St. Augustine is a popular choice among lawn owners because it feels like a thick carpet or cushion when you walk on it. On top of that, it has a deep blue-green color, which looks attractive and contributes to the aesthetics.
Not only that, people opt for St. Augustine as it is the best warm-season shade-tolerant grass and an ideal option for coastal regions, as it has high salt tolerance. Everything about St. Augustine is incredible, but when you try to mow, that’s where the real struggle starts.
You can’t mow St. Augustine grass with a low-powered mower. Mowing its thick blades is a tough job. We’re here to explain why it is difficult to mow St. Augustine grass and how to select the perfect mower for it.
The Real Challenges: Why a Normal Mower Struggles Mowing St. Augustine Grass
Wide and Coarse Blades
St. Augustine grass blades are unlike other common grasses. The blades are extremely thick and strong. They contain too much fiber, which gives the mower blades a hard time. At a glance, you can tell how thick and wide they are.
Therefore, it becomes difficult to cleanly cut the lawn. When a normal mower that does not have enough power and dull blades tries to mow St. Augustine grass, it rips and tears the blades instead of cutting them.
When the grass blades are badly cut, it increases the chances of suffering from diseases. The open wounds allow pathogens to enter, and it ruins your lawn.
The Stolon Growth and Higher Cut
St. Augustine grass grows and spreads through stolons. These are the above-ground runners that grow along the surface of the soil. Just because of these, St. Augustine can repair itself and fill the bare spots.
Usually, the stolons are thick and fleshy stems. They creep forward and form nodes from where the roots go into the ground, while the leaves are sent upward. They are quite woody and tough, which is why a low-powered mower can stop if it hits a thick stolon patch.
While mowing St. Augustine grass, it is necessary to ensure you cut above the stolons. You cannot cut them, as it will kill the grass patch.
You have to keep the mower at the best height, which is 3.5 to 4 inches. Many mowers can’t mow at this height. Thus, while selecting a mower for St. Augustine grass, you need to ensure its deck can be raised to that level.
Spongy Lawn
We already talked about how St. Augustine grass spreads through stolons. The above-ground runners, along with thatch, make the lawn a bit spongy. Thus, when you walk on it, it feels cushiony.
If you are using a heavy-weight mower, such as a zero-turn mower or lawn tractor, the tires will sink in. It will be difficult to mow the lawn. You will also get an uneven cut, but the worst part is that it will make the soil compact. If you continue to use a heavy lawn mower on St. Augustine grass, you will have to do more frequent lawn aeration.
Thus, you have to opt for a lightweight mower that does not compact the soil and evenly cuts the grass.
High Water Content
St. Augustine grass has a lot of water content in it. That’s one of the reasons the grass blades are heavy and sticky. Even if you ensure the grass is dry enough to cut, the moisture content will make the blades wet.
Thus, when you mow it, the grass clippings stick under the mower’s deck. Secondly, they clump together and sit on the lawn. They block the sunlight and create a damp environment, which is favorable for mold.
Therefore, whenever you mow St. Augustine grass, you need to bag the clippings. Otherwise, you need to create extremely thin and fine clippings that can easily go on the soil and serve as a fertilizer.
How the Navimow X4 Addresses Issues and Goes the Extra Mile
The Navimow X4 series is a powerful robot mower with advanced cutting technology that can mow St. Augustine grass with utmost perfection. It even performs better than most self-propelled and other engine/electric-powered mowers.
Powerful Cutting Motor
The Navimow X4 mowers are equipped with two powerful cutting motors. Both have a cutting disc, which makes it a dual-disc system mower. They offer a large cutting width of 17 inches, which makes lawn mowing faster.
These 180W motors are extremely powerful. They can cut thick, long, and dense grass effortlessly. They are perfect for St. Augustine grass, even if the lawn is overgrown and messy.
The discs have 0.04-inch-thick blades that can handle any grass type. The blades are sharp and strong enough to tackle tough grass. They finely cut the grass, which goes on the soil and acts as a fertilizer. You don’t have to worry about clipping clumps.
The problem with traditional mowers is that you need to sharpen the mower blades often to mow St. Augustine grass. However, the blades on X4 mowers last a long time, and then you can easily replace them at a minimal cost.
Smart Cutting Algorithm
The X4 mowers have the proprietary smart cutting algorithm. It makes the mower intelligent enough to understand if there is thick or thin grass. It can automatically detect and lift blades while cutting tough and tall grass.
The MowMentum™ technology is specially designed for the toughest grass. No matter whether it is thick, dense, or tall, it cuts your lawn without any hassle.
Adjustable Cutting Height
We have already discussed the optimal cutting height for St. Augustine grass. You can adjust the Navimow X4’s blade height from 0.75 to 4 inches. Which makes it a perfect option for St. Augustine grass.
It’s warm-season grass. So, in the summer season or active growth period, you can cut it 3.5 to 4 inches. Depending on different varieties, including the dwarf varieties, you can mow between 3 and 4 inches.
