The only way you can know about your sprinklers is to put out tuna or cat food cans and see how full they get as you water. It takes 8 hours to fill on my yard but only 20 minutes to fill on my neighbor's. Everyone has to do this if they want to know what it means to water 1 inch. There are low flow sprinkler heads. A friend in Phoenix has soil similar to what you described and solved his problem with shampoo (see below) and the low flow heads. These heads are gear driven and send out a small stream of water on a rotator. Of course he waters a lot longer but the same amount of water hits the soil. You definitely don't want runoff. That's just wasting the water. You can try applying 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet of any clear shampoo right before you water. I have used the generic baby shampoo from Wal-mart as well as Alberto Vo5. Both are pretty cheap solution to the water penetration issue. The soap will allow the water to penetrate deeper. Apply it once now, water normally next week, and repeat the shampoo in 2 weeks. Don't use dish soap. Shampoo is used for a reason. When you see runoff, turn off the sprinklers immediately and let the moisture soak in for 20 to 30 minutes. Then try to get the rest of the inch of water into the soil. Palmetto is semi-dwarf. 3 inches should be good. Yes, the grass will all come up to that height. That will really help with the bermuda control. St Augustine works by using its coarser blades to put more shade onto the bermuda grass until the bermuda is completely shaded out. One flaw in this plan is the Palmetto has finer blades (less shade) and it likes being shorter (like bermuda). I've had pretty good success taking my lawn back from bermuda, but I have common St Aug and Floratam. Tall grass getting more fungus? Not that I've noticed. I have a second yard at a house in George West. It is a large yard with Floratam ranging from 12 inches high up to 32 inches and no signs of fungus that I've noticed. Here is a picture. That grass is about 18 inches high.

The only things growing right now are....1)some evergreen green bushes directly against the front of the house. 2)a butterfly bush right side of the house out front. I guess that would be southeast directionally, however it doesnt seem to be doing well but I'm a novice so I dont really know what "doing well" is. 3)and some sort of tree that turns bright red in the fall...it's located directly against the house's front-left side, southwest I think. That looks good to me, no brown spots or shedding leaves.

In the southern states, you need to shield them from the sun by planting them where they will be protected from the hot summer afternoon sun. As you move further northward in the map, you will be able to plant in sunnier spots, to the point of being in full sun (> 6 hours) in the northern states! In Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida and Texas, we have to keep them in "part shade". The definition of that term means 4 hours of sun or less. For example: my plants are in part shade during the summer because the sun shines directly over them from around 6:30am through 10am-ish. Growth is a function of many factors. The amount of sun is just one. The ones that you planted in the fall produced those flower buds starting in August/September, more or less. Conditions at the time in the nursery may not have been conducive to produce many flowers. Only the flower buds to be developed in Fall 2007 for Spring 2008 will actually reflect conditions in your yard. If they bloom poorly then, take appropriate action. Until then, do not transplant them. Instead... Fertilize twice a year with manure or cottonseed meal. Mulch adequately (3-4") and maintain the soil moist, specially during the flower bud developing months. As for the Ladies In Red, I need more information since I am unclear as to whether they were planted at the same time in the fall? Are you not getting any bloomage? How was your weather since Fall? How much fertilizer do they get? How much water do they get in fall? winter? What hours do they get sun? Luis

Ack I just saw this comment but will try and take a picture tomorrow if it's not completely pouring down rain. The St. Augustine (I think?) in the top picture is the dark green grass under the trees and the clumps in the front yard. The bright green grass I think might be Rye growing over the Bermuda which is dormant right now. Oh and we live in Los Angeles.