Zoysia grass costs twice the price of St. Augustine grass on average and it has thinner blades and a deeper green appearance. For a faster start, you can also use plugs which will spread within 8 to 12 weeks of planting. As mentioned before, freezing temperatures and drought can kill off St Augustine grass. Well in todays post were going to talk about both kinds of grass and Ill go over some major differences that may help you make your decision if you have not already done so. Among the native species that you can find of St. Augustine grass is Floratam. There is no red or yellow colour on the leaves but this warm-season grass may discolour slightly in the colder months. Is Buffalo Grass the Same as St Augustine? However, in colder areas, it is possible for the grass to die off and stop growing. Additionally, its roots dont grow as deep into the ground, making it easier for weeds to compete for resources. Welcome to Sod and Seed, Inc. where today we will be going over two popular types of sod grass, Buffalo Grass vs. St. Augustine, what's the difference? Kikuyu is more likely to spread outside the boundaries of your lawn over time. For more information, read full disclosure here. While it doesnt need to be flooded, it does need to be watered often and consistently. Lets learn more about them! Perennial Ryegrass Vs Tall Fescue: Whats Better For My Lawn? But here are the main differences between fescue and St. Augustine: However, both grasses do have an excellent shade tolerance, with fescue being the best out of any lawn grass species, and St. Augustine being the best of the warm season grasses. Just as St. Augustine, the most strategic way to combat unwanted grasses is to treat your lawn before it becomes an issue - first with a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring, then again in the fall. Buffalo grass needs water on a regular basis to survive, but over-watering can lead to fungal diseases. Keeping irrigation and fertilizer to a minimum will starve out many weed species. We recommend Ferti-lome St. Augustine Weed and Feed. We are reader-supported and may receive a commission on purchases made through links on this page. Since I have a fescue lawn Im slightly biased. It also requires more fertilizer and water than Buffalo grass does. It even has a disease named after it, St Augustine Decline. This means that youll have to mow your lawn less often if you choose buffalo over st Augustine. For more information, read full disclosure here. Quick tip: This plant is also a prolific seed producer which adds to its invasiveness as the seeds, once dropped, can propagate themselves and spread further. And those tropical origins for this grass give it high levels of tolerance for many things, including specifically salt (coastal climates) and shade (woodland margins). Compared with fescue, St. Augustine is certainly the more aggressive variant, but when it comes up against something like centipede, theres not a lot in it. Like Buffalo grass, St. Augustine grass has excellent shade tolerance as well as adaptability to dry, hot conditions. When it is first laid, it is important that it is watered steadily for up to a week as this will create the foundation in which the roots can grow, after that this grass is pretty good in surviving with little water as it is great at retaining when it does get! The only preference that this grass has is that it is not well adapted to alkaline soils. Key Differences Between Fescue and St Augustine Grass, Characteristics, Growing Conditions, and Appearance. As this is a summer season grass, it ideally needs to be sown in the Springtime for it to flourish in the summer heat. That being said, Buffalo Grass leaves more room for weeds so if youre trying to replace a St Augustine lawn with Buffalo Grass, its best to remove St Augustine beforehand. This leads many people to wonder which grass types are better at keeping weeds at bay. It is not drought tolerant at all, needing twice as much water as Bermuda grass. Centipedegrass requires minimal fertilizer and generally does not require pesticides, as it is not prone to pests or disease. However, it will always come back in the springtime, as long as you take care of it. The tall fescue species is well-adapted to all types of soil and it can easily tolerate pH levels ranging from 5.0 to 7.0 with ease. Medium. RELATED: Tiftuf vs Sir Walter Grass. Types of Gardening Tools The Essential Guide to What You Need in Your Shed! New varieties are known as soft-leaf and include the popular Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo. To learn more, check out our complete guide to Buffalo Grass. Both centipede grass and St. Augustine grass are popular warm-season grass species that require full sunlight. Buffalo grass is a good choice for people who live in hot, dry climates. check out our complete guide to Buffalo Grass. St. Augustine is a perennial warm season grass found natively in South and North America as well as in the Caribbean, too. If you love Buffalo grass, youll be happy to know that there are many varieties. Newer Post . Watering The stolons are a dark reddish/brown colour and spread flat along the surface of the soil, as you can see clearly in the below video. link to Dormant Grass vs Dead Grass How to Tell the Difference & What to Do? I have a particular liking towards Bahia grass as I find that it has all the great aspects of St. Augustine and other warm-season grasses such as Zoysia plus more! Can Buffalo grass overtake it? If you shop through the links on YardThyme, we may earn an affiliate's commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Both grass types thrive in warmer regions of the U.S., so if youre wondering which one is best for your lawn, heres everything you need to know to help you decide. Bahia grass is relatively low maintenance with the lowest rate of disease and pest issues compared to other warm season grasses. