For Greener Lawn: Lesco SeedRanch St. Augustine Fertilizer
- Quick-Release: Andersons PGF Balanced Fertilizer
- Slow-Release: Voluntary Centipede Fertilizer
| 6 Best Fertilizers For St Augustine Grass | ||
|---|---|---|
Best For More Even Distribution | Andersons Professional PGF Fertilizer | |
Best For Lush Lawn | Simple Lawn Solutions Liquid Fertilizer | |
Best For Root Growth | Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food Fertilizer | |
Best For Greener Lawn | Lesco SeedRanch St. Augustine Fertilizer | |
Quick-Release | Andersons PGF Balanced Fertilizer | |
Slow-Release | Voluntary Centipede Fertilizer | |
Best For More Even Distribution: Andersons Professional PGF Fertilizer
- Easy to use
- Cheap
- Efficient
- Inaccurate information on the package
The biggest drawback of granular formed fertilizer is that it’s hard to evenly spread on a large surface. Providing your lawn with fertilizer unevenly can make it grow differently. Some areas, for example, are thicker, greener, and healthier than other spots.
In this case, Andersons Professional PGF Fertilizer is your saver because it is produced in the form of very fine particles that allow you to distribute on a larger surface more evenly.
| Andersons Professional PGF Fertilizer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 40 lb |
Coverage Area | 10,000 sq.ft. |
Fertilizer Analysis | 16-4-8 |
Highlight Features | Superfine particles Slow-release |
Andersons Professional PGF Fertilizer is small enough to find its way into the tiniest gaps between grasses.
Best For Lush Lawn: Simple Lawn Solutions Liquid Fertilizer
- Easy to use and apply
- Quick to see the result
- Pretty sturdy container
- Clear and easy to read and follow instruction
- Efficient
- The bottle is heavy for some users
Simple Lawn Solution Liquid Fertilizer contains key macronutrients for the healthy growth of the lush lawn.
Apart from nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients for the complete growth of St. Augustine grass, this product contains seaweed and fish ingredients. They offer vital nutrients: potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, especially they can improve microbial activity in the soil.
| Simple Lawn Solutions Liquid Fertilizer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 32 Ounce |
Fertilizer Analysis | 16-4-8 |
Highlight Features | Seaweed & fish ingredients High-quality feed grade ingredients |
Simple Lawn Solutions Liquid Fertilizer contains enough essential nutrients for the ideal growth of your St. Augustine lawn.
Best For Root Growth: Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food Fertilizer
- Slow to release
- Safe
- Works great when you follow the instruction exactly
- Expensive
The nutrient ratio of Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food Fertilizer is 32-0-4 (N-P-K). This means that this product contains 32 nitrogen (N), used for speeding the root growth. In particular, this nutrient helps you maximize the St. Augustine grass color.
| Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food Fertilizer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 12.5 lb |
Coverage Area | 5,000 sq. ft. |
Fertilizer Analysis | 32-0-4 |
Highlight Features | Scotts exclusive All-in-One Particle technology |
Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Food Fertilizer helps the root grow as quickly and healthy as possible.
Best For Greener Lawn: Lesco SeedRanch St. Augustine Fertilizer
- Possible to apply on any season
- Helps your lawn healthier
- Burns your lawn if you apply the instruction incorrectly
As you know, a fertilizer with a high amount of nitrogen can improve the color of plants. This product’s nutrient ratio is 24-2-11, so its nitrogen is 24 that is much enough for a pretty green lawn. However, everything doesn’t stop here because the best part is its 6% iron. This ingredient plays an important role in keeping your lawn green because iron produces a green color.
| Lesco SeedRanch St. Augustine Fertilizer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 50 Lbs. |
Coverage Area | 12,000 Sq.ft |
Fertilizer Analysis | 24-2-11 |
Highlight Features | 6% Iron |
Lesco SeedRanch St. Augustine Fertilizer provides much nitrogen and iron for the green and healthy lawn.
Quick-Release: Andersons PGF Balanced Fertilizer
- Easy to use and spread small particles
- Good price
- Safe
- The fertilizer goes out quickly
Once you newly set up your lawns, you need to provide them with quick-release fertilizer immediately to help them grow quickly and keep them out of any disease.
Andersons PGF Balanced Fertilizer contains soluble nitrogen. So, when mixing it with water, it will produce nutrients for your grasses in no time.
| Andersons PGF Balanced Fertilizer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 18.0 lbs |
Coverage Area | 5,000 sq ft |
Fertilizer Analysis | 10-10-10 |
Highlight Features | Used any time Quick-release nitrogen 2% iron |
Andersons PGF Balanced Fertilizer produces and offers nutrients quickly, so it is useful for urgent cases.
Slow-Release: Voluntary Centipede Fertilizer
- Safe for environment
- Helps your grass green longer
- Takes time to see the results
I strongly recommend this slow-release Voluntary Centipede Fertilizer for a well-established lawn because it produces nutrients slowly. A healthy lawn can wait to reach a uniform growth. Specifically, you might need to wait for 6-8 weeks, even longer.
While the quick-release fertilizer can result in a growth burst, requiring you to mow regularly, this slow-release fertilizer doesn’t lead to this problem.
| Voluntary Centipede Fertilizer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 20 lbs |
Coverage Area | 5000 sq. ft. |
Fertilizer Analysis | 15 - 0 -15 |
Highlight Features | Slow-release |
Voluntary Centipede Fertilizer slowly releases nutrients so that your grasses can absorb them gradually.
How To Choose The Best Fertilizer For St Augustine Grass?
When knowing what you really want, you can easily pick up a suitable product. So, you just need to answer the following questions:
What Is The N-P-K Ratio?
