# Struggling St. Augustine.



## Saidwest (Apr 4, 2018)

Hello all!

I am a new home owner In North Texas right outside of Terrell. The house came with St Augustine. It was beautiful and lush last year. I believe that I didn't water enough in the winter. Spring comes around and I have some brown spots and a lot of thatch. No worries I thought they would grow in and green up. Here we are in May and now I still have some brown spots where growing is not that strong and has weeds. I did a soil test and I was low on nitrogen. Added some Miloganite and I'm now waiting. I will attach pictures of the trouble area. Any tips on getting St Augustine to that nice lush turf look. The bottom picture is the worst area


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Cut it low, remove the thatch. Hit it with some fast release fertilizer, and water the crap out of it. Just my $0.02


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

I agree. If you cut it low, but don't scalp it, and like @SCGrassMan said hit it with some good ole fast fert, you should see it really thicken up by end of May beginning of June.


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## Saidwest (Apr 4, 2018)

What brand of fast release fert do you all recommend? So low cut, detach, then fast release fert.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

SCGrassMan said:


> Cut it low, remove the thatch. Hit it with some fast release fertilizer, and water the crap out of it. Just my $0.02


This exactly. I had to do the same thing last month to my St Aug because it was struggling after an extremely cold winter and a weed attack after Hurricane Harvey.

I did what SC recommended and it's starting to recover nicely.

You can use any fast release at a big box store, but if I have the choice I like Fertilome lawn food with Iron.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Yeah I like the Scotts rapid greenup or whatever, they have it at costco right now for $29.99 for like a 50 pound bag or so. I think its just scotts starter fertilizer with iron added.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

I'm in Central Louisiana and I have been dealing with this as well. I've cut low and fertilized. I wonder why it happened in the first place?


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## Saidwest (Apr 4, 2018)

Update: thank you guys for your help. The yard has recovered nicely. I forgot to post pictures.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

Saidwest said:


> Update: thank you guys for you help. The yard has recovered nicely. I forgot to post pictures.


Good work dude! Nice lawn


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

I'm having the same issues too with my St. Aug. Why does it help to cut it low and how low do you cut it. I typically cut mine at 4 inches. It's already had one app of Milorganite and one of the Bio Stimulant Next products over the past few months.
Any input is greatly appreciated.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> I'm having the same issues too with my St. Aug. Why does it help to cut it low and how low do you cut it. I typically cut mine at 4 inches. It's already had one app of Milorganite and one of the Bio Stimulant Next products over the past few months.
> Any input is greatly appreciated.


I cut mine at 2 inches, then every week there after I raised it up 1/2 inch until I hit my 4 inch spot.


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## Saidwest (Apr 4, 2018)

Ecks from Tex said:


> Saidwest said:
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> 
> > Update: thank you guys for you help. The yard has recovered nicely. I forgot to post pictures.
> ...


Thanks man! I'm completely happy. First home. First time taking care of my own grass so I was a little ignorant in the beginning. I'm loving it now


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## Saidwest (Apr 4, 2018)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> I'm having the same issues too with my St. Aug. Why does it help to cut it low and how low do you cut it. I typically cut mine at 4 inches. It's already had one app of Milorganite and one of the Bio Stimulant Next products over the past few months.
> Any input is greatly appreciated.


Have you done a soil analysis?

The reason why they told me to cut it low was to make it easier dethatch. Basically cut low dethatch use some quick release fertilizer and irrigate. If you do not plan on detaching you don't have to cut it low. Also I'm not sure if it's too late in the season to dethatch. You may have to research that. This weekend I'm putting down Milorganite AND ringer. Supposed to give me good growth and color response.


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Saidwest said:


> LowCountryCharleston said:
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> > I'm having the same issues too with my St. Aug. Why does it help to cut it low and how low do you cut it. I typically cut mine at 4 inches. It's already had one app of Milorganite and one of the Bio Stimulant Next products over the past few months.
> ...


I'm doing it this weekend using Soil Savvy so I know this will give me a good line of sight as to how my soil is looking. Right, my plan was to put down my July 4th Milorganite app but since it's in short supply hard to find i'm researching comparable replacements. My guess is I'll have to wait until the fall to begin my work for next year and bite the bullet this year.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> Saidwest said:
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Get something with some more N so you can encourage a little more growth in the present. Milo is great, but it's going to slow release and St. Aug already grows slow enough. If you are needing the grass to repair and fill in, you often have to add a spike to your fert program


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Ecks from Tex said:


> LowCountryCharleston said:
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Thanks for your reply. Can you recommend any Fert with more N in it? Or just look locally for a bag that offers more than what Milo offers. The center area of my lawn is nice and think/green. It's the outer edges of the area that is having issues.

Thanks.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> Ecks from Tex said:
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I would just go grab some basic 32-0-4 or 29-0-2 fertilizer from your local hardware store. You can supplement with individual minerals later if it calls for it, but encouraging growth with N will help shade out weeds and get the lawn in better condition for next year, when you can start achieving the same thing though better soil. Because it's summer you might apply half rates so it doesn't encourage too much unhealthy growth, and just do that two weekends in a row.

