I would try out the buckets. I have alkaline clay soil, but I've amended it with so much compost and coffee grounds that it has become dark and friable. I have discovered that adding lots of coffee grounds will denature the clay, but that many crops won't grow well in the resulting soil. I suspect it's the caffeine. Some crops do grow well in that coffee denatured clay soil; corn, potatoes, tomatoes. But beans, pumpkin and similar crops don't do so well. I would try adding lots of humic acid to the soil to help condition the clay. The big box home improvement stores sell it but you have to hunt it down because it's not a well known technique. And you might want to try growing a green manure in a plot before trying to garden in it. The grass clippings? Good stuff. Tune into the soil/compost forum and so some searches about composting. I've been composting for 8 years. I'm now ready to try the Interbay Mulch method. Read the FAQ and do a search. Clay is good stuff. If you work at adding organic materials like your grass clippings, eventually you'll have good garden soil. Be sure to do an analysis to see what it needs; pH NPK.

Jen, I haven't seen a Gold Dust in a long time. They're so pretty..When I had one, yrs ago, kept in bright sun..the best in winter, and bright medium in summer..They also like humidity, but not wet feet. Can't wait to see a pic..

"Spotco, as Quirky suggested, now is not the time to start doing anything major to improve your yard." Why not? Summer is when S.A. is actively growing. S.A. spreads rapidly by creeping stolons, not seeds. St. Augustine grass can be successfully established from plugs anytime during the growing season if water is available. Do some research for establishing S.A. turf, theres alot of info out there. Also, have you considered using mulch or ground cover instead of grass in some of those bald areas. Say Under/around all trees??? A few things about lawn care: First: and most important in your case. Sharpen That Mower Blade!! That grass looks like it was chewed by a snaggle toothed rabbit. Keeping the mower blades sharp and properly balanced is important. A leaf cut by a sharp blade will heal over more quickly and lose less water than a leaf blade shredded by a dull mower blade. Second: Mowing frequency and cutting height need to be carefully considered for a healthy lawn. Using the highest cutting height on the mower will facilitate turfgrass drought-conditioning. This will increase the grass leaf area, allowing for more photosynthesis. This results in more carbohydrates, which are then available for use in recovery from stresses such as drought. The higher the mowing height, the deeper and more extensive the root system will be. Although transpiration (water loss through leaves) will be slightly greater with higher mown turf, the expanded root system proves more advantageous. Third: Apply only enough water to wet the soil in the rootzone. 3/4 inch of water is generally sufficient. Do not water the lawn again until signs of wilt occur again. This technique works regardless of turfgrass species, soil type, season, or other environmental conditions. Hope this helps

Stone dust is also known as sand. You should be fine. It will be different from other parts of the lawn. I prefer to use sand as fill in my yard. You can clearly see where I put the sand because the grass is doing excellent there while it struggles elsewhere. I would strongly suggest using organic fertilizer for awhile on that part of the yard. That will help build up organic matter in the soil. My favorite for this year is alfalfa pellets (rabbit chow) at a rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. You can buy it in 50-pound bags at your local feed store for under $15.