When to fertilize St. Augustinegrass in South Carolina?
By LawnYear editorial team · Published · Updated Windows are read from the extension publications listed under Sources; the dates are approximate.
The answer
The fertilizing window for St. Augustinegrass in South Carolina is May 1 to May 31, per Clemson Cooperative Extension (Home & Garden Information Center), 2018. 1/2 to 1 lb N per 1,000 sq ft in early May after the lawn fully greens up (whole month shown). Do not apply nitrogen from January to April or from September to December. Dates are for South Carolina as a whole; coastal and central areas run earlier than the piedmont and mountains.
Full calendar: South Carolina lawn care calendar · St. Augustinegrass in other states · Lawn schedule by ZIP
Approximate dates for your state. Check with your local cooperative extension office before you act.
All South Carolina windows for St. Augustinegrass
The South Carolina calendar on this site lists fertilizing May 1 to May 31, weed control Feb 15 to Mar 31 and Sep 1 to Sep 30, mowing May 1 to Aug 31 at 2.5 to 4 in and watering May 1 to Aug 31 for St. Augustinegrass.
Where the dates come from
Clemson Cooperative Extension (Home & Garden Information Center): HGIC 1218, St. Augustinegrass Yearly Maintenance Program (revised 2018). Read on 2026-10-29.
What to check for South Carolina
The fertilizing dates for St. Augustinegrass above (May 1 to May 31) apply to South Carolina as a whole, so the north and south of the state are not told apart. Where the source names only a month, the window runs from the first to the last day of that month.
Other grasses in South Carolina
For bermudagrass, centipedegrass and zoysiagrass, the South Carolina calendar gives May 1 to May 31 for fertilizing.