NobarToofar – posted 18 July 2005 18:07
I live in a waterfront canal community that was constructed by dredging the canal and raising the property with the spoil. The result is a lawn with no real organic material and mostly sand that drains away any moisture quickly. I have had fits with trying to culture St. Augustine but the cynch bugs always destroy it no matter how much spraying and spreading I do. I am considering a different type of grass like Seaisle or Celebration but I need to know if these are also doomed if I don’t first scrape the surface and bring in a couple of yards of organic compost or topsoil?
Alex_in_FL – posted 19 July 2005 06:35
H’mm. Are you positive it is chinch bugs and not fungus or a subsurface insect? What spray are you using and how often?
Naturally grass likes good soil. Spoil may be high in salt. If so you need a high salt tolerant grass like St Augustine, zoysia or the ones you mentioned.
You might try a different brand of St Augustine. However, before you do something drastic you might want to make sure chinch bugs are the real problem.
NobarToofar – posted 19 July 2005 12:54
A little background – The community is over 30 years old and any remaining salt has long ago leached out. I used a Permetherin granular and liquid spray in the spring but nothing since. Nematodes may also be a problem but I havn’t tested for them. I just want a grass variety that requires less care than St. Augustine!