Did I kill my St. Augustine?

javasnow2 – posted 07 April 2004 14:52

I’m afraid that I may have damaged my lawn, and I would appreciate any advice. Here’s my tale:

I bought my house in mid-July 2003 (Houston). The grass is St. Augustine, though I am not sure what particular variety. Last summer, the yard was perfect – healthy, weed-free and VERY thick. The previous owner used a lawn service and I am not sure what fertilizer regimen (if any) was used. Here’s where I step in.

During the “winter” months (as if Houston really has these), the lawn appeared to me to go into dormancy. Late January/early February, we started getting a lot of weeds in the grass, though the grass itself still appeared dormant. I used a hose-attached weed killer (Weed B’ Gone, I think) once in January and again in February, though it did little to affect the weed population. Still, the grass appeared to me to be dormant.

Two weeks ago (March 22, 2004), I applied Scott’s Bonus S Weed/Feed (it said it was okay for St. Augustine) since the weeds were still present and I thought it needed fertilizer. I was still thinking the grass to be dormant. Now, two weeks later, I am looking much closer…

Sections of the grass are starting to green up, some look very weak with exposed runners, and some sections are downright dead. By hand, I removed the dead blades from a few especially bad looking sections and exposed nothing but dirt (no roots – nothing).

Most of the information I find details the way diseases/bugs look in a healthy lawn. My problem is that the lawn was, for the most part, a brownish dormant looking yard, and it just looks to be getting worse, rather than greener in some places.

My questions are:

1. What course of action to determine if I have a problem (chinch, Take-All, brown spot, etc.)?2. Was the weed killer a bad idea? Bonus S? Both?3. It’s only April, am I overreacting? Should I just leave the yard alone and see what happens in a month?

Sorry for the long essay. I would very much appreciate any help!

ted – posted 07 April 2004 15:57

i ran a chemical lawn care business in houston for many years. your weed be gone contains a product that is harmful to st. augustine. the problem is that the local hardware stores all carry the same products no matter where you live! i would go ahead and fertilize it heavily now. you’re not experiencing any fungus this time of year and you’re probably not seeing any insect damage. just fertilize it and see what happens. water heavily as well, although you might not need to after yesterday! also, don’t be afraid to call a local lawn care company. affordable lawns is a good local company. also you can buy good products yourself at the lesco service center behind pappasitos on the north freeway. good luck.

javasnow2 – posted 08 April 2004 08:52

Ted,

Many thanks for the reply. I think that your diagnosis is spot-on. Looking back, the really bad spots are the parts of the lawn that I focused on with the Weed B’ Gone (hindsight 20-20 and all). Also, I did some research on Augustine and Weed B’ Gone and found several posts that described my situation exactly! I checked the container and it explicitly states that it is OK for non-floratam St Augustine (which, I understand is found more in Florida, not Houston?). In any case, I’ll never use that stuff again. Live and learn, I guess. It’s baffling why Weed B’ Gone would be sold in Houston, as it seems to me that 90% of lawns are St Augustine…

Thanks again for the help. I’ll start researching for a good fertilizer and try that out tonight.

ted – posted 08 April 2004 14:05

yeah, it’s not your fault. the lowes and home depots all sell the same stuff all over the country. as for the non- floratam varieties, there’s plenty of them like seville, etc. 24d is the problem, but you can even use it with no problem in the cooler months. i would try fertilizing and watering heavy, remember although you put it down, it’s nowhere near the strength of professional 24d mixes. good luck

ldy1810 – posted 13 April 2004 08:53

I have the same exact problem in lake charles, Louisiana. We sodded our whole yard when we built the house 7 years ago. Now every winter, these hidious weeds appear and I am losing more and more St. Augustine. Some people say you have to mow at a higher setting. (how high is high enough)? How can I get this trend to reverse? I have been using a scotts (I think) weed and feed every year. Has this been part of the problem. Please comment.

Jim- Lake Charles, LA

[This message has been edited by ldy1810 (edited 13 April 2004).]

[This message has been edited by ldy1810 (edited 13 April 2004).]