st augustine dying in florida summer

6 years ago

The st augustine used to be thick and green a few weeks ago, now it has slowly begun dying. i live in central florida and the sprinklers come on two time a week for about 15 mins. I'm thinking its chinch bugs, but not 100% sure.

this was after a light

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dchall_san_antonio

6 years ago

Last picture confirms it. There are spots on several of the blades. Have you had a lot of rain? Or, have you left some other garden clippings or anything else on the lawn overnight for a night or more? St Augustine must have a way to breathe especially when it gets dew on it.

I would treat this with ordinary corn meal at a rate of 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Besides being organic it can be used at any temperature. Some of the chemical fungicides should not be used if the temp is going to exceed 80 or 85 degrees F. I have had success year after year using corn meal. If you cannot find it in 50-pound bags at your local feed store, you can find it in grocery stores that cater to Hispanics. It's called tamale mix or something like that. Comes in 25 pound bags. Check the ingredients to see that it is not adulterated with baking powder or baking soda. Corn meal works by attracting a predatory fungus to "eat" the disease fungus. It takes 3 weeks to see the improvement. Also you should cover the entire yard because corn meal is a fertilizer and will turn the spots where you use it a deep green.

Here's more on watering. I realize you live in FL where literally everyone waters daily, but literally everyone in FL is doing it wrong.

Watering: Deep and infrequent is the mantra for watering. This is for all turf grass all over the place. Deep means 1 inch all at one time. Put some cat food or tuna cans around the yard, and time how long it takes your sprinkler(s) to fill all the cans. Memorize that time. That will be the time you water from now on. My hose, sprinkler and water pressure takes 8 full hours to fill the cans. Your time will likely be less. I like gentle watering. As for watering frequency, that depends on the daytime air temperature. With temps in the 90s, deep water once per week. With temps in the 80s, deep water once every 2 weeks. With temps in the 70s, deep water once every 3 weeks. With temps below 70, deep water once a month. Note that you have to keep up with quickly changing temps in the spring and fall. This deep and infrequent schedule works in Phoenix and in Vermont, so it should work for you. The reason for deep and infrequent is to grow deeper, more drought resistant roots and to allow the soil to dry completely at the surface for several days before watering again. If it rains, reset your calendar to account for the rainfall.

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Comments (14)

Brett Campbell
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
It looks like fungal disease.
skillz129 thanked Brett Campbell
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Especially a large area under 2 oak trees Well that sounds like your problem, at least that is where I would start. Saint Augustine is the most shade tolerant of the warm season grasses, but it has limits as to how much shade it can tolerate. If the tree keep that area in shade most of the day, not even SA will tolerate it. Even the variety of SA has varying degrees of shade tolerance. For example FloraTam, the most popular SA in Florida does not have very good shade tolerance when compared to say Palmetto SA. IF it is not shade, you live in Florida, I bet your neighbors have Saint Augustine right? Well if that is true then you also have Chinch bugs which SA is on top of their menu and preferred food. Chinch bugs can wipe out a SA lawn in no time.
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Where do you live? What is your watering regimen (frequency and duration)? Can you take a picture of the edge of the remaining grass from a distance of 3 inches? I need to see the blades of green grass and blades of any yellowing/browning grass up very close. You're getting plenty of light. St Aug grows very well in full shade as long as it gets light from somewhere. For example it will grow poorly under the low canopy of a magnolia tree but it will grow fine under the canopy of any tree with bottom limbs 6 feet high or more.
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TS Garp
6 years ago
dchall, I live in FL and only water when the grass shows signs it needs it. You (and forums like this) have a convert in the sunshine state. One may be tempted to correct you on your use of the word 'literal,' but they would be wrong...

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally

That word now means what it used to mean and, apparently, it's near antonym. So you can literally use the word 'literally' when something is literal or not. I'm confused.
skillz129 thanked TS Garp
skillz129
Original Author
6 years ago
would Walmart

" Maseca® Instant Corn Masa Flour"

work I called the local feed supply store and seem not not carry it.
TS Garp
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I'm not the expert, but... As long as it doesn't have any additives, as explained above, it's probably OK. But that will be tough to spread. I think cracked corn would work, but could result on some corn stalks sprouting that would go away after the first mowing. You could also go nuclear and apply headway g fungicide.
dchall_san_antonio
6 years ago
Literally everyone who writes in here from Florida is watering every day - literally every day. Literally everyone with no exceptions, except you. Thank you for that.

I'm sort of familiar with the Maseca products. I think the instant one is the right one. Their labeling could not be more confusing - at least to me. When I see the word instant, I start thinking all the additives are in there so you just add water, but not with Maseca.
dmt4641
6 years ago
Grey leaf spot probably. If considering non-organic methods, Heritage G will knock it out. Stuff at Home Depot cannot be applied in summer temps right now.
Brett Campbell
6 years ago
Do the fungicides from The Home Depot just not work in the high temps or does it cause damage?
j4c11
6 years ago
I'm literally confused...
Dan Mayer
6 years ago
literally im from Florida and dont water every day :)
dmt4641
6 years ago
The labels I have seen on major brands generally say not to apply over 85 degrees. I haven't tested on my own grass to see if it causes damage above that temp. I have used Bayer Advanced Fungus control rts in the 80s with no damage, but it didn't work as well as Heritage G on grey leaf spot for me.
joe renalds
6 years ago
I'd like to start with how got this infection in the first place. 1 you need to sharpen you're mower badly. Do you wash off you're equipment every time you use it?
dchall_san_antonio
6 years ago
A really easy way to start a fungal disease in St Augustine is to lay a piece of cardboard on the grass for a couple days. The extended duration of the morning dew under the cardboard will kick it off. My wife used to drop yard clippings on the grass and leave it until I mowed. Even that started it.
TS Garp
6 years ago
I think maybe all you have to do is live in Florida. It's felt like warm soup outside for weeks!

st augustine dying in florida summer

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st augustine dying in florida summer

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