# Removing dead st Augustine



## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

What's the best way to remove dead st Augustine after trimec kills it off? I have a section that's like a mat and some interwoven in other grasses.

Should I let it decompose over the season? Dethatch it? Verticut? My yard looks like it has yellow veins running through it except where it's only st Augustine, that's just a brown dead Matt of grass


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

robertmehrer said:


> What's the best way to remove dead st Augustine after trimec kills it off? I have a section that's like a mat and some interwoven in other grasses.
> 
> Should I let it decompose over the season? Dethatch it? Verticut? My yard looks like it has yellow veins running through it except where it's only st Augustine, that's just a brown dead Matt of grass


Could you scalp it to dirt and bag it? This would give your Bermuda runners open soil to run into.


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## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

TN Hawkeye said:


> robertmehrer said:
> 
> 
> > What's the best way to remove dead st Augustine after trimec kills it off? I have a section that's like a mat and some interwoven in other grasses.
> ...


One side maybe the front part is too bumpy and I'd whack the sprinklers.

The side yard I can possibly do that. It feels like I can grab it by the corner and lift it up lol.

The front is literally veiny


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

The yard I just resodded had this issue but much worse. Maybe a dethatcher/verticutter to start - following to see what everyone else says.


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## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

SCGrassMan said:


> The yard I just resodded had this issue but much worse. Maybe a dethatcher/verticutter to start - following to see what everyone else says.


What piece of equipment would be best for that? I put down some more trimec for the spots I missed. So after it starts to die off I don't mind renting something to pull all this out... I'm def not using my thatch rake... lol


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

robertmehrer said:


> SCGrassMan said:
> 
> 
> > The yard I just resodded had this issue but much worse. Maybe a dethatcher/verticutter to start - following to see what everyone else says.
> ...


Do you have a landscape blade?


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## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

TN Hawkeye said:


> robertmehrer said:
> 
> 
> > SCGrassMan said:
> ...


No but that's a good idea...


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## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

Another scalp down today... st aug is dying off nicely! The only real good spot that the Bermuda is taking hold ins the side yard coming out of the backyard. This was all dirt and washed out when I laid the seed.

You can see the front st aug starting to really die off. I think I'm gonna order a landscape blade and cut up the st aug. This is a long process ugh. My neighbors think I'm insane. They keep asking "what happened?" When I say I killed it off they stare at me.

I can also start to see all of the water run off points and all of the uneven spots.

I can see a lot of over seed in my neighbors grass... I guess I didn't have the edge guard down lol

I think I'm going to lay another bag of seed down too. It either washed away or never got to dirt through the st aug...


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## Bbq freakshow (Mar 9, 2019)

Maybe power rake?


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## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

Bbq freakshow said:


> Maybe power rake?


Thought about that too. It's still dying so I have some time.


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## Bbq freakshow (Mar 9, 2019)

I'm curious too cause I got same thing goin on right now. I'm either gonna power rake or rent dingo with Harley rake.


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## Batsonbe (May 9, 2019)

Same situation except with centipede


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## LawnRat (Mar 22, 2019)

For that small an area I'd just start pulling. One runner at a time, I bet it would only take an hour or two. The roots will just break off at each node. St. Aug has no underground rhizomes to worry about.

Funny story...when we first moved south 10 years ago we ripped out all these "scary looking spreading vine weeds" from our new dog pen. You could yank one end and rip out 50 feet of vine looking stuff in seconds. We did this in other areas of the yard too. Yes, that "vine weed" turned out to be our St Aug grass runners. I am now trying to repair years of stupidity .


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## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

LawnRat said:


> For that small an area I'd just start pulling. One runner at a time, I bet it would only take an hour or two. The roots will just break off at each node. St. Aug has no underground rhizomes to worry about.
> 
> Funny story...when we first moved south 10 years ago we ripped out all these "scary looking spreading vine weeds" from our new dog pen. You could yank one end and rip out 50 feet of vine looking stuff in seconds. We did this in other areas of the yard too. Yes, that "vine weed" turned out to be our St Aug grass runners. I am now trying to repair years of stupidity .


Lmao sorry that sucks!!! I have a thatch take that might work but it's already hitting 90+ here so I don't want to spend a couple hours on my knees ripping up runners lol.

I can see all the horrible bumps and washed out areas under the st aug now... crazy to see where all the water came from. The trimec is still killing a lot of it off so I may wait till next weekend to start ripping up dead runners.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Is renting a sod cutter out of the question?


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## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

SCGrassMan said:


> Is renting a sod cutter out of the question?


Nope but won't that take up everything ? I've thought about taking the edger and slicing off the from section on the side and just pulling it up. The stuff intermixed I'm gonna try a power rake. It's still dying off and it's been raining so haven't had a chance to do anything.

And I'm currently sitting in jury selection soooo I won't be doing much this week lol.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

I might be missing something - was there some grass you're trying to keep?


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## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

SCGrassMan said:


> I might be missing something - was there some grass you're trying to keep?


Depends on the area. Back/side has only runners in the Bermuda as well as the front. The side front is all dead st aug. it's a mixed bag of Frankenstein

Behind me in the last pic is Bermuda with the runners from the neighbors grass and from this dead front part.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Yeah I'd do a power dethatcher. Then plan late winter to spray Glyphosphate while the Bermuda is still dormant.


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## robertmehrer (Feb 28, 2019)

SCGrassMan said:


> Yeah I'd do a power dethatcher. Then plan late winter to spray Glyphosphate while the Bermuda is still dormant.


Sweet! Thanks! This is why I love this place... everyone genuinely enjoys this and helps!


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## xr280xr (Mar 22, 2021)

robertmehrer said:


> What's the best way to remove dead st Augustine after trimec kills it off? I have a section that's like a mat and some interwoven in other grasses.
> 
> Should I let it decompose over the season? Dethatch it? Verticut? My yard looks like it has yellow veins running through it except where it's only st Augustine, that's just a brown dead Matt of grass


I've got half a lawn of St. Augustine to get rid of and came here to see what to do once it's dead. Did you find something that worked well without killing the grass you wanted? How did you use Trimec to kill it off? I looked it up and it's labeled safe for St Augustine. Maybe they changed it?


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

A sod cutter will effectively remove it 100%. Sorry to be "that guy" but that's what I would do in my own yard.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

SCGrassMan said:


> A sod cutter will effectively remove it 100%. Sorry to be "that guy" but that's what I would do in my own yard.


That's exactly what I did.


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