Is anyone here growing Centipede grass in the DFW area?
I loved the Centipede when we lived in the Florida panhandle, but we had it growing on pure sand there - here, we have heavy clay soil.
We sodded our front yard with St Augustine last year, but in one side of the yard, it's barely coming back - just a few sprigs here and there. :(
The landscaper has already fed it and I've been watering for the last couple of months, but mostly I've got dead St Augustine, Bermuda, Johnson grass and weeds. I thought I might try overseeding with Centipede, but I can't find anything about growing it in this area.
Anyone here have experience with it? Thanks in advance!!! :)
Elizabeth
Lawn advice, please?
St Augustine loves our clay soil here, so if yours isn't doing well I would wonder (1) is it getting enough sunshine and (2) is the soil healthy below it. Did you see the landscaper install the St Aug squares? Sometimes if they're not squished down enough (ie, the roots have to touch the soil below), they will dry up and die. The roots of the new sod must be kept moist (not too wet, not too dry) for weeks before they become established. It's also possible that the landscaper put down warm-weather sod instead of St Aug most conducive to our colder winters (there are several different varieties of St Aug).
If it's good all over your yard, except for that one area, I wonder if that one area might be too shaded? Does it get more/less water than the rest of the yard? What was in that area before the sod went down? Is the soil in that area different than the rest of the yard?
If me, I would (1) determine whether that area is getting enough sunlight and, if it is (2) work to organically "bulk up" the soil in that area. Put down compost and let the beneficial organisms do the work for you. Don't give up on your St Aug, it is a wonderful grass.
Carla
Hello Carla and thank you! :)
It was gorgeous last year, so I know it can thrive in that zone - I just can't afford to have it re-sodded right now.
I went ahead and bought some centipede seed - if it doesn't take, we'll re-sod next year in spring instead of waiting until August to put it in, like we did last year. I may have the landscaper remove the top 3-4" of gumbo and put in good topsoil before putting the sod down. Might even put in a sprinkler system while we're at it.
Thanks very much for taking the time to write. :)
Elizabeth
Warning! What most landscapers sell as "topsoil" is not worth a thimble of spit. Unless you are buying something similar to "rose soil - 1/3 compost, 1/3 sand, 1/3 soil, you are wasting your money. What most landscapers sell as topsoil is dirt scraped off anywhere and is full of weed seeds. It's a real scam. Don't waste your money. St. Augustine is native to gumbo soils. I grow mine on gumbo which has been amended ONLY after the fact. If you re-sod . . . make certain the landscaper "roughs" up the surface of the gumbo and does, indeed, press the sod down. Water well. Then, using a solution of SuperThrive (the ONLY product that actually works, unlike so-called Root Stimulators which really are just weakened fertilizers), spray it onto the newly-laid sod. SuperThrive is not cheap, but it's worth every penny. Mail order it if you can't find it locally. Use it ONLY as directly; more is not better.
Personally, I also think it a mistake to use commercial, chemical fertilizers due to salt build-up. Over-fertilized St. Augustine (if it's deep green, it's been over-fertilized with nitrogen) is vulnerable to disease. I rarely fertilize mine; but when I do, I use MicroLife which actually feeds the sub-surface microorganisms which make nutrients available to the plants/grass. My grass is beautiful . . . no disease; my neighbors' yards, which are sprayed/fed frequently, often look terrible.
Leslie
I had to re-sod a portion of my St. Augustine recently . . . . I used the above "recipe" and all of the sod is doing well, despite our extreme drought. We couldn't rough up the soil, because the new grass was laid on top of live oak tree roots. We had a rougher time getting it to "set" because of this; had I not used SuperThrive I'm not sure it would have "taken." I am keeping it watered.
Leslie
I second and third everything Leslie has said. Do not remove the gumbo and put in top soil. Gumbo is a fabulous growing medium for St Augustine. What you might do is beef the soil up by adding compost or other organic matter.
I'm also curious how high your grass is mowed, as St Augustine does not like to be cut short. If you are having a landscaper mow it, chances are they're mowing it too short. Most landscapers mow everything as if it's Bermuda (which likes to be cut short). St Augustine likes to be cut as high as possible.
Over the years I've had patches of St Aug decline for whatever reason. I just put down compost and put down a few St Aug plugs, and it comes right back. Mow it high; water 1" per week; and feed it organically and that area should come back fairly quickly. Like Leslie, I have the best St Aug lawn on my street. I don't spend much time on it at all, now that I'm giving it what it wants.
Carla
So glad I found ya'll!
I have a St. Aug lawn that has seriously been neglected. In mid-March I sprinkled 13-13-13 fertilizer and 1lb of Epsom salts, and watered in. We were supposed to have rainstorms the next day, but it never happened. The lawn started greening up, and has been slowly (very slowly) coming back with new sprigs everywhere, so I know there's still hope.
