# St. Augustine different colors



## racng69 (Mar 21, 2020)

I put down 20-0-10 feet down on april 2nd. Today some areas are turning different colors. As I am new to lawn care, any indication something is off here? Hoping pi s are good enough to tell.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

Hmm. Well, I observe some tearing that looks like a dull mower blade has been used. Also a "good" amount of dollarweed and creeping woodsorrel. Are these the color differences you are seeing?

Is this a Palmetto variety? What is your height of cut?


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## racng69 (Mar 21, 2020)

Honestly dont know the exact grass.

Yes that is the coloring I'm referring to. Anything needed for the dollarweed and creeping woodsorrel?

I have a guy that cuts the lawn, so don't know specifically what he does, however I havent been able to purchase equipment yet to do myself.


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## cfinden (Aug 7, 2018)

Looks like it's cut too short for St. Augustine, and like someone else said probably with a dull blade. You could ask them to cut it on the highest setting, like The Lawn Care Nut does on his St. Augustine.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

This is what I've been using with decent success. I like that the cap is a measuring cup. I use about 3.5 to 4 ounces per gallon while spot spraying.

https://www.imageforweeds.com/all-products/southern-lawn-weed-killer-for-st-augustinegrass-and-centipedegrass-concentrate

It worked very slowly over the winter, about a month for plants to disappear. This is fairly ugly. At about the same time, I would see new stuff pop up. So I was spraying about once every 4 to 6 weeks. I don't know if this is unusual in Florida or not. And I don't know how it's going to work in the higher temperatures yet.

Make sure you read the label carefully for whatever you apply.

Here's a picture showing my lawn (left side) and my neighbor's lawn where he allowed me to spray his dollarweed recently. Note the relative absence of dollarweed on my side of the lawn.

*March 1st - look for the dark green marking dye spots close to the bed*


*March 8th - Yellow dollarweed*


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

@racng69,

I thought I would show you what that section looks like today, 6 weeks after spraying.


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## racng69 (Mar 21, 2020)

awesome success. i sprayed mine April 17th and seeing some success already


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

:thumbup: Post your pictures in a few weeks to keep us updated.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

@ionicatoms looks good :thumbup:

Have you done anything other than apply Image?


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

@Gilley11 
The left side had pendimethalin Pre-M in January when it was unusually warm.

The right side is my neighbor's zoysia, I'm not sure what he put down. He said it was a weed and feed, but as you can tell from the photos, he still has dollarweed in the places I DIDN'T spray.

I did use the non-ionic surfactant from Southern Ag with the image.


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## racng69 (Mar 21, 2020)

no progress pics, but is looking better. in some areas doesnt look like the killer is doing anything. should i still wait or give it another spray? i also turned sprinklers off since April 17th, but we have had some rain. is it okay to run the sprinklers or should i wait until everything is gone?


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I think you'll want the weeds growing, and free of stress. So, get 'em good and watered.

Don't mow for at least two days before (or after) you plan to spray the herbicide. Spray the weeds on a day when you don't expect rain, and when temperatures are below 85. I tend to shoot for the late morning.

They should drink up the herbicide.

If you aren't seeing any signs of plant tissue damage after a week, I would guess something wasn't right and you may need to consider what happened and try again. You may need to mix in a surfactant, particularly on a waxy weed like dollarweed; I use the one from Southern Ag.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

In those areas where you *aren't* getting a response, are the weeds different than in the areas where you are seeing a response?


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## racng69 (Mar 21, 2020)

here are some pics of the areas. i hit it again today with the weed killer.

Also since i put down fertilizer on April 2nd. when would be a good time to do another installment? too early? I did 26-0-10.

I was thiknking of doing the 46-0-0 thinking that would make it really grow and get green.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

Looks to me like it's working nicely! It will take some time for those weeds to disappear.

Your question about fert is tougher for me; I don't have much experience. You'll want to differentiate between the amount of fast release nitrogen and the amount of slow release and watch the total amount you apply. More is not necessarily better!

The N will help with growth, but may or may not help with the color. If you cut higher, you might get more photosynthesis. Or you can try chelated iron. It's included in some fertilizers to darken the color.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

FYI @Buffalolawny posted some tips on using iron at:

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=259219&sid=fa1515be39aac3624a4152e4f3feabe5#p259219.


