Lawn care by grass type
St. Augustine Lawn Care in Wilmington, NC
St. Augustine is the coarse, broad-bladed grass common near the coast. It handles shade better than the other warm-season grasses here, but chinch bugs and gray leaf spot love it, and it doesn't take hard winters well.
What St. Augustine is like
- The most shade-tolerant of our warm-season grasses.
- Coarse, wide blades and thick above-ground runners.
- Less cold-hardy than Bermuda or Zoysia.
- Many common weed killers damage it, so product choice matters.
Through the year
- Late winter
- Pre-emergent weed control with products labeled safe for St. Augustine.
- Spring
- Feeding after green-up.
- Summer
- Watch hot, sunny spots for chinch bugs and humid stretches for gray leaf spot.
- Fall
- No heavy late-season nitrogen. Large patch prevention as it cools.
What to watch for
- Chinch bugs: yellow, then brown patches that spread in hot, dry areas.
- Gray leaf spot in hot, humid weather.
- Large patch and take-all root rot.
How a GoGreen program helps
Every GoGreen program starts with an NC State soil test, so the fertilizer and lime your St. Augustine lawn gets match what your soil actually needs. Each visit is timed to how St. Augustine grows in our climate, with weed, disease and insect control built in.