Proper soil preparation for St Augustine sod is the most influential factor on establishing a St Augustine lawn. It’s a process involving several steps that, if undertaken correctly, make maintaining a lush and healthy lawn considerably easier.

The first step involves soil testing. Possibly the easiest way to do this, would be to dig a small hole in each area of your garden in which you intend to plant, take a small sample of soil from each and mix the samples together in a bucket. This creates an “average” soil sample from your garden.

The soil can then be tested at a garden centre, or by using a DIY soil-testing kit. The results can uncover a number of different problems – each requiring different remedies - including high or low levels of potassium, pH, phosphorous, nitrogen and drainage. These problems are usually fairly easy to remedy by adding ingredients such lime, sulfur or bonemeal to the soil.

Once any problems with your soil have been dealt with, it’s time to get rid of any weeds. to provide a clean planting site. You can then add any fill or topsoil before you plant the sod. You can incorporate fertilizer now, or wait until the new turf has started rooting to the soil. The choice of what fertilizer to use should be based on the results of your soil test.St Augustine Sod

Before planting, it’s important to make sure that the soil is smooth, graded and well-plowed. Also be sure to rid the planting area of sticks, leaves and stones, as they can all hinder the sod from becoming properly rooted. Finally, just prior to laying the sod, lightly water the soil. This prevents the sod from drying out while being installed.

With correct irrigation, your lawn should thrive – but it’s something that all starts with proper soil preparation for St Augustine sod.