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When not working on his own garden projects or blogging, Steve enjoys spending time with his family, cooking meals with produce harvested from his garden, and coaching his sons footy team. Tall fescue is a different species altogether, and weve not included it in this particular article. Most of us love long hot summers, where we can get our vitamin D fix, and enjoy barbecue and pool season to the max.I wish I could say the same for our lawns.Blazing sun, coupled with little Dormant Grass vs Dead Grass How to Tell the Difference & What to Do? This grass only grows through stolons not rhizomes which can grow to be several feet long and root at the nodes. If youve ever walked barefoot across the grass in the South, theres a chance you walked over centipede grass. The downside is that St. Augustine grass does thrive better in shady areas and will wear down in areas that are heavily frequented by children or pets. St Augustine is also a salt-tolerant type of grass, which means that it can survive in salty conditions. Each variety of grass requires different mowing heights to perform and looks its best. While they both have a very similar look, some differences may give you an idea of which one will work best for your lawn. Follow along to keep your yard up to date! However, certain insects and diseases can also cause Buffalo grass to go dormant. If youre in an area with water restrictions, then Buffalo Grass could be your answer. Its also known to thrive in sandy soils which is convenient for sea-front locations. St. Augustine Grass can tolerate more shades or low light requirements than Bermuda grass. Best Lawn Care Tools for Beginners (What You Need and How to Use Them). Buffalo Grass vs St Augustine: What is Cheaper? Buffalo grass grows best in sandy soil while St Augustine prefers clay or loamy soil. Look for days when the temperature is consistently between 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit. However, Buffalo grass is generally better at preventing them from taking over. These stolons are thick as hardy which make it a great garden turn for those who want a grass that can sustain heavy foot traffic; however, the only downfall is that because it doesnt have the rhizomes for extra support, this grass may take longer to repair itself after damage. Two of the most popular lawn turf species, fescue grass vs St. Augustine has yielded no clear winner. Buffalograss: every 21-45 days Zoysia: every 7-10 days Bermuda: every 5-10 days St. Augustine: every 5 days Buffalograss is a beautiful and water-thrifty alternative to traditional landscaping turfs. This includes into your garden beds, over your driveway, and it may even invade your neighbours lawn. If you St. Augustine grass is stressed when mowed, it will lay over itself due to the height, and this will cause uneven mowing. If it stays green on very little water and thrives on very little fertilizer, then its likely Buffalo Grass. It gets its name from the fact that it was once an important food source for buffalos. As I said above, the soil type is not a massive factor that dictates the health of this grass as it is really great in a variety of habitats, on top of this, this lawn is pretty much self-sustaining in that it is very low maintenance: needing mowing once a week or even two weeks with a rotary mower if possible (read more about the best lawn mowers for your needs), and fertilization is only needed once a month in spring and summer, its peak growing period. Check out this article when fescue goes up against zoysia which is known as a more invasive grass species to really see a difference with temperament. When rains resume it will quickly green up. It has excellent resistance to both. The strength of this grass is very much due to the thick carpet it creates which helps the plant to absorb and retain water better, allowing it to perform great as a heat and drought resistant option for many homeowners. Native to North America, Buffalo Grass is uniquely adapted to handle everything that the tricky and unpredictable Transition Zone can throw at it. This is because it grows quickly and will need to be mowed more often. 8 Plants That Look Just Like Queen Annes Lace, 6 Fascinating Plants that Look Like Elderberry. You can tell the difference between Buffalo and Kikuyu grass by their appearance: Also, if you dig up Kikuyu turf, you may be able to identify the under-ground rhizomes, or runners, which arent present on Buffalo. Additionally, this kind of grass is a good choice for people who live near the ocean or in other hot, humid climates. Heres what you need to know about the great grass debate between buffalo grass vs St. Augustine grass. Transition Zone, Behaves Like Warm-Season. Email: St Augustine is plagued by pests and disease, many of which dont have effective controls. Heres how these grass varieties compare to each other. If you hear that Buffalo Grass needs more water than Bermuda, then theyre actually referring to St Augustine. As for appearance, theyre recognizable for their fine, hair-like aesthetic, with thin blades that are no more than 1/16-inch or less and that taper into a pronounced tip. Different Types of Lawn Mowers Which One is Right for You? St. Augustine Grass, Centipede Grass / By Joe Bethel. Most visually attractive: Centipede grass. We are a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Visit almost any home along the Gulf Coast in the US, and theres a strong chance the yard will be rocking St. Augustine grass. Buffalo grass is a low-maintenance type of grass while St Augustine requires a bit more care and attention. So, if youre trying to decide which one is best for your lawn, its important to take the time to learn about the key differences between these two options. It is a good choice for people who live in warm climates, as it can survive in hot weather. This guide will cover all the ins and outs of common Buffalo grass identification. drought tolerance, low maintenance, aesthetically pleasing, etc.). Buffalo is also more shade tolerant than Kikuyu. As with all lawns, your best defense against weeds is to use good management techniques to encourage a healthy lawn. With a name like Buffalo Grass, you might expect this grass to be especially rough underfoot. Phone: Can you mix Fescue and St Augustine grass? No longer is Buffalo grass sharp and scratchy, but it has been altered to no be much less problematic for allergy sufferers. