Tools for your St. Augustine lawn
Measure your yard, check soil temperatures, and do the math on product and water. These free tools are the same ones we use.
My lawn plan
A 12-month plan sized to your yard.
Build itLawn diagnosis quiz
Four questions to the most likely cause.
Take the quizFridge calendar
The whole year on one printable page.
Print itQuick calculators
Start with your lawn's square footage. If you don't know it, measure it in Google Earth first.
How many bags do I need?
For any granular product. The coverage is printed on the bag.
How much fertilizer for a target nitrogen rate?
The first number on the bag is the % nitrogen. Use the rate on the label.
How long should each zone run?
From your tuna can test: how much water landed in how many minutes.
Product label first
These calculators do the math, not the decision. Always use the rate and spreader setting on the product's label, and check that the label lists St. Augustine. Find any label in seconds with Greenbook.
Measure your yard with Google Earth
Knowing your lawn's square footage is what makes every product decision easy: how many bags to buy, how much to spread, and whether a deal is actually a deal. Google Earth can measure it from a satellite view in a couple of minutes.
- Open Google Earth on the web in a desktop browser (or use the Google Earth app on your phone) and search your address.
- Zoom in until you can clearly see the edges of your lawn, then choose the Measure tool (the ruler icon).
- Click around the edge of one lawn area, point by point, and finish on your starting point to close the shape. The area appears in the measure panel.
- Switch the units to square feet. Measure the front, back, and side yards separately and add them up.
- Leave out beds, the driveway, the house, and patios. You only spread on grass.
Google's step-by-step help: Measure distances and areas in Google Earth.
Soil temperature
Weeds and fungus follow soil temperature, not the calendar. Checking it tells you whether to apply pre-emergent or fungicide a little early or a little late this year.
Soil temperature maps
Look up average soil temperature for your ZIP code, built for turf professionals.
Soil temp by ZIP
Current soil temperature, a 5-day average, and the recent trend, with pre-emergent targets alongside.
Watering and drought
Take the guesswork out of the sprinkler timer.
WaterMyYard
Free weekly texts or emails telling you how long to run your sprinklers, based on local weather stations. Available in parts of Texas, including the Houston area.
Drought conditions
The weekly national drought map. Helpful for knowing when watering restrictions may be coming.
Soil testing
Don't guess what your lawn needs. A soil test shows pH and nutrient levels so you only buy what's missing. New to it? Read how to soil test your lawn.
Soil, Water and Forage Testing Lab
A university lab that tests mailed-in soil samples. Follow their sampling instructions, fill out the submittal form, and mail it in.
St. Augustine lawn management
Extension research and recommendations for St. Augustine lawns, a solid second opinion on anything you read online.
Weather and frost dates
Time applications around rain and know roughly when your lawn will go dormant and wake up.
Local forecast
Check rain chances before you put down anything that needs watering in, or that shouldn't get rained on.
Frost dates by ZIP
Average first and last frost dates for your area, a good guide for when St. Augustine goes dormant and greens up.
Product labels
The label decides the rate, the timing, and whether a product is safe on St. Augustine.
Label and safety sheet search
Search any lawn chemical by name to pull up its full label, including the list of grasses it's safe on.
Safe weed killers for St. Augustine
Which herbicides St. Augustine tolerates and which ingredients to watch out for.
Know when it's time to act.
Get a quick email before each key window: pre-emergent, fungicide, fertilizer, and watering changes. Subscribers also get the printable Turf Method calendar.
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