I'm about to fertilize again, and begin watering the lawn much more regularly. Been holding out for rain, but push is coming to shove, and I don't want to lose what was once the MOST beautiful St. Aug on the block.
At least I know who to ask now!
What method do you all use to measure 1" of water per week? I've heard of putting tin cans down until they collect the 1" of water, then you know it's enough. Is this a good method of measuring?
Thanks, guys, er ladies!
Linda
St Augustine is prone to grubs eating the roots, and is hard to return where the soil still has old runners, or is blocked from dead grass blocking the soil, we have centipede grass down here, does fine, but your neighbors might wonder if you,ve let a monster loose..
Gymgirl, I measured with an empty tuna fish can and 1" for me equals one hour with the sprinklers. If you water deeply and mow high, that keeps the roots down well below the soil and away from the burning rays of the sun.
Kittriana, yes grubs can be a real problem in St Aug. But since QuilterGal has a problem in only one specific area, this probably isn't the problem. Grubs are another reason to go organic, too. A healthy population of beneficial nematodes will keep out (ie, feast upon) grubs and other nasties.
Carla
Carla,
Yeah, I ran into issues with the guy who had been cutting the lawn when I was using it as a rental property. He came by after I got back in my home, and I told him to go ahead and cut the grass. I nearly had a cow when I saw he had not raised those wheels, and was cutting my grass low. And, he had the nerve to look vexed because I stood and waited until he raised those wheels!
I keep the height between 3-4 inches so Texas sun doesn't fry my roots!
Over the winter, I had several 10-gallon tubs lined up on a sandy, shady, bare patch of ground, where my hose bib is. When I reached for them about 2 months ago, I was horrified to see grubs underneath. I was even more horrified when I dumped the soil that was in the tubs. I must've smashed at least 40-50 grubs in each of the 3 containers! I HATE grubs more than I hate maggots!
I never had that many grubs at the other house...but, I'm encountering all sorts of different species from one location to the other. At least, I don't have a huge stinkbug population where I am now -- at least until they sound the alarm that the NEW tomato field is ripe for harvest!
Linda
What is the name of those little bugs that swarm thru St Augustine and when you look close makes the grass seem to be moving? Dau treats sections of her St Augustine regularly for those too, and they were hard on the lawns of ST Augustine in the Dallas area with all the dryness last year, cant remember those bugs name, drat. But it made 1 yard look good and the next would have bare spots that had been healthy go dead. Kaput.
I hear ya about the grubs, Linda. I used to be horrified by them and put them in my bird feeders to let the birds have .... until someone told me that very very few grubs are "bad" grubs. Most are beneficial and are doing us a favor by breaking down organic material. Now when I find them (which is all the time if I dig into my mulch for any reason), I gently toss them to another area of the flowerbed. Knock wood, I have never found grubs in my St Augustine.
And I hear ya about the landscapers. A few years ago I hired a company *just* to edge my yard (I won't let anyone mow it but me). Well darned if they didn't scalp the St Aug around my foundation, right down to the bare earth. I fired them, but it took most of last summer before the St Aug on the south side of my house recovered. Ergh.
Kittriana, I think you're referring to Chinch Bugs?
Carla
CHINCH BUGS! I think you're exactly right! ^^_^^
Bad, bad, bad bugs!
Thanks for the grub tip, Loonie. I like to live in harmony with the wildlife as I can. Knowing that all grubs are not enemies certainly helps! And, this lawn has been there for years of good health, so I don't suppose the grubs just miraculously appeared. I don't cotton to killing stuff just because I don't like them.
Except for Louisiana tree roaches that dive-bomb you every chance they get, and stinkbugs!
Most grubs dont bother me, the Jap Beetles turned June Bugs swarm around here worse than the mosquitoes, I don't mind treating for them when my plants start losing the battle, Yup, Chinch Bugs, thanx, and Hey!! Down in the lowlands I have been told faithfully that folks didn't pay to simply mow the lawn, they paid kids to remove every blade of grass they could find in it, something about the crawfish damage to mowers...
On another note, I spent last evening reading up on Assassin bugs. Seems I have an entire herd of them down in the milkweed growing in the grass surrounding my tomato planters. At first I saw only one on a tomato vine and thought it was a Stinkbug nymph. But, upon closer inspection, there was no black bump on his butt, and there was no "congregation" (Stinkbug nymphs travel in groups -- Assassins are solo creatures), so I figured it was an Ass'n.
I had not missed the fact that there were NO buggies on, or anywhere near, my tomato vines, except for one lone Army worm I found 8 weeks ago. Since then, there's been a congregation of SB nymphs on only one of my tomato plants. I have patted them down to non-existence.
Now I know why there are no buggies anywhere -- Assassins are surrounding the grass around all my tomato containers, and patroling and doing double duty! I just hate that they kill EVERYthing...
