5 Best Weed and Feed for St. Augustine Grass

Do you have a St. Augustine grass lawn? Have weeds been taking over your yard and stealing all the nutrients from your poor, neglected lawn? It sounds like you could use a weed and feed for St. Augustine grass that will help get rid of those nasty weeds while providing everything it needs to stay healthy and green.

Benefits:

The biggest benefit is that these weed and feed products can help increase water retention in the soil while also promoting healthier growth due to improved nutrients in the plant’s diet. 

The weed and feed can also help prevent weeds from growing due to the herbicides that it contains. The fertilizer in the mix helps promote the healthy growth of St. Augustine grass, which is one of if not the most common types found in landscapes today – especially with its great durability against heat and drought conditions.

In this guide, the experts will answer common questions about the best weed and feed for St. Augustine grass as well as provide product reviews of some of the favorite brands so that you can make an informed decision on which is right for you.

Scotts Turf Builder Southern Triple Action Weed and Feed – the Editor’s choice!

The Scotts Turf Builder Southern Triple Action Weed and Feed is a great choice for 4,000 sq. ft. lawns. This product kills clover so you have one less weed to worry about. It also prevents and kills ants on the property. Scotts also feeds your lawn with rich nutrients to strengthen it giving you a thick green finish.

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The southern lawns fertilized with this product will establish faster, grow stronger, and hold up better against pests like these ants.

Armed with 3 customized weed-killing ingredients, this product can feed your grass for three months by giving it just what it needs.

This Scotts Turf Builder weed and feed product can destroy clover to prevent it from coming back up, while also stopping nasty bugs where they stand.

Scotts 3313B Turf Builder Bonus S Southern Weed and Feed – the best for southern lawns!

The Scotts 3313B Turf Builder Bonus S weed and feed product will make your garden look just as green in the summer as it does in the spring. It’ll also stop those nasty weeds from coming back, so you can enjoy a weedless lawn all year long. Also, this product can cover an area of 5,000 square feet.

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This liquid with a unique formula can kill the weed, strengthen roots for growth, and feed the grass to help it grow better.

This Scotts 3313B product kills weeds and feeds grass so it can crowd them out for good. It’s perfect for St. Augustine grass (including Floratam), centipede, zoysia or carpet grass lawns only – don’t use this product on Bermuda grass!

Scotts Turf Builder Southern Lawn Food – the best to protect against drought!

This Scotts Turf Builder product is designed just for southern lawns and has all the nutrients necessary so that a little goes a long way. The unique combination of adaptable robust grasses in this formula with a high concentration of nutrients means you can get more benefit from less product applied in smaller applications.

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There will be even distribution of nutrients for stronger roots aiding the lawn’s ability to resist drought and heat stress by absorbing more water than an unfed lawn would.

With the 5,000 square feet coverage, this product will get the job done quickly with no need for refills from our team unless you want them.

This specially formulated product feeds to protect against heat and drought, improves the lawn’s ability to absorb water and nutrients versus an unfed lawn so you can have a beautiful yard all year round.

Safer Brand 9334 Lawn Restore Fertilizer – the best for coverage!

Keep your lawn looking green and healthy with the Safer Brand 9334 Lawn Restore Fertilizer! This effective year-round care will help plants withstand heat, cold and drought stresses. It is easy to use and covers up to 6,250 sq. ft. Your lawn will green up within 3 to 5 days of fertilizing and it does not have a smell.

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This weed and feed product leaves no odors behind so you will not get any complaints about how your yard smells.

The Safer Brand 9334 fertilizer is a product that enhances the performance of your lawn by strengthening root systems and promoting a healthy, thick turf.

Espoma EOLB30 Organic Lawn Booster Fertilizer – the best for the eco-friendly formula!

Use Espoma EOLB30 Organic Lawn Booster Fertilizer to make your grass and gardens explode with growth. The 8-0-0 formulation is perfect for any lawn, no matter how brown it may look.

