UltimateLawn's DFW St. Augustine Journal

[UltimateLawn]

Well, I've taken over my lawn care this year since my previous lawn service created a number of disasters including fungus, weed growth and mutilated lawn at edgings. I'm in the DFW area with St. Augustine and am still working some of the issues. Here are some of the photos...

September 13th:
Clover in beds, now knocked down with some glyphosate...


Crabgrass growth on side yard, knocked back with two rounds of Blindside...


Virginia Buttonweed growth - also knocked back with two rounds of Blindside...


Nutsedge in Front Yard, now on third serving of Dismiss. Pretty good control, but still chasing them...


September 27th:
Fungus buildup in various areas in the lawn. I've been treating with Propiconazole and Azoxystrobin spray. I think it has helped but with the cooling weather, the grass has not yet rebounded...


October 11th:
Saw about 5 Earthball fungus growth in yards. Was able to remove most of them, but one did bust open to spread spores before I got to it...



October 19th:
Removal of an older (rotting) Silver Maple from the front yard...


October 21st:
Fighting with a significant outbreak of Bermuda, particular along the front curb line. Maybe blown in from the street...


Nutsedge still reducing...


October 25th:
Second mole hill seen in lawn. Saw one about three weeks ago. I haven't seen them in my front yard for some time. Maybe attracted to the various chems and Milo throw-downs?


Welcome to my lawn nightmare! Feedback is more than welcome.

[UltimateLawn]

I'm not certain, but I think some of the fungal growth and general thinner lawn is a result of my poor lawn mower. I proudly own a first-gen Ego 20" mower that I've been using (somehow) on the St. Aug here in DFW. I bought this mower when I lived in Colorado and it handled my cold season grass just fine on a lawn that was only about 1,000 ft2. Now I'm at 5,000 ft2 with St. Augustine and it struggles significantly.

I regularly sharpen the blades, but they are made out of some pretty soft metal so they don't hold their edge very long. Also I've been mulching - mostly because I was too lazy to bag, but I don't think this mower mulches very well and it is added a thick humic-type layer of thatch, helping to choke the living grass and contributing to the fungus(?).

I'm committed to a new gas mower as it rolls around to the new year. I'm undecided between a Honda HRX217HYZ and a Toro Timemaster or Turfmaster. I'm also looking at the Honda HRC commercial line, but they seem a bit more oriented to a business than a resident. There is also a Ferris 32 inch I'm considering, but it is pretty bulky to store.

[ionicatoms]

I'll be watching your journal! Good luck!

[dubyadubya87]

Makes me feel better that I'm not the only SA owner with Virginia Buttonweed issues! Stuff drives me crazy. My wife and kids make fun of me crawling around pulling it out by the roots!

[UltimateLawn]

@dubyadubya87 , I know what you mean!

It started popping up in a wetter section of the lawn this year. I had never seen it before in the lawn, and with the ground spread and unobtrusive little white flowers it looked like something from an alien outer space!

I hit it with Blindside and it seems to have controlled it well to where I can actually pull it up quickly when it shows up from time to time. Unfortunately the St. Aug took a beating where the Blindside landed.

Brutal weed to stop!

Somewhere on my list is to re-level some portions of my yard that have settle as little bowls that trap water. Maybe in the spring.

[UltimateLawn]

Rain has been brutal today and is forecast over the next three days, so not much lawn activity happening.

I purchased 2ea Fire Dragon Maples this weekend to plant in the front yard replacing two Silver Maples. Was supposed to plant today, but it will probably be Thursday given the rain.

[UltimateLawn]

So cooler weather has landed in the DFW area with lows in the high 30's and a lot of rain. Grass is pretty much going dormant. My lawn had a late feeding of Milo and the nitrogen is certainly showing through. I think I have the greenest grass on the street!

That being said, there is a pattern to the grass with a lot of shriveled brown grass leaves amongst the broader leaves. Is that simply dead leaves showing up as the grass grows dormant and growth slows? Or is it an indicator of another problem?

[dubyadubya87]

I have the same in mine right now. Curious to hear if anyone knows for sure what it is.

[dfw_pilot]

I'm also looking at the Honda HRC commercial line, but they seem a bit more oriented to a business than a resident.

I tend to agree they are worth skipping. Some of the commercial Toro's in my neighborhood weren't any more robust and didn't cut any better. They were simply larger, with bigger fuel tanks for fewer fill-ups. They might be tougher on the wheel and handle area, but I doubt a home owner would ever recoup that extra expense.

IMO, I'd stick with Honda or Toro but purchased from a local dealer instead of a box store. Better service, and higher quality models are sold there. I'm shocked the EGO lasted this long - I know some gas mowers that have fits with St. Aug and Zoysia. You'll be happy with a new mower. Cheers.

[UltimateLawn]

I have the same in mine right now. Curious to hear if anyone knows for sure what it is.

I have a theory on the shriveled St.Aug blades. I have been fighting a fungal outbreak and this may be leaves and/or stolons attacked by the fungus and it was a full blade kill. I think they were there all season, but I tend to cut my StAug high and maybe these were leaves under the top of the turf that I did not see during the growing season.

Thoughts?