# St Augustine discoloration



## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Hi All,
Looking for some help. We've had a lot of rain lately with more to come for the next week and the grass is turning yellow on the blades and brown at the tips of the blade and in one area it's all brown and guessing somehow that grass died. It's a new house and trying to get a handle on the lawn.

Thanks for any input!


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## smurg (May 30, 2018)

I see a number of leaf spots all over the blades: http://turfdiseaseid.ncsu.edu/diseasedetail.aspx?disease=PYRGR. Do you currently put down any fungicides?


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

That was what I thought it might be. I've put down 1 app of Scott's DiseaseEX a while ago and last month I did one of Bayer Advanced Lawn Fungus Control. Now it seems it didn't really take too well so wondering can it be that the active ingredients (Azoxystrobin and Propiconazole) are too small with these versions or do I need to put down the apps in a shorter time frame? Also, is it fair to say that area where the grass is totally brown a dead area? 
So depressing looking at these spots. Ugh. 
Should I use brands where the active ingredients have a higher rate?
Thoughts...

Thanks!!


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

Yeah I would go ahead and buy azoxy and propiconazole in the concentrate form. It may cost more upfront but you will get better results.


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

CenlaLowell said:


> Yeah I would go ahead and buy azoxy and propiconazole in the concentrate form. It may cost more upfront but you will get better results.


Thanks I just ordered the propiconazole 14.3 earlier and get it tomorrow so will try and make my first application then if the weather (Rain) holds up. I'll also look for a more robust version of the azoxy beyond the Scotts version I have. Is it best to then alternate the apps every 2 weeks until improvement?

Thanks for the input. Hasn't been fun looking at all the discoloration.


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## HewKnowHew (Jul 4, 2018)

I am curious about what else you have put in your lawn this growing season. I have heard a lot of nitrogen will increase your chances for a fungus, especially if you put some down towards the middle of the summer. I am facing the same issues, and I did exactly what I just said I heard not to do. Plus on top of that I mowed one morning right after it rained, know I believe that was terrible idea and will never do again. I have a Z-turn an you can see fungus in my yard where my tires ran over. I have put down three fungicide apps. I just put down some Eagle 20 with some Green County Fertilizer's Air8 and MicroGreen. I feel like that has worked the best for me. I hit it with a fungicide and I put something on it a few days later to push some new growth, it needs a second round but the rain is making me hold off for now. Good luck!


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

HewKnowHew said:


> I am curious about what else you have put in your lawn this growing season. I have heard a lot of nitrogen will increase your chances for a fungus, especially if you put some down towards the middle of the summer. I am facing the same issues, and I did exactly what I just said I heard not to do. Plus on top of that I mowed one morning right after it rained, know I believe that was terrible idea and will never do again. I have a Z-turn an you can see fungus in my yard where my tires ran over. I have put down three fungicide apps. I just put down some Eagle 20 with some Green County Fertilizer's Air8 and MicroGreen. I feel like that has worked the best for me. I hit it with a fungicide and I put something on it a few days later to push some new growth, it needs a second round but the rain is making me hold off for now. Good luck!


I too have put down a few apps of Milorganite and the last one was a few weeks ago. I've also hit the lawn with Green County products too but nothing lately. My thought was get some feedback on the coloring issue which is def a fungus issue so I'm getting Propiconazole delivered today but we've had a ton of rain so hoping I can put down an app of that tomorrow then hit it again in 14 days with a much stronger version of Azoxy that I'm going to order today from DoMyOwn. 
So hopefully I can get my arms around the issue. It's not pretty to look at all day. Ugh


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

I know the feeling. I let mine go to long and grass is still brown in some areas. From here on out I'm going to spray before it becomes a problem probably around March.


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

CenlaLowell said:


> I know the feeling. I let mine go to long and grass is still brown in some areas. From here on out I'm going to spray before it becomes a problem probably around March.


Agreed. Now that we're in the new home at this point I can begin to plan ahead and take action to prevent this stuff from happening next year. BTW I ordered the Eagle 20 product in lieu of the Azoxy to save some money so hoping using that with the propiconazole will be the 1-2 punch to get rid of it and get the grass back to looking good. I have one dry day tomorrow to apply the Prop app. We have rain forecasted over for the next 5 days and will then follow up with the Eagle in 2 weeks.