I don't think you have to wait to being making changes to your lawn either. Just depends on what you're wanting to do. What are you plans?


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Ecks from Tex said:


> LowCountryCharleston said:
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Sounds good. I'll check my local Garden center for the Fert. My ultimate plan is to get the St. Aug growing thick and green and on the side against my driveway I have a swath of Bermuda growing and getting bigger so I plan at some point to kill that off and then put in plugs to fill in the open space to get my front 100% St. Aug. Also, plan on doing the soil test this weekend to get a good feel for the soil.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> Ecks from Tex said:
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You should kill off the bermuda now. You can still install sod plugs and let their root systems get established by fall. I wouldn't wait on any of that if you are ready to do it now.


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## Gregau33 (Apr 15, 2018)

That Bermuda will keep creeping in especially if you have a neighbor who has it or are near a golf course. If you glysophate that part of your yard, just make sure you are positive the Bermuda is completely dead or you will be doing the same thing to your yard next year. It's amazing how resilient Bermuda is...it just keeps coming back to life and spreads like no other.


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Gregau33 said:


> That Bermuda will keep creeping in especially if you have a neighbor who has it or are near a golf course. If you glysophate that part of your yard, just make sure you are positive the Bermuda is completely dead or you will be doing the same thing to your yard next year. It's amazing how resilient Bermuda is...it just keeps coming back to life and spreads like no other.


Yeah my neighbor on the other side of the driveway has it. Sucks I like the look of my St. Aug vs the bermuda and one thing I have stopped doing is mulching when I mow I know i've been spreading the seeds all over the place so now I just bag it. I'll def nuke it for sure and hope that I can get the Aug think enough to fight the Bermuda but who knows. Def don't want to give up and lose the St. Aug. 
Do you know of any Herbicide that I can spot spray in the future that will kill the bermuda just "hurt" the Aug.

Thanks!


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## Gregau33 (Apr 15, 2018)

That's the problem with a St. Augustine/Bermuda mix... There really isn't anything that can take out the Bermuda and not harm the St. Augustine. St. Aug is just so so sensitive to any type of herbicide. Now, if you wanted to go from St. Aug to Bermuda, that would be a lot easier.

The 2 grasses just really clash. Bermuda likes to be cut really low and St. Aug likes to be cut really high.


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Yeah this is all good info. I'll look into killing that shite now and live with the ugliness knowing I'll install plugs water the hell out of it. No more mulching and just bag cut and apply all the liquid goodness to keep things moving forward. 
Does anyone know where to get good grass plugs?


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> Yeah this is all good info. I'll look into killing that s--- now and live with the ugliness knowing I'll install plugs water the hell out of it. No more mulching and just bag cut and apply all the liquid goodness to keep things moving forward.
> Does anyone know where to get good grass plugs?


Do yourself a favor and go to a real turf farm, so you get a better grass and can match it with your current cultivar as well as sun/shade conditions. You can get it cut in squares and just lay the squares in a checkerboard, or you can use a sod knife and cut the pieces up into smaller plugs. Honestly I would just kill off the bermuda and lay the whole thing with sod, it's not much more expensive if the sq. feet of the area is not too big, and then you'll have a nice looking lawn a month later.

You've got several turf farms in your area it looks like. https://www.nimmerturf.com/products/


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Do you think for St. Aug that I could take plugs from the healthy center part of my lawn and begin to put that to the area that I eventually clean out in conjunction with plugs I buy because transplanting won't be enough.


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Ecks from Tex said:


> LowCountryCharleston said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah this is all good info. I'll look into killing that s--- now and live with the ugliness knowing I'll install plugs water the hell out of it. No more mulching and just bag cut and apply all the liquid goodness to keep things moving forward.
> ...


Sweet! Thanks for your input. Much appreciated.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> Do you think for St. Aug that I could take plugs from the healthy center part of my lawn and begin to put that to the area that I eventually clean out in conjunction with plugs I buy because transplanting won't be enough.


Yes. That is common for smaller plug repair projects.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

this is one way to plug with sod squares: https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3571


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

Ecks from Tex said:


> LowCountryCharleston said:
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> > Do you think for St. Aug that I could take plugs from the healthy center part of my lawn and begin to put that to the area that I eventually clean out in conjunction with plugs I buy because transplanting won't be enough.
> ...


Great good to know. Thanks!


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## Alan (Apr 23, 2017)

This is what my struggling St. Aug. lawn turned into:
from:



to:


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

LowCountryCharleston said:


> Do you think for St. Aug that I could take plugs from the healthy center part of my lawn and begin to put that to the area that I eventually clean out in conjunction with plugs I buy because transplanting won't be enough.


Yes, I'm doing this now. Believe it or not my yard had just weeds when I purchased it all I did was spot plant here and there. It will take over eventually.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

Alan said:


> This is what my struggling St. Aug. lawn turned into:
> from:
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What crazy is I'm having problems in my St Augustine also. The biggest thing is to be VERY observation of your yard. Make sure you getting enough water down. Check for fungus seems as if everyone is having this problem.


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## Saidwest (Apr 4, 2018)

What a difference a year makes!


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