With that, I've never had an issue with my St Aug. I just use stuff from Home depot or Lowes No need to worry about over-watering during the first few days. You need to keep the soil underneath nice and wet.
You probably gave it exactly what it needs. When I put down pieces of sod, I water twice a day for a week, then once a day for a week, then once weekly as apart of regular lawn irrigation, unless it is showing signs of stress.
If you sodded your entire lawn, that much water can be expensive, so you can get away with watering 3 times a week again only for entire lawns. If its small enough to hand water with a hose, I stick with first routine. You are correct that all the watering will wash away the fertilizer. Good move to fert after about a month. I would assume it's okay for Saint Aug. I know you are new to the forum. This is just so that others reading the thread can be informed. This goes against intuition because farmers do it all the time.
However tilling the soil introduces air pockets and uneven layers into the ground. There is no way to control how deep you till the soil. Some layers may be 5 inches deep. Other inches deep. However settling will occur. It might not be this season but next season. When the soil starts to settle it will settle uneven. The 8 inches of tilling may settle into a valley and the 5 inches of tilling may not settle any.
Resulting in bumps and grooves. Harley Rakes are what is recommended because it produces a consistent depth when disturbing the soil. Again it goes against intuition because farmers use it all the time. It is very difficult unless you purchase very high end compost to Not have compost at various stages of decomposition.
So everything is smooth now but 2 months from now in the heat of decomposition you will have areas the breakdown quickly resulting in a valley and area with a lot of wood scraps may break down more slowly resulting in a hill.
Again over time this can lead to an uneven bumpy lawn. Also was the compost pile smoking or hot before you added it to you yard? Thus it could produce heat an actually kill the sod. Wood chips have actually been known to set houses on fire because they get so hot during decomposition depending on how much and how deep layer of compost was used Lastly when wood scraps decompose it can use up nitrogen from the surrounding area robbing your grass of nitrogen.
With all this said you have St Augustine Grass so you are not going to mow it very low like you can do with Bermuda. Release the pressure on the soil ball, and poke it gently with one finger. If the ball breaks and crumbles, then the soil is ready to be tilled, notes Bay Weekly.
If the soil ball holds its shape, then the soil is too wet for effective tilling. The soil is too dry if you can't make it form a ball when you squeeze it. Tilling with a rototiller isn't the only way to loosen soil and prepare it for planting. Although it's best to avoid working with wet soil when possible, disturbing a wet area with a hoe, spade or trowel is best when the area must be disturbed.
When adding plants to your flowerbed, for example, dig a hole for each plant, and turn the soil in just those areas to incorporate fertilizer or compost. Fertility — contstant rainfall can leach fertility from soil making it unavailable to the plants. Cover your plants with overturned pots, bowls, buckets, or other appropriately-sized containers to keep them from suffering wind and rain damage.
Be sure to weigh down the coverings in order to hold them in place—rocks, cement blocks, and bricks will work just fine.
You do not have to till your garden when your soil is covered. Tilling was needed every spring, and some gardeners also tilled in the fall. Mulch is also needed every year, or at least in the first few years.
When the garden matures you might be able to skip a year, just see how the soil is. Using a rototiller in the garden can make the soil light and easy to plant, break up tough root systems and move plant material into the soil.
Rototilling every year can actually cause damage to the garden by increasing erosion, removing nutrients from the soil and disrupting organisms that are needed for soil health. The beauty of the no-till gardening method is that unlike tilling, dormant weed seeds are covered deeper and deeper as you continue to add a new layer or two of organic matter every year.
One of the best benefits of no-till soil is the sponginess that is created over time for plant roots to grow and thrive. Winter has passed, and now it's finally time for you to get back to your garden. But before you start to plant, your soil may need some TLC to get back to prime condition, as plants need an extra boost of nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorous, to recover from winter. Tilling is one simple garden chore that can add these nutrients and loosen the soil to promote healthy plant growth.
Cultivating on an annual or semi-annual basis not only eliminates weeds, it also loosens and aerates the soil for better moisture absorption and faster plant growth. You should always check the state of your soil before tilling. Avoid tilling in wet soil as soil compaction can occur and lead to poor root penetration in the growing season.
If it rains, it's best to wait a few days to allow soil to become semi-dry. To determine if soil is in working condition, simply pick up a ball of soil; if it falls apart in your hand when you poke it, then it is dry enough to be tilled. If it stays together in a ball, then it is too wet and needs more time to dry.
Once you've completed an initial tilling of the area, it can be beneficial to water the area and let the newly worked soil set for a day or two before making a final, deep tilling pass. This ensures a well aerated bed for planting. Tilling soil is an important step in the gardening process.
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