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Feather meal and pasteurized poultry manure provide safe garden fertilizer that won’t harm kids or pets while enriching your soil year after year. Let your plants reach their full potential when you feed them like a pro with this natural organic fertilization product.

Get the lush lawn you’ve always wanted with popular Espoma organic fertilizer. This organic fertilizer is environmentally friendly with high digestibility to promote healthy roots & an attractive dark green color.

The Buyer’s Guide

Emergence

One of the biggest problems with St. Augustine grass is that it can’t compete in hot, dry conditions where there are few plants to shade and provide ground cover. One way to help combat this is by adding fertilizer for weed control as well as applying a pre-emergent herbicide in early spring when new weed growth begins (around March). 

Check your local landscape stores or consult an expert before choosing these products since they will vary depending on what kind of climate you live in. Next, keep up fertilizing throughout the growing season – at least once every two weeks if possible. This helps promote healthy growth while also preventing those annoying weeds from popping up all over again.

A pre-emergent herbicide is a chemical applied to the soil before weed seedlings can grow. It prevents weeds from sprouting, and it’s important for St. Augustine grass because this type of lawn needs all the help it can get when trying to compete with other plants in hot climates. For a fertilizer or any product that you’re using on your yard to be effective, make sure that you apply them according to directions.

Do not spray too close (aside from what’s recommended) and don’t leave fertilizer sitting around where animals might eat it – it could kill them. If you choose one product but see another labeled as better quality at an affordable price point, switch over. That way your money goes towards a product that will be more effective for your lawn.

You can also mow your St. Augustine grass on an even height setting – this allows sunlight to reach other plants growing near it that help them thrive too. This is important because those closes by plants provide ground cover and shade so that the turfgrass doesn’t have to compete with sun exposure alone. 

The best time of day for watering St. Augustine grass is at night. This gives it time to properly soak in the water before it evaporates.

Granules or spray products?

Granules and spray weed killers are the two most popular ways to kill weeds in your lawn. 

1) Granular weed and feed is popular because it can be applied as a preventive measure in the spring, or to kill weeds that have already sprouted. Spraying herbicides has its advantages too – you’ll get better coverage of hard-to-reach spots like between rocks and around tree roots; but spraying also requires safety gear, adequate ventilation, and an eye for detail. Ultimately, though, which strategy works best depends on what your priorities are: cost vs convenience.

2) Sprays can be very effective at killing weeds. However, they also do a great job of spreading chemicals all over your yard if you’re not careful. Granules will stay on top of the grass where it belongs, while sprays go everywhere and end up getting into every nook and cranny possible. 

Granular-based products are safer for pets and people who like to hang out around their house without worrying about being exposed to dangerous chemicals. Sprays might work faster though so keep that in mind when deciding what’s best for you.

Residual effects

The residual effects of weed killers last for a few weeks to months after the application. The length of time varies depending on how much rain is received. Most herbicides will break down in rainwater, but there are some that don’t. 

For example, Atrazine remains active even when it rains because it binds tightly with soil particles and does not easily leach into groundwater sources like other herbicides such as Diquat or Simazine that can be washed away by rainfall. Some good examples of common products that work well against weeds without leaving behind any harmful residues include glyphosate-based products. 

The best weed and feed for St. Augustine grass are those that offer a wide range of benefits to the struggling lawn while also maintaining as close as possible to an organic chemical-free environment and minimizing any residual effects on nearby plants or animals.

How to Apply Weed and Feed?

Weed and Feed products are typically applied in the spring or fall. They can be used year-round, but applying them too early may harm new growth that emerges after winter. 

The best time to apply weed and feed for St. Augustine grass is generally from April-June or September-October, depending on your geographical location (temperatures rise earlier in warmer climates).

It’s important that you do not overfeed your lawn – overfeeding will actually cause harm by burning off roots and even killing sections of turfgrass. Apply a light layer across the entire area so no individual clumps can be seen. 

A general rule of thumb: if you have approximately 200 square feet of the ground surface, use about one gallon. For example, if you have 1000 sq. ft. of the ground surface, use two gallons instead. If weed and feed products are not applied to the entire surface, you may need to apply more than one time.