A tip on watering when you have gumbo soil: in my gumbo soil, I set my sprinkler system to water only 10 minutes, but after going through an entire cycle, it returns for another 10 minutes, and then a third. I do a total of three cycles on grass and on the separate zones in my beds. This allows the water to percolate down through the gumbo soil. IF you are seeing a lot of water running off, you're watering too long and/or too fast for the gumbo soil to utilize it. I know this is difficult without automatic sprinklers, but I used to do it with my hose and sprinkler before I got the automatic system. I tested my timing with the automatic system, as previously suggested, by using tin cans (in my case, tomato cans placed randomly around an area). I discovered that by using my method (the amount of time required varies throughout the year; more in summer and less in winter) I could apply the "right" amount of water with the minimum runoff/waste.
With St. Augustine you want to encourage its roots to go down into the gumbo, rather than scurry along on top. This is why you want to be certain that the water actually penetrates the gumbo. I can't tell you how much water I see wasted on my street by people who never check what's actually happening when they water, who water for long periods (often during the hottest/windiest part of the day) with the water just running down the street in torrents. No way does it penetrate properly.
Leslie
We have an ordinance in FW that we can't run sprinklers between 10 am and 6pm. At least that does help some plants and lawns from stupid people. LOL!
I fertilized my lawn and started watering EARLY Saturday morning. I have one of those oscillating thingies that go back and forth. I set it in different zones and watered each for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, watching carefully for "run-off". There WAS no run-off, so I know my lawn soaked up all that water.
Of course it did...It hasn't rained in over 58 days, and I've only watered once, about a month ago.
Getting back on the good foot down here...needed a good initial soaking. Will be watering every week from now on, for probably 20 minutes in each zone. Next application will be Scott's Turf Builder in 3 weeks...
I'd rather spend a couple hundred $ on watering, than a couple THOUSAND $$$$ because my foundation cracked...
I did the math, myself!!! ^^_^^
Anyone know where I can get a decent lawn mower and weedeater? I'm open for suggestions on brands. I want to tackle doing my lawn myself, for the exercise, to save $$, and to have a more "hands on" relationship with my property.
Thanks so much for ya'lls input and invaluable knowledge. Much appreciated.
Linda
The lawnmower question.... You need to do research online first. Decide what type mower you want (brand, mulcher, riding, gas, electric, etc.) Then get three distributors of that brand, and get "bid quotes" on them. If they understand they are bidding against others they will give you their best price.
We went with a Snapper distributor over getting one at HD, Lowe's, etc. It was a riding mower and they had an on-site repair and parts house, plus we got on it and you could feel the stability over others. Pricing was very close between distributors.
I love my weedeater. It is a Black N Decker GH710 - 6.0 Amp Dual-Line Trimmer. It has double string action and makes short work of the tough grass and the head flips in a second to edge. We also have a B & D that is cordless that we use in the front yard where it is mainly routine edging. The NST2118 - 18V Trimmer is very light weight and easy to use, battery power charge last quite a long time. http://store.blackanddecker.com/b/2636118011
Thanks, Sheila!
For a walk-behind mower, I love our little self-propelled 22-in Toro with catcher bag. Cost $270 including sales tax during a sale at Home Depot. When addressing foundation problems due to too much water next to slab, one of many things we learned was the mulching lawn mowers the lawn service was using had, little by little, over the years increased the soil height of our yard by about 6 inches, which prevented water from draining away from house !!! Had to remove tons of soil in order to have the landscape beds next to foundation drain properly. So no more mulching lawn mowers in the part of our yard that is next to the house and no more lawn service either.
The grass clippings make wonderful mulch under our oak trees. When slightly packed down while it is fresh and green, it makes a firm mat that stops grass and weeds from growing. Great for erosion control anywhere that's a problem. And fresh green grass clippings heats up compost in the compost bin better than anything I've ever seen.
Being a former Houston resident for many years, I believe St. Augustine has more problems up here in the D/FW area than in Houston area. Twenty-five years ago, my son, who remembered our yard in Houston, insisted we install St. Augustine here in north central Texas and sometimes I wish we hadn't. It has done well but does take a lot more water than, for instance, Bermuda grass here, which makes me feel guilty and I stop 2 or 3 zones of our sprinkler system in July-August and just let the St. Augustine die if there's no rain. For fertilizer, we use a mixture from the Dirt Doctor's website that we mix ourselves and only do that every few years. It is a mixture of corn meal, ag molasses powder, Tx green sand, lava sand - maybe something else I'm forgetting. There are a lot less fire ants where we use that.
Dogs,
Thanks for the Toro tip! I saw some Toros on sale at Lowes recently.
They increased the soil height with the mulched grass, huh? I always thought it would break down eventually...guess not!
It does break down but becomes compost / soil mixture where roots will grow up through.