Frequently, people mistake Centipede for St Augustine.... The main thing people notice is that Centipede is very low growing while St Augustine is high growing... Culturally, they are very different.... Centipede likes very ACID and a very low fertilizer input... St Augustine is the opposite.... It likes a much higher fertilizer input and a more neutral soil.... Centipede needs infrequent, low mowing... St Augustine needs frequent, high mowing.... One frequent problem people have with the St Augustine is that it is quite Thirsty... It likes lots of water -- especially in the sun... In the end, it probably won't be too bad... You will end up with a mixture of whatever likes that area best for the culture you provide... They look fairly similar, so it won't stand out as bad as if they mixed Bermuda with your St. Augustine.... Thanks John

Driven through St. Tammany Parish many, many times. You have a very similar geography (low, flat and wet) as where I am, 50 miles south of Houston. My guess would be that you're ~ 25 feet above sea level? However, from your soil test results, your soils are about as opposite of mine as can be. Your description of your soil is very consistent with the Stough series description. It is noted as being very strongly acidic, and below about 8" indicates signs of frequent or typical anaerobic conditions, probably from the high natural water levels. You have a couple of distinct issues, one being drainage, the other being the soil test results. On drainage, given your geography and the natural soil water levels, there probably isn't much you can do to improve soil drainage via percolation directly - the underlying soil is what it is. If you pick a spot for a bed an amend it you can improve the local drainage, until the surrounding and underlying soil stops it , then your improved bed becomes the "bathtub" of sorts. You may be able to help your situation out a bit by re-evaluating the lot grading and surface water flow in high rainfall periods. For a gardening situation your better bet would be a raised bed, with enough depth that the underlying poor drainage won't be a problem. Doing that you can construct the soil in the bed to be what best suits your needs. As for your soil test, I'm curious why you chose Dr. Good Earth rather than the LSU Ag Center lab? Did the sample come from just the bed area, or is it representative of a broader view of your landscape? If the results are representative, the very low pH helps explain the low Ca and Mg levels. My thinking is focus on correcting the pH using dolomitic limestone, which should take care of both Ca and Mg, then retest. The amount is dependent upon soil type, and this is where the LSU AG Center and the local extension service can be a great help with a specific recommendation, but it will probably be something like 100 lbs per thousand square feet. With the pH corrected, the P and K levels can be supplemented via common fertilizer options, or using organic amendments. Of course if you build a raised bed, that will likely be different soil. With soil like that it would probably be worthwhile to test the soil broadly, if you haven't already done so, and working to get the pH toward ~ 6.5. For any future tests I would encourage to use the LSU labs, as they have local knowledge, can guide you on appropriate amendments and amounts to use. I would also encourage you to add the micronutrient test in the future. I suggest that because the Stough series description notes a lot of variations in both iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) concentrations. Here is a link that might be useful: LSU AgCenter Soil Testing This post was edited by TXEB on Thu, Aug 1, 13 at 20:52

If it is in a lawn area, mowing it will help control seed production. It should be an annual, so it needs seed production to come back next yet--stop the seeds, stop the infestation. Also, if you get a good growth of grass, it will choke out the seedlings and help control the plant. You could also spray it with glyphosate, or if in a lawn, spray with 2,4-D or a weed & feed product/turfgrass herbicide. All isn't bad with this plant, though. It is a legume and fixes nitrogen. Good luck!

The purple label contains atrazine as the active ingredient. Atrazine kills almost all plants with the exceptions of centipede and St Augustine grasses. If you have the Floratam variety of St Augustine, this is the only herbicide that does not harm the grass. Atrazine is nasty stuff, so reread the directions a couple times. Walk backwards when you apply so you don't have to walk through it. Apply once in April to control just about everything. If you really need to apply again, wait until September. The green label can damage Floratam. It is the standard type of 2,4-d herbicide equivalent to the formula of standard Weed-b-Gon.