Strange St. Augustine Issue

FL Air Medic – posted 14 August 2005 15:19

Hello all,

This is my second year dealing with St. augustine grass. The sod was laid in late Nov. early Dec. 2003. I did not cut untill late Feb. 2004 since the sod had laid pretty smooth and seemed to be taking root. I decided to use Scotts products on the lawn and was following the Yearly program listed on the Bonus S Bag. I misread the application guide on the Bonus S bag and applied. 1 1/2 times the amount of Bonus S that is recommended for my broadcast spreader. The grass of course became very green and looked great. I still was unaware that I did not have the right setting when I applied the Turf Builder a few months later. Well The grass remained green and became good and thick. Before any other applications I re-read the bags just for informational purposes and noticed my mistake. Around the end of July 04 the grass remained green but I noticed that basicly every other leaf was dying and turning brown. Not in patches over the entire yard. I applied alittle more Bonus S at the correct maint. dose. That helped keep the green grass green. The grass did not thin out at all but the dead leaves just caused the grass to look unhealthy. I did develop a fungus (because I was watering at night and was hit by the three Central Florida hurricanes. So I stopped the night watering) and corrected it with the fungus control. I winterized and the lawn became green again and the dead leaves must have become part of the thatch (I guess). I began all over again this year in late Feb. with the correct amounts of Bonus S and Turf builder at the coorect interval. I applied Turf Builder Summer Gaurd due to some slight yellowing at the beging of July. The lawn looks the same as last year. The backyard is even worse I developed a few brown patches while I was out of town for a week. These patches are along the slope of the hill in the backyard. I noticed this when I came back in town. I looked at all the other grass and noticed the leaves were folding in half length wise. I paniced about lack of water. Did a watering test and was almost at 3/4 inch at all stations. so I water a couple of times at night just so it could soak in and not evaporate. That did help the with the leaf folding. The brown patches on the backyard hill have regrowth in them. but the entire yard has the every other leaf dead look to it. There is no yellowing of the green leaves but it looks yellow due to the dead material in it. I have not had a soil test. I see no bugs besides earthworms. The landscape edges have new growth that comes out nice thick and green when I do my detail weeding. I’m sure I need to have the Ph tested but I’m unsure from where I would need to take the sample from the lawn and then who would test the sample. My lawn mower is set to the highest level I can obtain but still seem to have to cut a bit more than 1/3 the length of the leaf off when I mow (once a week mowing. I could email pictures of the grass condition I have mentioned, if it would help document the problem. I live in the Orlando area. Seem the grass does so much better in early spring and winter then just begins to decline throughout the summer. Any help is greatly apprciated.