St. Augustine grass problems

We have spent so much money buying this or that for our grass. It seems that all the bugs and diseases in the world attacks this grass. I become so upset and frustrated that I feel as hiring someone to dig out the whole place, but if I do, then what, and besides it could become costly to someone with a fixed income such as I.

First off, the grass died in spots, looked like it had die all type disease. We bought fungicides, etc. Looks better, however, how the blades are getting yellow on top and the edges are raggedy with brown spots. On top of that, we spread some wood chips soil that also grow and ugly looking fungus and looks like (excuse the expression) it is the best I can describe it, something threw up and left it there, I thought maybe the cats had thrown up but my son said, no, it was like someting was decomposing but it was not from the cats being sick. Some of them are sandy looking others black, gray.

I am so upset and discouraged as I have spent lots of money in this yard and seems that when is not one thing then it is the next.

Yes, one of the hurricanes that visited this area (Jacksonville, N.C.) fell down a forest-growth oak tree. I had it cut down but they left the stump. I had the rest of the trees taken down as well leaving the stump. Could this be causing some of the problems? What can be done to alleviate this crazy situation?

I have sprayed the yard with Malathion as well as fungicides and use Scott's regimen for the yard and applied when appropriate.

Your advise is greatly appreciated. No use calling the agriculture Dept. man, he is useless also. No responding on time. I know they are busy, but responding a month later after my blueberries died!

Help, please?

I'm a little confused about the wood chips part...you have wood chips in the lawn? Or is that in a garden bed? The stuff you're seeing in the wood chips is a fungus, I think it has a common name of dog vomit fungus or something like that. It is ugly but I don't think it hurts anything. But if you have the wood chips on top of the grass that's not a good idea, I'd remove them.

Getting rid of the trees in the long term should actually be better for the lawn, grass will often have trouble thriving under trees because it's too shady and the trees' roots will out-compete it for water. But when you removed the trees, the grass is all of a sudden exposed to a lot more sun than it's used to so it could be sunburned (this is assuming that the tree removal was very recent--if they've been gone for a while then it's likely something else)

My only other thought is that you've just been dumping too many chemicals on it--malathion plus fungicides plus the Scott's stuff may be stressing it out, I'd ease off on all the chemicals for a while and see if it starts to look better.

My parents always grew St. Augustine grass. I never knew it to have any problems at all. When we were living in the foothills of Los Angeles (La Crescenta), the grass was in full sun, front and back. There was no existing grass, so we buried cuttings, which eventually formed a mat about three inches deep. I can't remember how long it took to completely cover the ground, not long, maybe a year or two.

When they moved to the San Fernando Valley, there was a big tree in the front yard and one in the back yard. Both trees shaded most of the grass nearly all day. At this house we buried cuttings in the existing grass. Eventually, the St. Augustine took over the whole front and back lawns, and again formed a mat about three inches thick.

St. Augustine does need a lot of water when it's growing in the spring and summer. In the fall and winter, it goes dormant and turns fairly brown until spring again . When it's dormant, it requires less water. I never knew my folks to use any kind of insecticide or fertilizer on it. Full shade, full sun, or in between -- should not be a problem.

I have known St. Augustine to develop brown, dead-looking, scrubby areas if it is kept cut too short. It should never be cut shorter than 2" or even 2 1/2" is better. Cutting it too short can also keep it from forming the runners that criss-cross back and forth and form the "mat" that is characteristic of this grass. I agree with ecrane. It sounds as if the grass has now been burned or over-stressed from the treatments. In 30 years with St. Augustine grass, I never saw the type of yellow blades/brown edges you are describing.

St. Augustine should be nearly trouble free, which is why it was in my parents' yards. My mom was not about to have grass that had to be babied and way too cheap to be paying for stuff to put on the grass.

Hi Haydee, I have to agree with the last 2 replies, you are giving your grass no chance with all the chemicals that you have used, I think the problem is water, or should say the lack of it, any new lawn, no matter what kind of grass, needs a lot more water than people think, new grass has tiny root system therefore cant get down deep for any reserve in the soil, also if you give it tones of water, you will dilute all those chemicals that has hit the root system, one lot on top of the other is like you haveing a really strong cocktail and wondering why you cant stand up, give it gallons, dont cut it short, it will get root burn from the heat and the chemicals mixed with the heat. The wood chipping, if in your border, should not affect the grass unless it is something that is seeping into the soil and the grass roots are taking it up into the roots, if you are really worried, get it off the beds, or keep turning it with the rake, it will dry out faster and fungus dont like to grow in dry conditions, as for the damaged trees, these could cause a problem, if they have only recently been cut down then you should try the garden center for tree stump killer, this is stuff that you drill several holes into the old stumps, you pour this tree stump killer into the holes (with care not to get it on anything else) once it has settled into the holes, poke it down with a stick or something, you then put a cover over it, either thick pollythene, or something like that, tie it around the stump to keep rain/watering off the trunk, and over several years, it will just die off and also any roots will stop growing, it eventualy kills the roots also, however, we had trees taken down by a storm a few years back, and because we have huge grounds, we left the trunks as were, so we could cut them for logs, we ended up with a fungus growing in the dead wood and it eventually spread to other trees ( it looked like flat mushrooms growing from the dead wood) it also looked wonderful the way it grew, however, it had black thread like spours that crept onto the next healthy tree, so be carefull about dead tree trunks etc, as this stuff turned up a few years later where the old underground roots came to the surface. Dont feed your grass as it is still in shock from everything else you have added to it, give it a rest to recover and just plenty to drink. I know you must be pulling your hair out, but patience is required for now, nothing will work instantly, Good Luck, WeeNel.

