Blade & Mow Height
Blade: Medium-wide blade, 7 to 9 mm
Mow: 3 to 4 inches
St. Augustine Sod Variety
Palmetto Sod in Louisiana
Palmetto is the shade champion of the St. Augustine family. Holds up under live oaks where Floratam thins out. The premium pick for older shaded streets in NOLA, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and the Northshore.
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What Is It?
Palmetto Sod Explained
Palmetto St. Augustine is a Sod Solutions branded cultivar released in 1989. It was bred for better shade tolerance and finer blade than the older Floratam standard, while keeping reasonable cold tolerance and disease resistance.
Best fit: shaded older yards across south Louisiana, especially under mature live oaks in the Garden District, Old Metairie, Bendel Gardens, and the historic streets of Old Hammond, Old Covington, and Old Donaldsonville. Palmetto stays green in 4 hours of direct sun where Floratam needs 6+.
Where Palmetto does not fit: deep alkaline clay with full sun and heavy traffic (Floratam holds up better there) or heavy chinch bug pressure (Floratam has better resistance). Palmetto is the right pick when shade is the constraint, not full sun.
At a Glance
Palmetto Specs
Quick-reference card. Blade, mow height, sun, shade, drought, traffic, salt, pH, and USDA zone.
Sun & Shade
Sun: 4+ hours of direct sun
Shade: Tolerates deep oak shade better than any St. Augustine
Drought & Traffic
Drought: Good, slightly better than Floratam
Traffic: Moderate, lighter than Empire Zoysia
USDA Zone
Zones 7-11 (handles cooler north LA winters)
Salt Tolerance
Low to moderate
Soil pH
5.0 to 8.0
Louisiana Fit
Where Palmetto Fits Best in Louisiana
Palmetto wins anywhere live oaks shade the lawn. It is the standard pick for the historic shaded streets across south Louisiana, and works as far north as the Capital Region and Northshore. The shade tolerance is the biggest advantage over Floratam, and the slightly cooler-tolerant genetics extend its range up to USDA Zone 7.
Common in: Garden District (NOLA), Uptown, Old Metairie, Bucktown, Bendel Gardens (Lafayette), Highland Road shaded blocks (Baton Rouge), Old Hammond, Old Covington, Old Donaldsonville, oak-lined streets in the Northshore
The LSU AgCenter turfgrass guide backs the regional fit data above. Send us your zip and we will tell you straight whether Palmetto fits your specific yard.
Pricing
Palmetto Sod Pricing & Pallet Coverage
Pallet Coverage
A standard pallet covers approximately 450 square feet, cut as 16x24 inch slabs (typical, varies slightly by farm). Most yards in Louisiana run 1 to 4 pallets.
Half Pallets
Half pallets available for small repairs and patch jobs (approximately 225 square feet). Minimum order applies for delivery, not pickup.
Contractor Pricing
Contractor and builder pricing kicks in at five or more pallets per order. NET 30 terms for qualified accounts. Recurring delivery scheduling for ongoing jobs.
Care Schedule
How to Care for Palmetto Sod
- Watering during establishment: Water twice a day for the first 10 days. Then daily for week 2. Established Palmetto needs about 1 inch per week. Shaded yards can tolerate slightly less water than full-sun lots.
- Mow height range: Maintain at 3 to 4 inches. Cut higher in shade to maximize photosynthesis. Sharp blades only. Weekly mowing in peak season.
- Fertilizer schedule: 3 applications per year is enough. Spring, early summer, fall. Shaded Palmetto needs less fertilizer than full-sun Floratam because the growth rate is slower. Iron-supplemented feeds keep the deep blue-green color.
- Pre-emergent timing: Apply in mid-February (south LA) or early March (north LA). Second application 8-10 weeks later. Less critical in dense shaded yards where weed pressure is lower.
Honest Comparison
Palmetto vs The Closest Alternatives
Two side-by-side reads so you can pick straight, not guess.
Palmetto vs. Floratam
Palmetto wins for shade and finer blade. Floratam wins for full-sun yards, chinch bug resistance, and lower price. Most south Louisiana yards run a mix: Palmetto in the shaded sections, Floratam in the sunnier sections. If shade is the constraint, Palmetto is the pick.
Palmetto vs. CitraBlue
Both handle shade better than Floratam. CitraBlue (newer, 2019 UF release) has slightly better drought tolerance and a distinctive blue-green color. Palmetto has decades of proven track record and broader supply. CitraBlue costs more per pallet. Either works for shaded south LA yards.
Common Questions
Palmetto Sod FAQ
Palmetto typically costs slightly more per pallet than Floratam because of the licensing premium and higher demand for shaded-yard installs. Contractor pricing kicks in at five or more pallets. Call for current pricing tied to your zip code.
Yes. Palmetto is the most shade-tolerant St. Augustine widely supplied in Louisiana. It holds up in 4 hours of filtered sun under mature live oaks where Floratam thins out. If your yard sees less than 3 hours of any sun (deep dense canopy), no St. Augustine will thrive long-term.
If your yard has shade, yes. The shade tolerance is the big advantage. If your yard is full sun and you need maximum chinch bug resistance, Floratam is the smarter pick at a lower price. Pay for Palmetto when shade is the deciding factor.
Palmetto extends to USDA Zone 7, which covers most of Louisiana including the northern parishes. It handles harder freezes than Floratam but not as well as Raleigh. For Caddo, Bossier, Ouachita, or Rapides Parish, Raleigh is the safer cold-tolerant pick.
Ready to Order Palmetto Sod?
Fresh Palmetto sod cut from our family of Louisiana sod farms and delivered direct to your driveway. Same-week delivery. Contractor pricing on volume.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 AM to 6 PM · Statewide delivery · Contractor pricing on volume