St. Augustine Grass – Floratam

If you’re setting up your landscaping and you want to use a type of grass that many homeowners in Florida swear by, then let us tell you about St. Augustine Floratam grass. This is a fast-growing and coarse grass variety, and it’s ideal for the range of weather that makes up the year in Florida. We’re going to be giving you a rundown on its history, appearance, and care processes in this article.

Brief History

The Floratam cultivar was co-created by the University of Florida and Texas A & M University in 1973 as a joint project to make a lower-maintenance yet prettier St. Augustine grass. Floratam St. Augustine grass is now the most common variety of St. Augustine grass, and it’s become a popular choice among homeowners in Florida. Floratam is known for its ability to withstand heat and drought, making it an ideal choice for many areas of the Sunshine State. However, if you live in a colder climate or have sandy soil where drainage can be an issue (for example: along coastal areas), then you may want to consider another type of St Augustine grass instead.

Appearance

Part of the goal of the creation of the Floratam cultivar of St. Augustine grass was to make it pretty as well as durable. This they achieved very well with its long, wide leaf blades and bold green color. In fact, this grass has the thickest blades of all of the St. Augustine grasses. It grows quickly to fill in your lawn fast, and it loves sunny days.

The lawn that this creates is a beautiful turf, perfect for a home that will experience plenty of traffic from kids, pets, etc. The roots go down deep, keeping it well-watered even in dry seasons. In the spring and summer, you can count on a beautifully lush lawn. This is especially true if you have minimal shade across your lawn, as Floratam thrives best in full sun.

Care

Taking care of your Floratam grass shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. It was, after all, specifically designed to be low maintenance.

• Keeping this grass mowed to a height of 3-4 inches is ideal for the perfect look and health quality. Remember to use sharp mower blades to keep the leaf blades of your grass in pristine shape! You’ll probably need to mow this grass every 7-10 days and be very careful about taking care of any weeds, as this grass can’t really handle many weed chemicals. Luckily, Floratam grows thick enough to choke out most weeds. If you want to help keep weeds at bay, try not to mow your lawn too low or leave too much thatch on it.
• When watering, you really only need to worry about overwatering given the drought-resistant nature of this grass. It really only needs about an inch a week to stay in good shape.
• Insects like chinch bugs loooove St. Augustine grasses, especially ones that aren’t as shade tolerant like Floratam. You’ll need to make sure that you are keeping an eye out on your grass for any signs of infestation.
• Floratam St. Augustine grass is more resistant to diseases, but not infallible. Watch out for signs of brown patches or dead grass.

This is the most popular grass in Florida for a reason, folks! It’s durable and hardy, with a fondness for the Florida sunshine. It makes a thick carpet for your lawn that can handle whatever you give it, keeping weeds minimized and your home looking lovely. It’s resistant to dry seasons and can handle most soils. For a lawn that stays green and full most of the year, St. Augustine Floratam grass will be one of your best options.

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