I am having a problem with my grass as well. I have brown spot. I am trying to treat with cosan. It is a liquid since the store near me stopped carrying DACONIL. The problem isnt' the brown spot it is the yellowing that is going on in the lawn and the dead that I can see when I spread the grass blades apart. It seems to have some kind of fungus underneath the grass. Is this possible? If so how can I get rid of it. I know I won't see effects but I am trying to avoid a dead lawn. I have sprayed with the cosan once a week this was this second week. Is there something better that I should put on it? Should I leave it alone? I would appreciate any insight, because I am lost and all of my freinds have no idea what it is either.

I too, agree with what the other's have said. I'd lay off the chemicals, and probably aerate the lawn...either by renting an aerator, or using a hand aerator...and then watering well.

You might also have heavy thatch build up, which isn;t allowing the water to penetrate and get to the roots. If that's the case, you could "vertical mow" the lawn. There is a blade attachment you can put on a rotary or reel lawn mower, which will "de-thatch" the lawn and get all the dead stuff out. It's a messy job, but it works. I do my St. Augustine lawns every 3 years and they spring back very well.

It is definitely a "thirsty grass" and looks best with regular, even watering. It is also shallow rooted so it tends to dry out faster than blade grasses. Mine never gets fed, and I've never had a disease problem with it. It also stays about 90% green in our "winter" here.

Hi amtordin, yellow or brown patches on the grass is a wee bit vauge, you need to try look at the grass and find out if the grass has died, if it has still got green bits way down at the bottom of the blades of grass or if you can find loose earth in between the blades, as the cure for all will differ, normal yellowing can be caused by female dog/animal urinateing the spot, yellowing appears, then there are fungus spores that can creep into the grass needing diiferent treatment, then there are things growing under the grass that can show up as the same discolouration, like large stone, dead wood/roots or a drainage problem at the bits that are yellowing, if the roots feel dry, and it aint a huge big lawn, add air holes to the lawn by garden fork all over it, you put the fork into the grass, stand on it till it goes in about 6 inches and then gentle wiggle it back and forward, this will give it some holes for air/water to penetrate down to the roots or as someone else sugested, hire a machine that puts the holes in for you, could you go to your nearest nursery and find someone there to help you identify the problem as it would be silly to throw chemicals on the lawn in the heat of the summer that could cause even more problems, it may just be suffering from lack of water, as said before, a lawn really needs a lot more water than some folks think, good luck WeeNel.

I appreciate all of the advice I cut the lawn today and have found that the grass has has died and is very easy to pull up. I also took the advice of running over the lawn with an airator. when I pull on the grass it seems to come up easy and the bottoms are black. It is almost like it has root rot. I went online and found a a matching picture of a matching fungus it is called TARR. Evedently it is a fungus that effects the roots and causes yellowing. There is new grass coming up that is nice and green. I have been watering twice a week or less if it has been raining. I have also been only water from 4 am to 6 so that I don't increase the amount of time the grass is wet including the dew. I layed the sod about 5 months ago, and this was the second time the previous owners had done this twice. I think this is the same fungus that killed thier lawns. I am going to apply a granular at the recomendation of the site that says to use Baylor. I could not find it as a liquid at the local stores in Daytona beach, but I did find a granular. If you want more information about tarr just type into google under St. Agustein grass fungus. About how long should I wait untill I add the next dose.I had been using cosan 20 liquid. I last used on Monday I had been spraying every two weeks right before I watered. This is a very serious fungus that can kill an entire lawn quite quickly. I appreciate all of your help this is the best website I think I have been to in a very long time. You all are great. If anyone know how long I should wait to apply the granular or if I am watering incorrectly please let me now. The people at the nursury didn't seem to give me any info I didn't already know. You all seem to have the best information. again thank you!

Hi amtordin, what a bummer to have a fungus in your lawn, you did the right thing to get the info you have, as to when to lay the new fungiside so soon after the last treatment you used, I can only advise caution, so is there a makers address on the package you just bought or a web site, get in touch with them and the name of the last stuff you tried, when you spread it on the lawn and how ofter you watered the lawn, ask them for direction as to how soon you can apply the new stuff, if possible, try get a soil test done on the soil under the lawn as this might be a problem within the soil rather than the grass itself, you should state your fears about the previous owners troubles when you get in touch with the manufacturers of the latest granuals that you want to try as it may need more or different amounts of this treatment if it's soil born fungus you are dealing with, in desperation is there perhaps a golf course and green keeper close by that you could call, maybe if you speak real nice to them, they could call over and see your lawn, just worth a try and maybe a bottle of something for their trouble, good luck, let's know how you get on, as I would love to know as I feel sure many others will also. WeeNel.

Apparently, TARR is a Texas, Gulf Coast, Florida problem in St. Augustine grass. It is a spring and fall problem.

In 60 years of watching/growing St. Augustine in So. CA, I never heard of this nor known anyone who had.

Here's a link:
http://www.plantanswers.com/root_rot_fungus.htm

They do give suggestions for treating the TARR.

Good luck,

Karen