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## iFisch3224 (Jun 11, 2018)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> HewKnowHew said:
> 
> 
> > I am curious about what else you have put in your lawn this growing season. I have heard a lot of nitrogen will increase your chances for a fungus, especially if you put some down towards the middle of the summer. I am facing the same issues, and I did exactly what I just said I heard not to do. Plus on top of that I mowed one morning right after it rained, know I believe that was terrible idea and will never do again. I have a Z-turn an you can see fungus in my yard where my tires ran over. I have put down three fungicide apps. I just put down some Eagle 20 with some Green County Fertilizer's Air8 and MicroGreen. I feel like that has worked the best for me. I hit it with a fungicide and I put something on it a few days later to push some new growth, it needs a second round but the rain is making me hold off for now. Good luck!
> ...


I have become an advocate for "spoon feeding" or frequent low dosing of nutrients. I too have battled similar fungi on St Aug (albeit not that kind of discoloration) and have done 3oz of RGS every 3 weeks (blanket app w/ Humic 12 mixed in every once in a while).

I'm dosing N about 1/2 recommended dosing and did my last ~.6/lb Milo app on July 4th. Mix in low doses of long-term/slow release N and 1/2 recommended dose of quick release N. I've read that too much of an N push with Fungus can/will make it worse as well.

IF I'm applying ANY N during these last ~5 weeks or so, it's on the low end of rate. So far, regaining traction with 2 apps of Eagle 20 and Scotts Disease Ex (which I see you used). Probably going to put down 3rd app of Eagle 20 this week if the rain let's up.

Thinking Prop 14.3 for next year (hopefully won't need more than 1 or 2 more apps of fungicide this year - it's still bad and rain is POURING down [4" last 5 days]


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Thanks for the input. Yeah I too have heard about laying off the N so yesterday I put down an app of the Greene County Liquids while we had some decent weather. We have rain in the forecast for the next few days so hoping things get back to a normal weather pattern and the Prop 14.3 helps. I will put down Eagle in 2 weeks. Some of that area actually turned a brown color and my guess is that it's dead. Came on pretty quick and life got in the way so trying to play catch up. Might have to plug that area when things become normal again.


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## Gregau33 (Apr 15, 2018)

It also looks like from your pics you have quite a bit of Bermuda mixed in with your St. Augustine turf. That Bermuda will really start to take over if you are applying too much Nitrogen to the St. Augustine.

Is the whole yard like that... The Bermuda/St. Aug. mix?


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

No I'd say less than a qtr of it is Bermuda it's mostly at the edge of the property so I'm thinking of just torching the bermuda then lay down St A plugs to fill in the gaps. I've slowed on the N and originally was mulching and probably spreading the damn seeds but bag now. So will probably do RoundUp (carefully) to kill off the bermuda


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## iFisch3224 (Jun 11, 2018)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> I've slowed on the N and originally was mulching and probably spreading the damn seeds but bag now. So will probably do RoundUp (carefully) to kill off the bermuda


I was bagging the first 3 mows (mowing 2x a week), mulched the 4th cut, and did a double cut just recently, which I bagged the first cut and mulched the second half.

Bagging in hopes of removing old blades, that were infected. Seems to be working - and the thought process makes some sense.

Give bagging a try for a few mows. And maybe rake heavy on/around the "brown" spots in hopes of removing old thatch/dead layer (if it is dead) so new grass can move in a little quicker with less resistance.


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

iFisch3224 said:


> LowCountryCharleston said:
> 
> 
> > I've slowed on the N and originally was mulching and probably spreading the damn seeds but bag now. So will probably do RoundUp (carefully) to kill off the bermuda
> ...


Will do. I'm also bagging because I have Bermuda creeping in and don't want to spread around the damn seeds. 
How high are you cutting your grass? I was at 4" but have moved down to 3.5" for the time being.
Thanks for the input.


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## iFisch3224 (Jun 11, 2018)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> iFisch3224 said:
> 
> 
> > LowCountryCharleston said:
> ...


I was cutting at 3.5" for a short period, in hopes of the shorter cut allowing for more airflow to the lower, infected blades. And also allowing the shorter cut to allow the grass to dry out a little more. I don't know what your weather is like, but it's been low to mid 90's with 85%-100% humidity. The grass took a little dip in color from the heat, which I just applied a little iron last week to help bring back a little color after 2 apps of Eagle and the app of Scott's Disease Ex.

Seemed to work out for me.

Back up to 4" (last 2 cuts).


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

OK cool. I'll hold steady at 3.5 for the time being. My next Fungicide app is about 2 weeks out. 
Down in Charleston so we're getting the same heat and humidity and rain is in the forecast 
every day this week.


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