Culture Shock

St Augustien Grass 6" Canopy Height

Turf culture is the set of practices used to cultivate turf for the desired purpose – i.e. a front lawn, golf course, etc. Different areas of the United States "culture" different turf species. And each turf species has very unique "cultures" required to thrive.

The most widely used turf grasses throughout the United States are Bermuda grass, Fescues, Bluegrass or Rye grasses. Their culture requires mowing at less than 2" and is most often mowed at 1". Bermuda grass has a maximum mow height of ¾"!

St Augustine grass is a turf type grass that is used in a very small area of the United States – the warmer Gulf Coast areas and parts of the Florida East Coast. That's it! St Augustine is a minority – a cultural minority!

But from the cultural "majority" comes the cultural belief that lawns must be mowed at 2" or less to be a lawn.

Here is the Shocker: St Augustine grass REQUIRES a mowing height of 4" or higher to thrive! Twice as high as most other grasses – 2x – 200% - doubled! To most people it is shockingly high!

That's "culture shock"! To a vast majority of people who buy and try to maintain a home lawn in Pinellas County, they are shocked to hear they mow their lawns to low – they simply cannot imagine mowing their lawn at 4"!

Having seen, walked and treated millions of square feet of St Augustine grass under every type of soil and cultural condition, St Augustine grass that is mowed at 4" or higher ALWAYS looks better. To thrive, St Augustine must be mowed at 4" or above!

Get over the cultural shock and get the mowing height up!