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No, carpetgrass and St. Augustine grass are two different species. However this is a very common misconception and you may even find St. Augustine grass is mislabeled as carpetgrass. Carpetgrass does not have as much shade tolerance as St. Augustine grass, and has narrower blades with an alternating pattern (while St. Augustine grass has an opposite pattern). St. Augustine grass doesn’t have the weedy, high seedheads that carpetgrass produces.

A standard home lawn mower with sharp blades can handle a thin layer of leaves without issue. You may need to make a couple of passes within several days to mulch leaves down, but your mower shouldn’t struggle. If your mower comes with a mulching kit, like an attachment to blow leaves out the side, that’s a good sign it’s ready for fall leaves. Set your mower to the highest or near-highest height for this project so it focuses on the leaves rather than the grass below.

Carpetgrass is a low-maintenance grass requiring little fertilization that thrives in subprime growing conditions. However, regular mowing is necessary to avoid the growth of unsightly seed stalks, and you may have to water it frequently to prevent drying out the soil. That includes watering the grass over dry winters to help keep it healthy, and it may start dying out in particularly cold climates where it grows poorly. Carpetgrass can also be vulnerable to some types of turf fungus, so it’s important not to overthatch. 

You sure can mow your grass paver driveway–and it’ll look better if you do. Just push your lawnmower across like you would a paver-less lawn. For a really low-maintenance driveway option, you can use pebbles or other small stones between the pavers instead of grass. They’ll still allow rainwater to seep into the ground.