If you’re using a liquid weed killer, it’s best to wait at least 3 weeks before fertilizing because some of these products diminish the effectiveness of other chemicals. When buying a broadcast spreader for this job, choose one with adjustable settings for coverage area and depth control since weeding your lawn is not an exact science.

Here’s how to use a weed and feed product for St. Augustine grass:

• Fill up your device with Weed & Feed solution according to manufacturer instructions (usually between 30% – 75%);
• Set your desired application width on the side lever. The  distance between the left and right wheels determines how wide your coverage area will be, so keep that in mind when setting this;
• Set your desired application depth on the front lever. Adjust it higher for a thinner layer or lower for a thicker one;
• Walk around your lawn with some overlap to ensure even distribution of weed killer all over the grass blades as you go;

FAQ

Where does St. Augustine grass grow?

St. Augustine grass grows in North, Central and South America but primarily in Florida. The best weed and feed for St. Augustine grass needs to be tailored towards its environment because it can’t withstand cold winters or heavy rainfalls like other types of grasses do.

How aggressive should you be about weeding and feeding St. Augustine?

The best weed and feed for St. Augustine grass is not aggressive enough to kill weeds outright, which means you’ll have to do some weeding on your own. If your lawn grows large patches of dandelions or clover that are coming back no matter how often you pull them out, the best weed and feed for St. Augustine grass may be too weak for these stubborn types of weeds.

The best weed and feed for St. Augustine grass is a good choice if you want to keep your lawn clean without spending too much time weeding or have an aggressive type of weed that can’t be beaten by the other products (such as clover).

Experts recommend using 1 pound of product per thousand square feet every year in order to ensure optimal health, regular watering throughout the season and at least two inches of rain each month, will provide excellent coverage for weeds and maintain healthy growth rates.

Can you overwater St. Augustine grass?

One of the problems with St. Augustine grass is that it can be hard to tell when you are overwatering. Unlike other lawns, there is no warning from wilting or brown patches in the blades. One key that gives away an over-watered yard (or any yard for that matter) is a thinning crown – the center where water first seeps down into the soil and then flows out towards all sides. 

If your turf has started showing signs of dying off at its edges, don’t panic. It’s just being saturated by too much moisture. 

If ​you’re overwatering, your St. Augustine grass may look a bit yellow or gray but it will recover if the problem is resolved.

Another key to determining whether you’ve watered too much for your lawn stems from its general appearance. When the water seeps into the soil and leeches outwards onto turf blades, they start looking thin and discolored in patches. 

If this happens to be happening on one side of your grass, more than another then make sure that before watering again next time, you thoroughly soak the dry spots. As long as these tips are followed closely enough during the summertime months, there’s no need to worry about excessive overwatering.

Should you aerate St. Augustine grass?

Aeration is one of the most important maintenance practices for St. Augustine grass, so you should follow both an annual and a monthly schedule. The best time to aerate your yard is during the fall or winter when there are fewer insects around that could do damage to open wounds on the lawn surface. If done properly, aerating can help solve problems like compacted soil and nutrient deficiencies in sandy soils.

This will also allow air, water, nutrients, and minerals necessary for healthy plant growth into the root zone where they’re needed most. It’ll also help break down organic material from dead leaves and other debris by introducing oxygen through tiny pores in turfgrass roots called stomata much faster than natural decomposition would cause alone without the need for extra fertilization.

The aeration procedure is:

1. Mark off a grid that is 3 to 5 feet from the border of your lawn, and head towards one end;
2. Use a garden fork or a power auger with an attachment for aeration outfitted in each hand – the latter has the best results but costs more money than you’ll spend on either tool otherwise. The pattern should be perpendicular to where you’re standing at any given time while digging up holes every few inches until reaching the edge of your yard on all four sides formed by these lines;
3. For monthly maintenance, make sure to do this step once every quarter-inch (0.25-inch) hole dug will work wonders. A simple way would be if there are 4 quarters in an inch to dig every quarter-inch (0.25-inch) hole or for 16 holes per square foot, then you’ll know if this is the right frequency;

If your lawn has been affected by disease or neglect during its growing season, it’s best to wait until springtime before aerating so that a new root system will be healthy and ready for air circulation instead of injuring these roots and making them more susceptible to future problems like those mentioned above.

