It takes at least an entire first year before sod is equipped to defend itself against heat. But even then, it will need some additional water. At 6 weeks from laying, it is still an "infant." Search Google for each variety or comparisons between varieties. Several websites will lay out the advantages and disadvantages to each.

I wouldn't consider anything but ProVista. Great for full sun, tolerates partial shade. Less mowing. Glyphosate tolerant so you can cheaply control weeds, including the ever creeping wild Bermuda.

Thanks. I do feel like the heat got a hold of it. The existing grass was not impacted. I am going to lay new sod about a month earlier to give it more time and am adjusting sprinklers so it can get more water until it takes

Two question. First, what kind of water schedule do you recommend? Sod will be put down end of February. I live in Orlando, FL

second, what do you mean by tapering down?

When sod is first installed, it must be watered two, three or four times a day. A week or two later it will be once a day. A month later it might be every other day ... all of this being dependent on the weather. That is a typical schedule that tapers down over time.

The nursery where I buy my sod has told me to look at the blades. If they are open no or not much water is needed. Thoughts on that when cons a water schedule?

"Thoughts on that when cons a water schedule?"

It's another guide, if you can read it properly. Most will tell you X times per day, as people do not have to figure anything out.

Got it. A nursery suggested Palmetto or Seville but they like Palmetto. I have never put that down

I do not know the differences. You have to explore several websites that explain the good and bad of the different varieties, and compare notes between them in order to weigh what would work best for your situation. With a good amount of sun, likely several varieties would work well for you.

Floratam will do very well in full sun. It does passably in full shade, but appears thin compared to the incredible density in full sun. Mine has been dormant for 2 months and it's still very dense. I would fill the sunny areas with flats of Floratam and fill the shady areas with flats of something else. Then let the two grasses compete for territory. It's going to look fine unless you pick a dwarf variety.

Heat is not your problem. I have a buddy in Phoenix who is very successful growing his St Augustine in 110+ degree heat in the summer. Here's how you should be watering it - and I know every sprinkler company in FL will disagree with this.

Deep and infrequent is the watering mantra. This is only for established turf. Deep means 1 inch all at one time. Infrequent depends on several factors, but daily high temperature is the dominating factor. More on other factors after this.

High temps below 70, deep water once per month. High temps between 70 and 80, water once every 3 weeks. High temps between 80 and 90, deep water once every 2 weeks. High temps between 90 and 100, deep water once per week. High temps from 100 to 110, water once every 5 days. High temps from 110 to 120, water once every 3,4 days. Notice that you NEVER, EVER water every day.

Other factors bearing on frequency are rain, clouds, wind, humidity, grass type, and soil type. If you get a decent rain for several days, you might not need to water for a month even with temps in the 90s. In your summer humidity, I would be very careful about watering more than once every 2 weeks.

I should have addressed the new sod watering issue. With new sod all you need to do is keep the soil under the sod moist. Moist means not dry and not soggy. If you have normal sprinklers that likely means you'll need to water for 5 to 10 minutes, three times per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Do that for about 2 weeks and then try to lift a piece of sod up away from the soil. If it seems to be rooted, that's perfect. If not continue the shallow frequent watering. Assuming it has knit down to the ground, then it is time to back off on the frequency and go up on the duration of watering. With such shallow roots you cannot do deep and infrequent watering yet. I would go to 30 minutes once a day to get the water penetrating deeper. If it ever seems soggy, then delay watering a day or two until it does not seem soggy. Every couple of weeks you can adjust back on the frequency and up on the duration. My oscillator sprinkler takes 8 full hours to apply 1 inch of water, so there is a lot of flexibility in making these adjustments. For St Augustine I would think you could be doing deep and infrequent by this summer.

Thank you. One more question. I live in Florida and the weather is great right now. I was planning on laying my Saint Augustine next weekend but the lows will be around 40 for a couple nights. Will that be a problem for the new sod? if I do put it down should I water it in the evening to keep it wet during the night?

New sod doesn't need to be soggy, but it should not dry out at any time. So whatever it takes. Frequent, light waterings are the ticket. The 40* temps are not going to hurt it. If we get a frost it usually comes about now, and I don't see anything in the next 10 days where a frost is predicted. Usually, by March 1, we are in the clear.

Thanks. It looks like after the low of 41 the temps go back up. Will floratam do ok with 4 to 5 hours of full sun?

I would not recommend watering too late in the day for any kind of sod in any location. Late day watering - without sufficient time for the water to dry from the foliage/grass blades before the sun sets - is a recipe for fungal issues. Maybe not so much at very low temps but certainly as things start to warm up.

Do research on Floratam on any number of websites. I'm not an expert on personalities of the various grass cultivars.

The early establishment period is not a long enough time to worry about fungus. If new sod is in danger of drying during the night, it must be watered regardless of time of day. If it's not in danger, then it can be watered in the morning. A couple days of observation will tell you what to do. Either way, not of much concern. Once it's established, I agree, it's better to enter night with dry blades. But then the dew will come anyway and it will be quite wet by morning. Most people with irrigation water established grass sometime in the wee hours of the morning.

