AS A HOMEOWNER, you take pride in growing an attractive, vigorous lush lawn, and St Augustine grass will give you exactly that. However, this grass requires proper maintenance to bloom. Apart from appropriate mowing, watering, aeration, and dethatching, selecting and using a suitable fertilizer at the right time is crucial. For a beautiful, green lawn, read our top choices for the best fertilizer for St Augustine grass.
The best St Augustine grass fertilizers include Scotts Natural Lawn Food, Pennington UltraGreen Lawn Fertilizer, and Milorganite 0636 Nitrogen Fertilizer. Applying the Andersons Innova 7-1-2 organic Lawn Fertilizer can help you sustain a healthy property. BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Weed and Feed for Southern Lawns is another St Augustine fertilizer that can give you a vigorous grass carpet.
Best Fertilizer for St Augustine Grass
If you are looking to green up your St Augustine grass, these are the fertilizers you need:
1. Scotts Natural Lawn Food
This is my top-pick granulated fertilizer that helps boost and deepen your St Augustine turf’s blue-green color. Scotts Natural Lawn Food is a high nitrogen fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 11-2-2. It can feed up to 4,000 square feet of your lawn.
Pros
- You can use it on freshly sodded or seeded lawn
- It’s safe to walk in the yard immediately after you apply the fertilizer
Cons
- The fertilizer’s smell attracts dogs
2. Pennington UltraGreen Lawn Fertilizer
Pennington’s UltraGreen is a granular lawn fertilizer with 5% iron and high nitrogen content, and you can apply it in late spring and summer. These contents give your grass a deep green color within a month. The fertilizer is ideal for Southern St Augustine lawns as it helps the turf survive extreme drought and heat.
Pros
- It has fast-acting-nitrogen for quick green-up
- Less expensive
Cons
- Not suitable for lawns with a phosphorus deficiency
- It can burn grass if you over-fertilize
3. Milorganite 0636 Nitrogen Fertilizer
This is an eco-friendly, all-purpose St Augustine grass fertilizer made of recycled nutrients, which you can use in other plants. It is organic and beneficial to essential microorganisms that boost healthy grass growth.
Pros
- Environmentally friendly
- Promote a robust root system
- Long-lasting effects
Cons
- Lacks potassium
- Strong odor after application
4. The Andersons Innova 7-1-2 Organic Lawn Fertilizer
Innova Organic Fertilizer is a non-burning formula that contains amino acids in a slow-release form. It has no biosolids, animal parts, manure, and composted waste products. The product covers approximately 11,000 square feet of yard.
Pros
- It’s easier and safer to apply
- It is a non-burning formula
Cons
- Not readily available
- Expensive
5. BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Weed and Feed for Southern Lawns
To help your lawn survive during scorching summer weather, apply BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Weed and Feed for Southern Lawns. It is another best St Augustine grass fertilizer with a high-nitrogen content suitable for thick and green properties. The product also has pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides to help kill lawn weeds.
Pros
- It helps control weeds like dandelions, crabgrass, and clover
- Long-lasting effects
Cons
- Expensive
- Not suitable for lawns with phosphorous deficiency
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the best NPK for St. Augustine grass?
A: Scotts natural lawn food is the best NPK fertilizer that helps boost and deepen the St Augustine grass’s green color. It is a high nitrogen fertilizer with a nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium ratio of 11-2-2.
Q: What is the NPK ratio for St Augustine?
A:Â Usually, apply a complete fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 3-1-2 to your St Augustine lawn. Use this product if you don’t conduct soil tests to check pH levels and nutrient deficiencies.
Q: What does 16-4-8 fertilizer do?
A: 16-4-8 fertilizer for St Augustine grass helps promote green growth in your lawn. The product is a high-nitrogen fertilizer that helps green up grass and other non-blooming leafy plants. Therefore, apart from St Augustine, you can also use it in other types of grass, shrubs, vegetables, and houseplants.
Final Thoughts
Plant St Augustine grass to grow an attractive, vigorous lush lawn. However, it requires proper lawn maintenance practices, like fertilizing with the appropriate fertilizer, to bloom.
The best fertilizers for St Augustine grass include Scotts Natural Lawn Food, Pennington UltraGreen Lawn Fertilizer, and Milorganite 0636 Nitrogen Fertilizer.
Andersons Innova 7-1-2 organic Lawn Fertilizer and BioAdvanced 3-in-1 Weed and Feed for Southern Lawns also do well for St Augustine grass.