Turf Talk
St. Augustinegrass Management By Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Maria Tomaso-Peterson Ph.D., and Wayne Philley Ph.D. St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is one of Mississippi’s most common turfgrass species, yet its culture and production in much of the south is fraught with difficulty. Here, we offer advice and considerations for St. Augustinegrass management in the mid- and deep-south.
The
earliest documented case of St. Augustinegrass propagation as turfgrass is near Orange Park, Florida in 1880. It has since become a staple species for lawns and commercial properties throughout the southeast and other tropical and sub-tropical climates around the world. Although viable seed are often produced, commercial seed production has been limited throughout the history of the grass. Therefore, it is often established by plugs, sprigs, or sod, sometimes passed from neighbor to neighbor or relocated from original homesteads. (Fig. 1) St. Augustinegrass is one of the few native species cultivated as turfgrass in the southeastern United States — another being various carpetgrasses (Axonopus species). St. Augustinegrass is known as “Charleston” grass to some and as “Buffalo” in Australia and the wider South Pacific. It spreads quickly by above ground stolons and forms a low-growing, dense turf with coarsetextured leaves. St. Augustinegrass
performs well in full sun but is one of the most shade tolerant warmseason turfgrasses. St. Augustinegrass is a prominent species along Mississippi’s gulf coast. It can also be found in older neighborhoods as far north as Memphis and Little Rock. The diverse climate regions of the southeast make St. Augustinegrass management challenging. Due to its tropical origins, St. Augustinegrass is well adapted to the humid climate and is tolerant of mild salinity and poor water quality. However, it lacks tolerance to freezing temperatures and can be difficult to maintain in northern areas of the state and region. Because St. Augustinegrass lacks below ground rhizomes, its stoloniferous regrowth is vulnerable to harsh winter conditions. Most St. Augustinegrass varieties need approximately 200 frost free days. Note that frost free days do not trend horizontally northward. For instance, historically, Memphis has approximately 220 frost free days, while Corinth has 190, and Starkville has 200.
Some varieties of St. Augustinegrass are better adapted to cooler temperatures than others. For instance, ‘Floratam,’ is common in Florida and in areas of Mississippi south of Interstate10, but it does not tolerate the frequent freezing temperatures in the rest of Mississippi. ‘Common’ St. Augustinegrass is probably the most prevalently produced in the state and region; however, the improved cultivars ‘Raleigh’ and ‘Palmetto’ are increasingly soughtafter for cold tolerance and resistance to disease and insect damage. Researchers at Mississippi State recently released the experimental cultivar ‘MSA 2-398’ for commercialization. It has cold tolerance equal to or greater than Raleigh with improved turf quality due to higher density and finer leaf texture.
Management Considerations
Is St. Augustinegrass the right choice? Although it does well in shaded scenarios, no turfgrass does well in absolute shade. Bermuda and zoysia grasses are more appropriate than St. Augustinegrass for high traffic scenarios. If you
Figure 1: St. Augustinegrass seed is rare. This Pennington product held by Wayne Philley was dated 1993. Figure 2: Chinch bugs adults are black with shiny white wings. Nymphal instars are smaller and change color as they develop. (Photo credit: Dr. Blake Layton, MSU Extension Service).
14 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Summer 2019
