St Augustine vs. Blue Grass

rpaolillo – posted 18 August 2005 12:04

My lawn is being taken over by blue grass. I recently laid St Augustine sod about 3 months ago, some spots did not take well, and we had bare spots. The blue grass has taken over these bare spots. Should I tear out the blue grass or will St Augustine eventually overtake the blue grass? What is the recommended treatment for removing the blue grass?

tommy – posted 19 August 2005 17:42

Spray ‘Round up’ in late winter when the St. Augustine is semi dormant. The bluegrass will be actively growing and will absorb the chemical- the St Augustine will burn a little- but not be killed. If you want to further protect the St.Augustine from the spray, top dress heavily with steer manure! This will bury and protect the turf, and cause the bluegrass to grow like crazy…..which makes the ‘Round up’ even more effective! Spray 7 to 10 days after the top dressing- so that the bluegrass will be lush and leafy for the kill! Make sure the weather is nice and cold when your doing all this! The last thing you want is for the St Augustine to start growing right before you spray.