Aeration can’t solve pest infestations – insects are drawn towards open wounds left on turfgrass from digging up soil which can cause even more damage than what already afflicted the lawn as well as make things worse with other pests joining in on the feast.

Tips for users: there’s no need to drag the fork or auger back and forth when aerating–just knock it into the ground with enough force for soil to come out of a few inches’ worth of depth, then repeat until you’re finished. With an auger, just push it down as much as possible without hitting anything else like rocks in your lawn while using good balance so that this tool doesn’t get stuck!

Aerate at least once every year but preferably twice per season since grass roots grow deeper over time which requires more air circulation. If very sandy soils are present, do this step monthly instead for best results! This will also help keep up nutrient needs during dry periods if these challenges arise periodically throughout the year due to a lack of rainfall or too much water.

Can you use Epsom salt on St Augustine grass?

You can use Epsom salt on St. Augustine grass as it won’t contain any fertilizer that could harm your plants. However, you would have to make sure that you don’t put too much of this product down or else it may cause a chemical burn in your yard. It is best to follow all directions when using products like these so if there are specific instructions for how often and where you need to do Epsom salt application then read them carefully before proceeding with anything else. 

If there are no instructions with what kind of planter needs this treatment, then just know that typically this type of remedy is designed for folks that are experiencing drainage issues, not fertilizing their lawn.

Pets and plants can both be harmed by Epsom salt in the yard so it is best to avoid putting this product on your St Augustine grass for either of these reasons.

After applying any type of weed killer or herbicide, you will want to wait at least two weeks before attempting seed germination as some products have a delayed effect when mixed with other substances like seeds that could cause difficulties for new plant growth after the period has elapsed.

When is the best time to apply weed and feed to St. Augustine grass?

The optimum time to fertilize St. Augustine grass and apply is in the spring, when the weather is nice and the grass is actively developing. You can also apply it in early fall, but be sure to read the instructions on the product label carefully so that you do not damage the roots of your grass.

How much weed and feed do I need to apply to my St. Augustine grass?

This is a difficult question to answer without knowing the size of your lawn. A general rule of thumb is to apply one pound of weed and feed per 1000 square feet of lawn. However, it is always best to read the product label for specific instructions.

Weed and feed products come in both granular and liquid form. Granular products are easier to spread over large areas, but they can be more difficult to get even coverage. Liquid products are more expensive but they will give you better coverage and control.

When selecting a weed and feed product, be sure to choose one that is specifically labeled for use on St. Augustine grass. Some products will damage or kill other types of grass, so it is important to make sure you are using the right product for your lawn.

Is it okay to use weed and feed on St. Augustine grass that is brown or has spots?

The short answer is, yes. You can safely use weed and feed products on brown or spotted St. Augustine grass. In fact, it may even help to improve the overall health of your lawn.

There are a few things to keep in mind, however. First, make sure that you read the instructions on the weed and feed product carefully. Some products are designed for specific types of grass, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re using the right one for your lawn. Second, be aware that weed and feed can sometimes cause temporary discoloration of your grass. This is usually not a problem, but if it’s something that concerns you, simply wait until the product has been completely absorbed before mowing your lawn. Finally, remember that weed and feed is not a miracle solution – it will not magically make your brown or spotted lawn green again. However, it can help to improve the overall health of your grass, which may eventually lead to a more lush and green lawn.

What are the side effects of using weed and feed on St, Augustine grass?

The most typical adverse effect use on St. Augustine grass is that it causes the grass to become yellow. This is because the herbicide in the weed and feed can damage the grass if it is not applied properly. If you notice your St. Augustine grass starting to yellow, you should stop using the weed and feed and consult a lawn care professional.