Even in the last winter, the mowing height can be around 3.5 to 4 inches. It is a safer option for the grass to handle frost. And for the first mowing of spring, you can mow the lawn a bit short, around 2.5 to 3 inches. Just make sure you don’t do scalping, as it is not good for St. Augustine.
Keep in mind that you should always follow the one-third rule. Never mow more than one-third of the grass, as it puts the grass under stress.
Adaptive Blade System
Another advantage of the X4 series is the adaptive blade system. Usually, when you mow using a normal mower, its blade is at a fixed position.
For a plain ground, it’s fine. But when there are bumps and uneven surfaces, you will get an uneven cut. That’s because if one wheel is in a dip, it will disturb the balance. In the worst case, there can be scraping. It is extremely harmful for St. Augustine, and we have already discussed that if its stolons are cut, it will kill a patch.
The Navimow X4 series has an Adaptive Blade System. Due to this, the blade automatically floats on uneven ground. It minimizes the risks of lawn damage and going too low.
AWD and Xero-Turn™
The Navimow X4 series takes lawn mowing to the next level. It’s equipped with the All Wheel Drive, which allows it to master any kind of terrain. All four wheels are powered, so it is capable of going through border curbs, potholes, gravel paths, etc.
Whether it is a plain ground or an uneven and difficult terrain, it works everywhere. It has dual suspensions, which make it capable of handling large stones, bumps, dips, and other uneven surfaces in the lawn.
A typical zero-turn mower can damage your lawn. But the Navimow X4 is an advanced robotic zero-turn mower, which addresses the issues. It’s capable of making a 180⁰ turn, but it does not damage your lawn.
The front wheel steering system effortlessly switches between zero-turn and automotive-grade Ackermann steering. Which means it works like normal steering. But when a zero-turn is needed, its front wheels turn and allow it to make a perfect zero-turn. It blends traction and agile steering to prevent turf tearing.
With the Xero-Turn™, the mower can mow in tight spaces. It can make a turn whenever needed and easily mows your St. Augustine grass everywhere.
Even the mower takes care of the edges on your lawn. It mows within 2 inches of walls and fences. It also has the Ride-on mode, which adapts to the boundaries and mows edge-to-edge.
Slope Mastery
The best part is that X4 is the best robot lawn mower for steep slopes. It can work on extremely steep slopes up to 84% (40⁰), which is incredible. Almost any kind of mower would fail on such a steep slope, but with the AWD, dual suspension, and 5:5 balanced center-of-gravity, it maintains its balance and traction.
It’s also equipped with a patented Traction Control System (TCS). It dynamically adjusts the wheel torque of the mower to prevent slipping on low-traction lawns. Thus, even if there is a large dip or a muddy surface, it can easily go through it.
Ideal for Large Lawns
The mowers are the best robotic mowers for large lawns. Currently, there are two members in the Navimow X4 series. The Navimow X430 is suitable for up to 1 acre, while the Navimow X450 can mow large lawns up to 1.5 acres.
They are equipped with the advanced EFLS™ NRTK navigation. It allows the mower to get its position up to centimeter-level accuracy. It can cover large lawns without any hassle. Most importantly, it does not need any wires or antennas. Just connect the mower to the app, and it does the rest.
Along with the 360⁰ VSLAM, it automatically maps your large lawns. It knows the flowerbeds, trees, lawn items, and other things. Thus, it mows the lawn accordingly. With its triple panoramic cameras and ToF sensors, it generates real-scene maps, which can be edited directly on your phone. Thus, you can control up to 120 zones in your lawn and mow them with perfection.
It also has an AI-powered 360⁰ VisionFence™. It can detect up to 200+ lawn obstacles within a 16ft range. When it detects anything, it reroutes within 0.1 seconds and maintains a distance of 3.3ft. It mows the area safely while keeping animals and children safe. It detects everyday obstacles, lawn items, and animals in real-time and cuts every corner.
With the X4, you can even mow your St. Augustine grass at night. It can work even in low-light conditions. Its low noise of 68 dB(A) does not disturb your family members and neighbors.
FAQs
What type of mower is best for St. Augustine grass?
You need a powerful mower with sharp blades to cut St. Augustine grass, as the grass blades are thick and tough. It needs a mower with high torque. Also, ensure it can be adjusted for a high cutting height of 3.5-4 inches.
What is the best way to cut St. Augustine grass?
The best way to cut St. Augustine grass is to use a powerful mower with sharp blades and maintain a mowing height of 3.5-4 inches. Follow the one-third mowing rule and ensure you get a clean cut; the mower should not tear or rip grass blades. If there are large clippings, you should bag them as they will make clumps.
Can you mow St. Augustine grass with a reel mower?
No, you should not mow St. Augustine grass with a reel mower. The grass blades are thick and fibrous, so it will be difficult to cut. You won’t be able to adjust for the desired height as often as reel mowers can go up to 2.5-3 inches. St. Augustine grass grows through stolons that are heavy and often lie flat, which is why a reel mower rolls over them and gives an uneven finish.