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## Darth_V8r (Jul 18, 2019)

I don't think I would throw 46-0-0 at SA. Something like 28-0-10 at half rate would be plenty.


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## kb02gt (Aug 23, 2019)

St. Aug not usually a fan of fast release fertilizers, or high nitrogen levels. Its the most sensitive of all the grass types.

University of Florida recommends either a 1-0-1 , 2-0-1, and even a 4-1-2 is fine. Your heading into summer so i'd want a little potash added to keep the blades healthy with the upcoming heat. Personally i'd go with a 4-1-2 w/ micronutrients and iron. Anytime from May 2nd - May 16th would be a good time. Every 4-6 weeks. Just keep in mind too much nitrogen increases fungus issues if you have a problem with fungus. Also keep in mind the yearly rate of 4-5lbs per year is the usual rate, however since your further south i've hear 6-7lbs of Nitrogen / Year is okay. So either 5 or 6lbs and you should be good.

Applied at a rate of .75lbs/1000sq ft maximum. Preferably a slow release (urea coated) fertilizer with sulfer and some iron for a pop-of green is good. Six weeks after that you should be fine with a Milorganite app heading into summer. During the summer going with a potash (potassium) and micronutrient app would be ideal, as well as soil ammendments , kelp, humic, or fulvic acids can help the lawn. Once out of summer an into the Fall you will want a 1-0-1. Or even a 2-1-2 is fine as well to get a little phosphorus. There are a lot of different types of fertilizers out there so know your soil contents would be helpful as well (not 100% necessary) but at least getting one done in december or january would be a good idea.


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## kb02gt (Aug 23, 2019)

Last but not least is watering.

Best times for St. Augustine are from 1am - 3am before the dew process. However if you are running into fungus issues (which can be common with St. Augustine) you will want to time it so that the sprinklers shut off right before the sun comes out. Which makes me think that the 1am - 3am suggestion is really more for those on clay soils and a little further north somewhere near the Carolinas, as those of use with sandy soils must water often. However regardless of where one may live, if they are running a good fungicide rotation, fungus may not be an issue for them.


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## racng69 (Mar 21, 2020)

Thanks for all the help. i am no expert so will have to do some research and get a plan together as my weeds are still growing and multiplying.

@kb02gt thanks for all the info. So i should put down this? https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milorganite-32-lbs-Slow-Release-Nitrogen-Fertilizer-100539618/308888983

for the other items you mention me putting down the beginning of summer - are you able to provide links to examples? I am having some trouble finding those items.

would it be too early to spray again for weeds? or i should let it try to work some more?


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## kb02gt (Aug 23, 2019)

Yeah i'd handle the weeds 1st. I think this video would be great for you:






Then around June 6th i would do Bayer Complete insect control.



Right now this is my favorite fertilizer (includes everything except phosphorus) - really like the greening i get from it:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sunniland-33-lb-Lawn-Fertilizer-125158/202595539
(would only use it if your lawn is measured though)

Wait 2 preferrably 3 days before and after mowing to put any of this down.

Milo is good at the beginning of summer for most people. I may no longer use it, only because Nitrogen requires the uptake of the other nutrients. My lawn seems to do better on a complete solution. It really depends on the soil test. And for beginners who do not know what to do then they can run around the yard with this (and not worry about burning it). Which is what i did when i first started and had good results. But once that Sunniland hit the turf, i had never seen my lawn look better, so that probably is what i will be sticking with for now even though i just did a light app of Milo mainly because i had a fungus issue going on, and i had a full bag left that i wanted to use, otherwise its Sunniland from here on out for me personally but will still experiment with others.


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## racng69 (Mar 21, 2020)

Thanks. i am going to send off a soil sample this week.

When you saw lawn is measured, you mean how many sq ft each section is? im going to spray for weeds one more time then put down the bayer early june. When would next fertilizer be put down? after summer?


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## kb02gt (Aug 23, 2019)

That is correct, you will want to measure each section of your yard. Try to get each section approximately to a number divisible by 500. You will want each to be approximately either 500, 1000, or 1500 sq ft

The next fertilizer should be put down about 6 weeks after the first.


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