A: Yes. Captiva St. Augustine has demonstrated resistance to the Southern Chinch Bug variety found in the state of Florida. It remains to be seen how resistant Captiva is to other varieties of chinch bug.

A: Captiva also resists the Planthopper insect. Also, recent research done by Texas A&M University found that Captiva has Tropical Sod Webworm resistance in the state of Texas. This resistance was not demonstrated to be true in Florida with native Florida insect populations.

A: Captiva will generally have to be mowed about every two weeks or about 50% less than common St. Augustines. Captiva is not only a dwarf St. Augustine variety but also has slow leaf blade growth. Captiva was bred to be mowed less frequently. That said, mowing frequency depends on the season of the year, the rate at which you fertilize and the height at which you wish to maintain your Captiva. But generally, Captiva will need to be cut every two weeks. Grass grows more in the spring and summer than in the fall and winter, so you will need to mow more frequently in the spring and summer. Similarly, fertilized grass grows more quickly than non fertilized grass, so a fertilized lawn will need to be mowed more frequently. Finally, if you wish if you wish to maintain your lawn at the same height year- round, you will need to mow more frequently in the spring and summer and during those periods immediately following an application of fertilizer. One telling fact: Captiva is shorter after 21 days of growth than Floratam St. Augustine is at seven days of growth.

A: Captiva is unique in that it's the first St. Augustine grass developed in three decades to have resistance to chinch bugs. Captiva was the result of 15 years of research and breeding by Dr. Russell Nagata and other researchers at the University of Florida. Nagata's goal was to find a St. Augustine with a dark green color and finer leaf blades to give it a smooth texture and feel. Captiva was the result of this team effort. Captiva has Southern Chinch Bug resistance along with slow leaf blade growth meaning less frequent mowing. Expect Captiva to be a lawn staple for the foreseeable future.