Another side effect of using weed and feed on St. Augustine grass is that it can kill the beneficial bacteria and fungi in the soil. This can lead to problems with the health of your lawn in the future. If you have any reservations, it is best to speak with a lawn care expert prior to using weed and feed products on your lawn.

Finally, using weed and feed on St. Augustine grass can also make the grass more susceptible to disease. If you are concerned about this, you should consult a lawn care professional before using weed and feed on your lawn.

How often should you apply weed and feed to your lawn to maintain optimal results?

The normal rule of thumb is to apply weed and feed products every three months, or four times a year. However, the best time to use them may vary depending on the climate in your area and the type of product you’re using.

If you live in an area with a warm climate, it’s best to apply weed and feed products in early spring, late spring, early summer, and mid-fall. If you live in an area with a cooler climate, it’s best to apply them in late spring and early fall.

Can you use Scotts weed and feed on St Augustine?

The short answer is yes, you can use Scotts weed and feed on St Augustine grass. However, it’s important to note that not all products are created equal. Some products may contain ingredients that could harm your lawn if used incorrectly. It’s always best to read the label carefully and follow the directions before applying any product to your lawn.

If you’re searching for a weed and feed product to apply on your St Augustine lawn, we recommend Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed. This product is designed specifically for use on southern lawns, like St Augustine grass. It will kill weeds while also providing your lawn with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and green. Plus, it’s easy to use – just apply and water as directed!

Is Scotts Turf Builder good for St. Augustine grass?

The short answer is yes. Scotts Turf Builder is one of the most popular brands of weed and feed products on the market, and their products are designed to be used on a variety of different grass types, including St. Augustine.

That said, it’s important to read the label of any weed and feed product you’re considering, as some products are better suited for certain grass types than others. For example, Scotts Turf Builder Weed and Feed includes a high-nitrogen fertilizer that is ideal for promoting St. Augustine grass growth. However, if you’re looking to control weeds in your lawn, you might want to consider a product that contains herbicides that are specific to the type of weeds you’re dealing with.

Is Miracle Grow good for St. Augustine grass?

No, Miracle Grow is not good for St. Augustine grass. It contains nitrogen which is too high and will burn your lawn if used incorrectly. Also, it only has a 30-day guaranteed results period so you’ll need to reapply it frequently to see any benefit. Instead, we recommend using something like Scotts Turf Builder which is made specifically for St. Augustine grass contains small nitrogen.

Is Scotts green Max safe for St. Augustine grass?

The Scotts Company is a well-known manufacturer of lawn care products, and their Green Max product is one of the most popular weeds and feeds on the market. But is it safe to use on St. Augustine grass? According to the Scotts website, Green Max is safe for use on all types of grass, including St. Augustine. However, they do recommend that you test a small area of your lawn before applying the product to your entire lawn.

If you’re looking for an alternative to Scotts Green Max, there are several other products on the market that are safe to use on St. Augustine grass. Miracle-Gro is one brand that makes a weed and feed product specifically for St. Augustine grass. Another option is to use a pre-emergent herbicide like Spectracide Weed Stop For Lawns.

Why is my St. Augustine grass turning yellow?

There are several reasons why your St. Augustine grass might be yellowing. It could be that you’re over-fertilizing, or you may have a nutrient deficiency. If you think you might be over-fertilizing, cut back on the amount of fertilizer you’re using. If you think you have a nutrient deficiency, ask your local nursery or garden center for advice on what to do.

Another possibility is that you have a disease or pest issue. If you believe this to be the case, then take a sample of your grass to your local county extension office so they can identify it. Once you know what the problem is, you can treat it accordingly.

Useful Video: Weed & Feed For St Augustine Grass, Zoysia and Centipede // How To Choose Weed N Feed

Final thoughts

Hopefully, the experts could help you make a decision on which weed and feed is right for your St. Augustine grass. Take some time to check the information in this guide, answer any questions it raises, and do what feels best for your lawn.