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Types of Weed Killers How to Choose the Right One. And you can check out this excellent, in-depth video for more information on how best to care for St. Augustine grass. In order to speed up the process, you can take some steps to encourage the growth of Buffalo grass. I write about everything about indoor and outdoor gardening and the dread-it-but-still-need-to-do-it chores around the yard, like cleaning out the gutter guards. That means It needs a whole day of sunlight. The best way to make a decision is to consider your climate, soil type, watering needs, and maintenance requirements. However, in some cases, the blades of the grass may turn brown and die off during the winter months. You can feel free to wait until the grass reaches up to 4 1/2 inches before giving it a trim, and whatever you do dont cut it down any lower than 2 1/2 inches. Catering to a lawn that has mixed needs is going to be a real challenge. Its a soft grass, which makes it enjoyable as a tactile, roll-around option, ideal in areas where children (and adults) like to play. And if youre not sure what time of machine to use, might I suggest you take a look at this article on the different types of lawnmower that are available today? It is considered one of the most shade-tolerant grasses of St Augustine's grasses. And you must always be keeping an eye out for disease, pests, and bugs. St. Augustine will need the application of a suitable fertilizer, and if the soil has a higher pH, then iron supplements might need to be applied. . St Augustine prefers full sun but can tolerate part shade, so long as it gets about 4 hours of sun per day. St. Augustine grass can withstand drought conditions for up to six weeks before it begins to die, making it better for conserving water compared to centipede grass, which tends to die after two to three weeks without water. Regardless, youll need the right equipment to cater for any lawn, and you should take a look at this article on the best lawn-care tools to get started. (Answered!). Buffalo Grass establishes it slowly, taking 14 to 30 days to germinate from seed and then up to 3 years to establish itself fully as a lawn. However, there are some key differences between these two grasses: Buffalo grass generally has a relatively brighter green color with wide blades. Once in place, it establishes itself quickly. In addition to this, St Augustine will not survive in alkaline soil while Buffalo grass can tolerate slightly alkaline conditions. Hi! Buffalo grass is well-suited to grow in a variety of soil types and can thrive in a range of climates, including hot and dry regions. In the United States, Buffalo grass is called St Augustine. In fact, theyre both so popular that people often wonder which one they should choose as their lawn of choice. Centipedegrass does not have a dormant season, so it will stay a bright, yellow-green year-round. This grass has a dormant season when soil temperatures dip below 55 degrees, turning it yellowish and patchy in appearance. Will Buffalo Grass Overtake A St Augustine Lawn? 1. St Augustine thrives in the sandy soils that Buffalo Grass struggles in and prefers acidic soils to match. St Augustine is a full-fledged warm-season grass that can only thrive in subtropical areas (USDA Zone 9 and 10). If there are any weeds growing in between patches of dead Buffalo Grass then pull them out as soon as possible using some gloves. The Big Freeze! (Answered!). However, it will dominate if its optimum conditions are met, while other grasses needs arent being fulfilled but the same can be said for almost all grass types. It thrives in the heat, requiring six or more hours of full sun. St. Augustine grass thrives in full sun and shade, making it suitable for yards with varying levels of sunlight. Centipede grass is a popular southeast grass that needs plenty of sunlight. If left to grow, centipede grass will top out at 4 to 5". Spikes in nitrogen levels from synthetic fertilizers will exacerbate thatch problems and decrease its resistance to pests and disease as it destroys the beneficial microbes in the soil that would otherwise help keep your grass healthy. Whatever you need, theres another grass that can handle your yards conditions better. Floratam St. Augustine Grass. link to Signs of Lawn Heat Stress & How to Treat It? Theyre both so similar in terms of usefulness that deciding is definitely difficult, but youll have to consider the pros and cons of each to decide what you like best. This grass species is excellent for coastal regions with high humidity, mild winters, and salty skies. St Augustine started out as highly popular in Florida and the Gulf coastline, but is falling out of favor because of its high maintenance and low resistance to insects and disease. Lawn-care experts Scotts offer some practical advice on how best to plant St. Augustine. Check for weeds. However, St Augustine is also more tolerant of being mowed short, so you wont have to mow it as high as Buffalo grass. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Buffalo grass and St. Augustine grass are both types of warm-season grasses, meaning that they are well-suited to areas with hot, humid climates. Once it has taken hold, you can cut that right back and let nature do her thing. A warm and humid atmosphere near coastal regions is favorable for St Augustine grass. These grasses are a popular choice for a reason: they are definitely not fussy! Mowing height: 3 to 4 inches. These blades contain seed-heads that drop and propagate themselves, causing this grass to have an invasive aspect if left unmaintained. They are, however, both very hardy turfs. 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