Best St. Augustine Variety for Shade (San Antonio, Pleasanton: new home, buying, live in)

[wellguy]

Good Afternoon,

I'm certain there have been countless threads / posts concerning St. Augustine Grass.

We live in San Antonio and both the front and backyards are St. Augustine. I was told that the most common developer St. Augustine is Raleigh, so I assume that's what we have. Our home was built 10 years ago and everything is growing well with the exception of several areas of grass in the front yard which are under a medium sized Red Oak. I did have it thinned a couple of years ago and maybe its that time again. Under the canopy I am noticing a slow progression of thinning grass. I have read until I'm blue in the face and now I extremely confused. To my knowledge Palmetto is a more shade tolerant St Augustine but others say that Floratam and Bitter Blue are more tolerant.

Can anyone answer my question as to which is more shade tolerant?

How do you keep your St Augustine so thick and lush in the shade?

If I end up buying another variety it will have to be plugs. Do I have to use a Grass Plugging Tool?

Thank you Very Much

[rwr]

I have Floratam, it does very well in the shade. The trick is to keep your trees trimmed so some filtered light gets through. Only drawback I have found is that I have to mow it weekly from May thru August. Make sure and treat for chinch bugs and grubs twice a year and fertilize twice a year. I have sandy loam soil here in Pleasanton, but I hear it does well in S.A. also. God Bless

[wellguy]

Originally Posted by rwr

I have Floratam, it does very well in the shade. The trick is to keep your trees trimmed so some filtered light gets through. Only drawback I have found is that I have to mow it weekly from May thru August. Make sure and treat for chinch bugs and grubs twice a year and fertilize twice a year. I have sandy loam soil here in Pleasanton, but I hear it does well in S.A. also. God Bless

God Morning rwr,

Thank you so much for the information. I tend to read so much that I become confused. Why not ask folks who have the information such as yourself ?

I will do my best to get my hands on several pieces of Floratam. Have you ever planted St Augustine as a plug? I have in the past, well 20 years ago. We cut pieces up into fours and placed them throughout or back yard at another home. I can't tell you what variety it was but the back yard was extremely thick and green.

Again I Thank You.

[rwr]

I planted the old garden variety of St. Augustine by checkerboard method at my first house and it filled in in about 2 seasons. I planted Floratam solid at our new home and had instant yard, but I would imagine you could piece it. For a wealth of inf. go to aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. Have a great evening and God Bless.