Kinda like grass seed. Fungus...going dry and dying... Going dry is far worse of a risk and the time period where it's going to be wet isn't very long anyway.

You can always treat a fungus should you get one, just keep an eye out. But if it goes dry and dies, you'll have to replace it.

Honestly, observation indicates that watering fungus warnings are vastly overrated over the short-term. I wouldn't make a habit of it, but for a week or two, no biggie.

Floratam likes as much sun as you can give it. I grew it poorly in 0 hours of direct sunlight under a big live oak tree. I wouldn't recommend it for that location. In full sun all day, it's a beast. It will easily outgrow any blade-base fungal infection. That means it will survive, but it won't be pretty. I should take some pictures next time I see that. Even under the shade it survived (ugly) with disease.

Normally I suggest watering at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time. If your area I would check it at dinner time to see if the underlying soil is dry. If it is not dry, I would water only twice a day. If you happen to get a period of arid air blowing in from the north or northwest, you might need to water evenings, too. Once it is established and knit to the soil, about 2 weeks, then you can start to move to deep and infrequent watering. It will tell you if it is dry. If the blades fold together like praying hands, then it defs needs water. Water a full inch and get that started.

Would you consider your soil to be sandy or more solid than sand?

I don’t think the soil is too sandy. I have areas that get 4 hours of sunlight, some filtered. Trying to decide if I want to go with Floratam

4 hours is a bottom line minimum for a plant that likes sun.

You can always mix and match. If Floratam dominates the alternate varieties, fine. If the others dominate, fine.

Just for curiosity sake, I know a frost isn’t predicted over the next several days but if we were to get one should I water the grass at night before going to bed?

Only if it's dry. It's certainly optimal not to allow the grass blades to stay consistently wet, but it's absolutely critical that the sod stay moist for the first few weeks until it roots solidly (then back off watering slowly to give the roots time to adjust and grow in).

So in a balance between the two, if the sod is dry, it must be watered regardless of the time of day. If moist, water at another time and try to go into the night-time period with dry blades. But realize you're going to end up with dew in all likelihood anyway and, frankly, a lot of the ballyhoo about wet grass is mostly applicable to very hot weather and consistently watering at night. Which you clearly have no plans to do. :-)

I'll tell you a secret. You know, just between us here on the Internet, nobody else will see. :-) I water at night because the Sun is down, the winds are low to zero, and evaporation is near-zero. But since I'm only watering every fifteen days--absolute maximum (I actually watered exactly once in 2019)--I'm risking exactly nothing in terms of fungal disease on my lawn.

It simply doesn't happen often enough to matter and I've established deep enough roots for my lawn to take care of itself (bluegrass, in Pennsylvania, a very different prospect to yours).

It's not the fact of doing so that matters. It's the frequency.

thanks. I guess I meant if a frost is coming when I lay the sod would watering the night of the frost protect the newly laid sod?

Not necessarily. Southern grasses should really be laid after all threat of frost is gone.

But sometimes s...things happen.

For small patches, cover it. Plastic isn't the best (it doesn't insulate at all without dead air space so where the plastic touches will burn). Paper is much better. But whatever you use, it should be removed promptly when the sun rises and temperatures rise back over about forty.

It's possible to weave some frost protection using water but...touchy. And I wouldn't do that on new St. Aug. It's better to wait if at all possible.

I say watering would protect the sod so long as you can water all of it that you put down. But that's a pain, even if you can do it. Here we are in the last week of February and weather report is calling for upper 30's where I am. Just wait a week an you'll be good to go.

Supposed to be low of 41 here and probably only for an hour or two right before sunrise. i am up by then and can water the small area. I can’t do it next week

41 should be fine regardless, but water. 36, still OK. 34...touchy. Frost forming...bad. Temperatures dropping below 32 even if you water...very problematic.

That seems unlikely, but could happen in dead still air in a cold microclime--like at the bottom of a north-facing hill or something. It's improbable you have that condition and you'd probably know it if you did, in other words. :-)

"Temperatures dropping below 32 even if you water...very problematic." Not sure why you're saying that. Watering, while air is below freezing, is how our farmers save thousands of acres of strawberry fields. It's very effective. Water coming out of the ground is 25* warmer.

'Cause I've watched plenty of frost-sensitive plants singe in those conditions, which is to be expected. Constant or regular watering through the night is great. Watering once at darkfall and expecting it to hold temperatures on greenery for twelve or more hours is a recipe for disappointment as temperatures plunge on sensitive plants.

There's a limit as to how much frost protection one watering can weave. Now if he can set a timer and spritz it once an hour with fifty degree water, I'll change my statement. Otherwise, not sure why you're setting unrealistic expectations on a single watering.

No one is talking about a single watering. To save crops/plants we water all through the freezing temps.

I didn't see him talking about being up all night, but rather specifically being "up by then" to water the small area. So that would have been my logical interpretation of his actual statement.

If yours is different, that's very nice, then, isn't it. Have a lovely evening.