Best Grass for Sandy Soil in Florida (And How to Help It Thrive)

Want to see a mysterious magic trick?

Water your grass here in Sarasota. Then watch while— poof — the water immediately disappears!

OK, so it’s not that mysterious. It’s because our soil here is basically sand. And water drains right through sand, much faster than it drains through other types of soil.

What to do about it? What’s the best grass for sandy soil in Florida? 

Keep reading to learn the top grass types for sandy soil in Florida, plus tips on watering, fertilizing, and maintaining your lawn so it thrives in our unique conditions.

St. Augustine: The Best Grass for Sandy Soil in Florida

St. Augustine grass is the best choice for sandy soil lawns in Florida, which is why you see it thriving across Sarasota neighborhoods.

If you have full sun all day, go with St. Augustine Floratam.

It’s the oldest St. Augustine cultivar, so it’s proven itself over time. 

Sure, it has occasional issues with chinch bugs or fungus, but because it’s been around for so long, lawn care companies have perfected their turf programs to deal with its little quirks.

If your lawn is shadier, St. Augustine is still your best grass for sandy soil, but opt for a different variety, like Bitter Blue or CitraBlue.

These varieties look a lot like Floratam, but with a deeper blue color. 

They won’t thrive in deep shade, but they’re both shade tolerant. 

Why St. Augustine Grows Well in Sandy Soil

St. Augustine actually prefers sandy, well-drained soil. It needs plenty of oxygen to thrive, so it wouldn’t be happy in a more compact soil.

Zoysia Grass: A Warm-Season Option for Sandy Soil Lawns

You’ll probably have mixed feelings about Zoysia. Here’s why: 

Zoysia grass is a great option for Florida lawns with sandy soil in the summer months, especially in places like Sarasota. It’s a very happy summer grass, thriving on heat and humidity and putting on a beautiful green show.

Then, uh oh. 

It hates the cold (doesn’t every Florida dweller?) so once the temperature takes a dip it goes dormant, taking on a brownish hue. Not great.

Looking for other grass types that grow well in Florida? Check out our list of the 5 best grass types for Sarasota. Along with tips on choosing the best for your yard.

How to Water Grass in Sandy Soil

Pouring water on sandy soil grass is like pouring money into your boat: where the heck did it go? Why does it just disappear? It’s sad, we know.

So you need to water less at a time, but more frequently.

Here’s your goal: three watering sessions each week, either from rain or irrigation, of at least one inch of water. 

We know what you’re thinking: what about watering restrictions? They don’t allow three sessions a week! What kind of lame magician is this?! 

They do allow more watering, if you’re set up with the right irrigation. 

Sarasota watering regulations allow more frequent watering if your irrigation system is equipped with low-volume sprinkler heads, drip irrigation, or if you use reclaimed water. 

Drip irrigation isn’t meant for lawns, but it’s great for watering many garden beds. 

You can easily upgrade your current irrigation system to low-volume heads. 

And your community might already be using reclaimed water, you just don’t know it. 

Time to check into a few things. 

How to Fertilize Sandy Soil Lawns in Florida

The same thing happens to fertilizer on sandy soil grass as it does with water  — the nutrients flow right through, with as much ending up in our groundwater supply as soaking into your lawn’s roots. Not good. 

You need to be strategic about fertilizing sandy soil grass, so that doesn’t happen. Your Sarasota lawn needs more frequent fertilizing, but with smaller amounts, so it has a better chance of feeding the roots than draining right through into the groundwater. 

The typical lawn care company offers 4-6 fertilizer visits through the year. That’s not enough for sandy soil grass. 

Make sure your landscaping company visits more often. Tropical Gardens visits once a month for 8-10 months of the year, applying smaller amounts of nutrients more often so they can really take hold in your sandy soil grass. 

It’s sort of like spoon feeding. (If you’re suddenly craving chocolate pudding, sorry.)

Should You Add Topsoil to Sandy Soil? (Maybe Not)

 We know what you’re thinking, again. (It’s magic, remember?) 

What if you add two inches of good quality topsoil over the sand? Will that help? 

Nope. Sure, it seems like a good idea to give your lawn better soil. But here’s what happens: your lawn’s roots love that nice rich topsoil. You can almost hear them down there yelling, “woo hoo!”

But then the roots stay there, happily hanging out in the top two inches of soil, never reaching down any deeper. 

Shallow roots are bad. You want deep roots that are stronger, healthier, and better able to stand up to stress like drought, insects or disease.

Also, sod farms here in Florida grow their sod in sandy soil, so they’re used to it. 

If you choose the best grass for sandy soil, and give it smaller, more frequent doses of water and fertilizer, it’ll be just fine. 

Grow a Lawn That Thrives in Florida’s Sandy Soil

There’s no magic trick to growing healthy grass in sandy soil — just the right turf, tools, and timing. Whether you need help choosing the best grass type, upgrading your irrigation system, or fine-tuning your lawn care routine, Tropical Gardens Landscape has you covered.

Our Sarasota-based team understands the unique challenges of Florida’s sandy soils and creates customized lawn care plans that actually work — no guesswork, no wasted water, no weak roots.

Let’s design a lawn that looks great and lasts.

Get in touch today to schedule your consultation and take the first step toward a thriving, low-maintenance lawn in sandy soil.