What it is
A pallet of Raleigh St. Augustine sod (450 sq ft). The DFW shade-lawn standard. Coarse-bladed, soft, the right answer for yards with less than 4 hours of direct sun a day.
When Raleigh is the right pick
St. Augustine is the shade specialist:
- Under live oaks or in deep tree canopy. Bermuda can't survive there. Zoysia tolerates partial shade. St. Augustine handles real shade — 2-3 hours of direct sun is enough.
- North-facing yards that get filtered light most of the day.
- Between buildings in dense neighborhoods where sun is limited.
- Coastal-style residential design — St. Augustine's lush look fits Mediterranean and coastal palettes.
For sunny yards, Bermuda is more drought-tolerant and lower-maintenance. Don't install St. Augustine in full sun unless you're committed to higher water and fertilizer inputs.
Raleigh specifically
Three St. Augustine varieties we carry: Raleigh, Palmetto, CitraBlue. Raleigh's differentiator is cold-hardiness — survives the occasional DFW hard freeze better than the older Floratam varieties. This is why it's the DFW standard.
How much do I need
Standard 450 sq ft pallet, add 5-10% for trim:
| Lawn area | Pallets |
|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 3 |
| 2,500 sq ft | 6 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 12 |
Property measurement tool for exact counts.
Install
Same install pattern as other warm-season sods:
- Prep soil — 2 inches of Premium Soil Mix tilled in. St. Augustine needs better soil than Bermuda — it's less tolerant of compacted clay.
- Grade smooth.
- Water prepped soil.
- Lay tight, brick-stagger.
- Roll.
- Water deeply — first day soak through. Then daily for 14-17 days.
Establishment takes 3-4 weeks.
Care
- Mow height: 3-4 inches (much higher than Bermuda)
- Frequency: every 7-10 days
- Fertilizer: 21-7-14 spring and fall — at lighter rate than Bermuda (St. Augustine prefers lower nitrogen)
- Water: more frequent and deeper than Bermuda or Zoysia. St. Augustine is the thirstiest of the warm-season sods.
Texas/DFW specific challenges
- Chinch bugs love St. Augustine. Inspect monthly in summer. Brown patches that spread radially in hot weather are usually chinch bug damage.
- Brown patch fungal disease appears in fall after temps drop and humidity rises. Treat with a turf fungicide if it shows up.
- Hard freezes can kill un-watered St. Augustine. Water lightly before a freeze.
Buying tips
- Don't install in mid-summer unless you can water daily. April-May and September-October are the safe install windows.
- Pair with Premium Soil Mix — 2-inch tilled-in prep makes a real difference.
- Order Wednesday for weekend delivery.
Contractor notes
Net-wrapped pallets. Driveway-only delivery. Pre-order by 5 days for big jobs.