Are you confused about opt-in from the two elegant and the most popular grasses St. Augustine vs Zoysia?
Both have some tricky disparities and similarities that you have to know before deciding one. St. Augustine and Zoysia lawns are warm-seasonal and heat-tolerant grasses.
However, the main differences between the two lawns are cultivation cost, color variety, maintenance & care, shade-tolerance, drought-resistance, growing capacity, and more.
Compared to the Zoysia, St. Augustine grass is more attractive and easier & inexpensive to establish and maintain. On the other hand, Zoysia grass is more drought-resistant and has an excellent & smooth turf texture than St. Augustine.
Conclude more?
Go through our post. We focus on basic info to detail as well as a comparison table that supports finding a clear concept.
Basic Info on St. Augustine vs Zoysia
St. Augustine and Zoysia both are lovely, green, and warm-season lawns, we mentioned. Before going to the depth information, we share here fundamental info on St. Augustine vs. Zoysia.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine grass, one of the popular turfgrass, is also known as buffalo grass in Australia and South Africa. This grass is warm-seasonal and heat-tolerance so easy to maintain. It contains blue-green blades that are thick and quick growing. You need to apply medium to high maintenance for cultivating in subtropical and tropical regions.
The best time of cultivation is spring to summer when the temperature is eighty degrees to a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. St. Augustine plugs need to grow up in full daylight.
To keep this lawn beautiful, you could mow from 2 ½ to 4 inches. Most of the homeowners love to stay on the St. Augustine grass just because of its blue-green outlook and straightforward maintenance.
Zoysia
Another awesome lawn is Zoysia grass able to tolerate drought, heat, gigantic foot traffic, and other challenges. Just providing low maintenance, water, and take-care, this turfgrass can become more gorgeous and lush-green. Remember, the surrounding weather as well as environment is also important to grow it fast and quickly.
The Southern and transition zones are more suitable places to cultivate this lawn. Another exceptional thing, Zoysia is also eligible to withstand the cold temperature although it is the warm-season lawn. It requires enough sunlight for growing.
The Comparison Table of St. Augustine vs Zoysia
St. Augustine grasses and Zoysia turfgrasses have some major differences that make them homeowners like or reject options. The common variations are cost/price factors, the requirement for sunlight, tolerance to heat, disease, or drought.
At this moment, we present a quick comparison of St. Augustine vs Zoysia that helps you to get exact knowledge within a short moment.
| Definition | St. Augustine grass | Zoysia grass |
| Color comparison | Blue-green color | Greyish-green color |
| Texture | This grass retains a coarse turf texture | It has a smooth & fine turf texture |
| Maintenance & cost | It requires a low-maintenance and less cost to cultivate | Zoysia grass needs more maintenance as well as it is quite costly to establish. |
| Mowing height | The suitable mowing height is from two to four inches. | From .5 to two inches in height is good for this grass. |
| Shade tolerance | It can tolerate higher shade than the Zoysia. | Its shade tolerance ability is quite lower than St. Augustine. |
| Growth form | It is growing by stolons only. | It spreads by not only stolons but rhizomes. |
| Expected soil & soil pH | St. Augustine prefers loamy and sandy soil. It has a 5.0 to 8.5 soil pH rate. | Zoysia expects loamy, sandy, and clay soils. Its soil pH ratio is 5.8 to 7.0 percent. |
| Nitrogen inputs | Higher. | Lower. |
| Drought tolerance and drought resistance | Moderate drought tolerance and high drought resistance. | High drought tolerance and moderate drought resistance. |
| Blade width | St. Augustine grass has eight to nine mm widths of blade. | Zoysia has wider bladed five to seven mm and finer bladed two mm. |
The head-to-head Comparison to St. Augustine vs Zoysia
You already know the basic difference between the two beautiful types of grass St. Augustine and Zoysia. That is not enough to select the best one. This is because we accumulate here detailed information on St. Augustine vs Zoysia.
- Grass Color
The most critical thing is that St. Augustine grass and Zoysia grass can be different colors several times. Color is especially dependent on the grass type. St. Augustine grass can become blue-green and dark green during the growing season. Now, we present here several types of St. Augustine grasses colors:
- CitraBlue St. Augustine grass has a deep blue-green color during the active growing season.
- Palmetto St. Augustine grass has an Emerald green color while active.
- Raleigh St. Augustine grass has a medium green look at the active season.
- Floratam St. Augustine lawn also has a medium green color.
On the other side, Zoysia leaves can be light green, emerald green, or dark green that depends on the type of Zoysia grass. Now, see here in detail.
- Innovation Zoysia lawn becomes dark green during the active growing season.
- Empire Zoysia also has a dark green.
- Meyer Zoysia leaves are Emerald green in color.
- El Toro Zoysia lawn is dark green when healthy.
- And, Palisades Zoysia contains light green.
- Soil composition
St. Augustine grass refers to a coarse turf texture. It spreads by stolons only.
Zoysia lawn turf has fine and smooth composition. It contains both growths from stolons and rhizomes.
- Maintenance
St. Augustine requires low maintenance and less water than the Zoysia. You can apply natural fertilizer and mowing sometime in receiving the beautiful St. Augustine grass. But, it has got to inputs higher nitrogen. There is no problem if you are mowing this grass after two or three weeks.
Alternatively, Zoysia prefers to get further maintenance than others. You have to provide more fertilizers, frequent mowing, and water because it is extremely vulnerable & weak. Even it expects to mow at least once per week.
- Shade Tolerance
St. Augustine lawn is highly worthy of shade tolerance and can grow in a shaded place. But, enough sunlight is essential to growing healthy.
Contrary to the Zoysia lawns don’t mature in the shaded place. It dislikes shades.
- Cost or Price
St. Augustine plugs are less expensive than Zoysia. Even you don’t have to invest more to establish as well as cultivate. Homeowners can establish it loamy and sandy soil where soil’s pH rate has a 5.0 to 8.5.
Unlike, Zoysia plugs are quite valuable compared to other lawns. To cultivate properly, you have to consider a long process.
- Growing Process
Like other warm-season grasses, St. Augustine grows quickly and during early spring it can turn green. It has a width blade from eight to nine mm.
Contrary, Zoysia turns green and lush during late spring because it doesn’t grow as fast as St. Augustine grass. This grass keeps a five to seven mm wider blade and a two mm finer blade.
Conclusion
So, which is the perfect selection, it depends on your personal opinion. If you prefer to invest more, able to maintain high-maintenance for the greyish-green look, you can move through the luxurious Zoysia grass.
On the other hand, if you like to stay in blue-green and quick-growing grass by investing low-cost as well as little take-care, you can turn on St. Augustine.
Be sure you realize the difference between St. Augustine vs Zoysia.