Steps 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 are good. Skip step # 3. Be sure to get Palmetto St. Augustine or Raleigh St. Augustine and stay away from Floratan.

You can add sand if you want, it will help, but I rather use Compost or weed-free topsoil instead.

The soil analysis will tell you what your soil is lacking, ie nitrogen, Soil Ph, ect... Definatelly worth doing.

Keep us posted with pictures if you do go ahead with the project.

Better yet, why don't you go with ShadowTurf Zoysia instead? It produces a far superior turf compare to St. Ausustine, very dense and it handles shade VERY well.

A landscaper in my neighborhood suggested the zoysia but I like the feel of the st augustine. Which handles traffic the best?

Do you think the annual bluegrass will come back with a vengence after tilling without treating with a pre-emergent?

Also, I have broadcasted with mushroom compost every other year and I believe the soil is getting mucky from it.

Thanks

Floratam is superior to Palmetto and others when it comes to drought tolerant BY FAR but doesn't have much of cold tolerant. Palmetto is probably the best choice given your location. Raleigh is terrible. It seems to be prone to fungus attack. Avoid it at all cost even if the price is tempting.

Shadow Turf is WAY too expensive for large area but for small area, it's alright. Just how shady are we talking about? If you can get several hours of direct sun, Palmetto st augustine will do fine.

If you prefer the look of st augustine, look at Palisades zoysia. I thought it was st augustine at first when I went to grass distributor place. It has good shade tolerance so it might get away with several hours of direct sun.

I looked up the Palisades zoysia. I like the look of it. There is are trees on the south side of my lot and this area is just north of the trees. It is just a little to shady for centipede to grow. My neighbor has just a little more sun and centipede grows fine.

Anybody know how to find a distributor around the Dothan, AL area for Palisades Zoysia?

Here is the link to the list of sod farms in Alabama for you to check out. I do not see anyone growing Palisades. Empire and Jamur are two others that look similar to Palisades and saw a couple places that carry them. I've never seen them in person so I'm not sure what to expect. They may not even have the same shade tolerance as Palisades. Have you thought about removing low branches of the trees to let in more sun or removing one of the trees? It's tough to grow if there's constant shade.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alabama sod farms

I've removed as many of the low limbs as possible. I really hate to remove the trees which is the main reason we moved there. I guess you would call this filtered shade from a mixture of pin oaks and pines.

I would skip your steps 1-4. They cost money, waste time, and tilling is downright harmful. The St Augustine is tough enough to choke out bermuda if you water it religiously AND mow it at the mower's highest setting.

St Aug only comes in sod. When you put it down it has to be pressed down onto the underlying bare soil. If you don't then the roots will die trying to reach for the soil. For large areas rent a water fillable roller. For small areas you can just walk on it to press it down.

With your mower on the highest setting, don't fertilize until you mow the new grass for the second time. Tall grass is your key factor in recovering.

With regard to your step 6, you have to water a little more frequently until the new grass takes hold. Once that happens you need to back off. By mid June you need to be backed off to the point where you are only watering once a week. Note that you need to apply as much water as you need that one time. I water for 1-3 hours, once a week in the summer.

Floratam is chich bug resistant isn't it? That's probably the most popular type of SA in my area. Atrazine is the herbicide of choice for broadleaf weeds in SA but I have never had it do much on poa annua. You need to use a preemergent like Halts in the future to keep poa annua under control but if you are planning on sodding or plugging, i wouldn't do it this year since Halts can also act as a root inhibitor.

sarmst100,

I am from the Dothan area......

Follow these steps to renovate your lawn.

1. Kill existing grass and weeds using a non-selective herbicide. The most effective products contain glyphosate.
2. Glyphosate is only effective on actively growing grass and weeds, so the area should be well-irrigated to encourage plant growth before applying the herbicide.
3. Allow the spray to dry for one day following application. Resume watering for 10 days. Spot spray areas or weeds that are still green.
4. When the existing vegetation is dead, mow the site to 1/2 inch and remove the debris by hand raking or using the bagging unit on your lawn mower.
5. If there is an existing thatch layer (a matted layer of organic matter on the soil surface) thicker than 1 inch, remove it from the lawn (a sod cutter makes thatch removal easier).
6. A thatch layer less than 1 inch is okay, but the soil must be exposed.
Core cultivating(aerating)provides an excellent seed germination environment. Holes should be 1 to 3 inches deep and 2 inches apart in all directions.
 A power rake, set deep enough to expose the soil, can also be run over the lawn in two different directions. Remove loose debris by raking or using a bagging unit attached to your lawn mower.
7. Spread seed on exposed soil to allow for good seed to soil contact.
8. Seed at the labelÂs recommended rate with a drop spreader in two different directions. Follow with a light raking to work the seed into the soil. Adding topsoil or sand after seeding is NOT recommended.

Newly seeded areas require different care than established lawns. Follow the recommendations below.
Apply starter fertilizer at the rate recommended on the label 15-0-15.
Irrigate the area should to maintain a consistently moist (but not saturated) soil.
Check moisture levels in the underlying soil to prevent excessive irrigation,check to see if you have hard or soft ground, dont want to over water. Water about 1" to 1 1/2". Example: Set a empty tuna can out in the lawn(with is 1")

Grass will germinate and grow more vigorously in aerification holes or slits made by the power rake.
Begin mowing the lawn when it has grown to about 2 1/2 to 3 inches.
Keep traffic, including children and pets, off of the lawn as much as possible, until the lawn has been mowed a few times and the new grass begins to mature.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Zoysiagrass is extremely drought tolerant. Although it does turn straw colored under severe drought conditions.Zoysiagrasses are among the most wear tolerant turfgrasses. However, their slow rate of growth gives them very poor recuperative potential. Therefore, they perform satisfactorily on lawns, golf course fairways and baseball fields. It is not recommended where traffic is concentrated in certain areas. If the grass is completely worn in those areas, zoysiagrass is very slow to fill in the damaged areas.

----------------------------------------------------------
St. Augustine grass responds extremely well to being fertilized properly. Fertilize your grass right, and your St. Augustine will "knit" itself into a tight turf that naturally resists weeds. In addition, a fertilizer that contains iron will insure a maximum green color , i recommend using 15-0-15.

Also be sure to cut back on your tree limbs to let the sun come in. If not the limbs are blocking the sun from coming in and the grass will die in that area.

Thanks,

-J & M Lawn Care / Landscaping-
www.dothanlawncare.com

Hope this helps...

*Check out our website and drop us a line sometime*

Our neighbors have St. Augustine and it looks great. So my husband and I are also replacing our lawn with St. Augustine.
1) When is the best time of year to do this?
2) which variety would you recommend?

We have full sun to part shade in the afternoon from our pine trees. Typically in our area in Virginia, planting season is in October. From reading this forum, I am leaning toward Palmetto.

dothanlawncare do you know SA and Zoysia being talked about are sod only?

sarmst100 here is a tip from an ole sod farmer so take it FWIW. Look at the sod farms in your state, particularly the region you live in. This will tell you what varieties will work in your area and most importantly what is available to you at reasonable cost.