Floratam St. Augustine

 

Flortam St. Augustine grass was developed in 1972 in order to fight against the SAD virus (also known as the St. Augustine Decline virus) and chinch bugs.  The virus and bugs both cause noticeable patches to the grass which can be unsightly on your lawn.  The former causes uniform brown circular patches, while chinch bugs are known to spread haphazardly through the grass, leaving behind a wake of yellowed to straw colored grass.  It received its name in tribute to its founders, the Florida and Texas Agricultural Experiment stations.  Although the grass has become more susceptible to chinch bugs through the decades, it still holds enough good qualities to remain a top contender for St. Augustine grass.

 

It is a vigorous growing grass, with longer and thicker blades than other St. Augustine grasses, as well as a richer color.  While up close the blades sometimes appear to be coarser in texture, it can give an overall image of a healthy, plush looking lawn.  It is most popular for home lawns as well as pastures in more rural areas.  Floratam does best in sunny areas, as it requires at least six hours of sunlight a day to grow at its optimum rate.  When it is being established in a new area, it is important to mow the grass every two weeks with a three inch height of cut, and to water it on a regular basis.  Once it has been established, though, it can be maintained at a height of two inches, and only needs water when it looks like it is wilting, which is not often as it is known to be very resistant to drought weather.  Throughout steady terms with lack of water, Florotam can hold its color and has a high recovery percentage, making it extremely tolerant to droughts.