Any fertilizer has 3 nutrients (N, P, K) in different amounts. While Nitrogen (N) improves the color of grass and speeds the growth, Phosphorus (P) helps grasses form their bud and seed quicker. Finally, Potassium (K) can strengthen the healthy growth of the lawn.
St. Augustine grass requires all 3 nutrients. But, if you want your lawn thicker, darker, and greener, you should choose a product with more nitrogen, such as 4-1-2, 16-4-8, and 20-5-10.
Will You Use Liquid, Granular, Or Water-Soluble?
Liquid
The grass blades absorb liquid quicker, so it works and boosts the growth faster. You can easily recognize the signs of growth in 3-4 days.
However, the liquid goes out of the lawn quickly, so it requires you to reapply fertilizer more often than the granular type.
You can purchase a full-strength form or liquid concentrate, but the latter requires you to dilute and apply by using a pump-type garden sprayer.
Granular
Granular fertilizer has as many nutrients as liquid fertilizer. It releases slower, so plants take time to absorb nutrients. However, this helps roots contact fertilizer for a long time, so you don’t have to fertilize regularly. You can apply this fertilizer by using a spreader.
Water-Soluble (Granular)
Although this is granular, you will dilute it to use as a liquid fertilizer. This method can green up your lawn quickly. You apply this solution by using a hose-end dispenser, connecting to a garden hose.
Will You Choose Organic Or Synthetic Products?
Natural organic fertilizers have the same nutrients as synthetic fertilizers, but it is made from natural sources, such as compost manure and earthworm castings. Although this type of fertilizer is more expensive, it’s pretty eco-friendly without polluting waterways and harming aquatic life.
Meanwhile, synthetic fertilizers contain chemicals that are made to mimic natural nutrients. Some of them are enriched with essential minerals, such as boron, magnesium, and calcium.
In sum, both are good for St. Augustine grass, but nitrogen in synthetic fertilizers can harm aquatic life. This is a vital consideration if you live near rivers.
Which Brands Make The Best Fertilizer For St Augustine Grass?
For me, the brands below are the most believable brands on the current markets:
Scotts
Scotts is a large brand, offering many high-quality fertilizers in the United States. Their products are used to improve plant growth.
Why do I believe in this brand?
Their customers can request a refund for any reason.
Nature’s Touch & Dr. Earth
This brand is famous for organic-based fertilizers. Unlike commercial fertilizers made from chemical ingredients, Nature’s Touch & Dr. Earth fertilizers are made from a combination of chemical and organic components. However, this brand doesn’t have as many fertilizer product lines as other brands.
Andersons
While fertilizers from other brands have enough important nutrients: N, P, K, Andersons products are free of phosphorus. This is a great solution for people who live in the United States, which is well-known for rich-phosphorus soil, especially near lakes, and streams.
LESCO
LESCO is known as a professional fertilizer brand. Their products are usually used to maintain the turf in golf courses. The only complaint about this brand is that it’s hard to find their products in local garden centers.
Scotts Miracle-Gro
Scotts Miracle-Gro specializes in producing and selling different products, such as granules, liquid fertilizers, and spikes for flowers and other specific plants. You can buy all-purpose fertilizers from this brand.
FAQs
How do I make my St Augustine grass thicker?
The ideal soil and growing condition play an important role in making your St Augustine grass thicker. You should grow St Augustine grass in sod rolls on well-draining soil like sandy soil with a 5.0-8.5 pH range. This acidic pH condition allows St. Augustine sod root to grow thicker and fuller.
The best time to grow your St Augustine lawn thicker is early summer because it provides your plants with the ideal range of temperature (80-100°F).
You should apply a phosphorus fertilizer to stimulate root growth and establishment before using a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. The latter is used to promote shoot growth quicker.
Thick St. Augustine grass requires proper watering. Specifically, you need to lightly water after installation. In the event of a hot climate, provide your plants with a light amount of water every 2 times per day during 2 first weeks of growth. If everything is okay, you can cut the irrigation from ½ inch to ¾ inch of water twice a week.
Remove weeds on your lawn on time. If not, they will compete for water and nutrients, leading to a thin St Augustine grass lawn. In this case, you can use weed killer.
How do you fix patchy St Augustine?
Deeply water your patchy St Augustine grass more often, about 3 times per week, for example.
Improve the soil quality by dealing with soil compaction and deep thatch.
Dethatching your lawn can help it take nutrients in soil easier. Also, aerating the soil keeps the root from suffocation.
If you can’t fix your damaged lawn, it’s time to replant it. Get rid of dead grass in the bare spots and replant new ones.
Can I use Miracle Grow on St Augustine grass?
Yes.
How do you encourage St Augustine to spread?
Using nitrogen fertilizer can encourage St Augustine to spread, but ensure that you don’t over-fertilize it. If this way improves nothing, you can buy plugs, springs, or rods of St Augustine grass to add into bare spots.
Can you over-fertilize St Augustine grass?
No, you can’t. Over-fertilizing leads to overfeeding. The excess nutrients turn toxic, making your lawn pretty sick.
Conclusion
The best fertilizer for St. Augustine grass should suit each specific case of lawn. You, for example, newly establish your lawn, you need to quickly provide it with nutrients by using quick-release fertilizer. Meanwhile, slow-release fertilizer is a long-term solution. Although it takes time to see the result, its effect can leave on the grass long. You also pay attention to the nutrient ratio. While the high level of nitrogen (N) can help your lawn greener and grow quicker, Phosphorus (P) is useful for forming buds and seeds.
Harry RamosI’m Harry Ramos, who's crazy about all things green. I’m here to share some experience in my gardening adventure and how to choose the best products for your garden. Let's dig in, get our hands dirty, and celebrate the simple, earthy pleasures of the garden together!
