looking for tips/website for St. Augustine

[HobieF3]

I rent a room from a friend and he refuses to use the internet as a research tool.

He bought a house that was vacant for years and the yard is crap. He's trying to grow St. Augustine and so far everything is trial and error with little progress.

I want to rope off a section and grow the shit out of it to show him working smarter>working harder.

Any DIY websites for this crap that aren't advertisements? My grass will kick ass!!!

[Skidmark]

Rope it off, buy new grass, fill the grass in the area... ;p

I'm interested too though. I just put down some st augustine at my parent's house and would like to give them tips of keeping it alive. Good thread.

[HobieF3]

I briefly talked to a guy I know that works in lawn care at a bar a couple months ago and all I remember is that it's bad to water St. Augustine in the wee hours of the night. :o

I remember him saying something about doing it just after dawn, but that's all I can recall and I can't find his phone #.

[StangTamer]

FYI, A good place to buy it is at Dorthy's Lawn off of 35 and 121 in Lewisvilee. About $140.00 for 400sq ft. They are the cheapest I have found.

[RedLilPony]

FYI, A good place to buy it is at Dorthy's Lawn off of 35 and 121 in Lewisvilee. About $140.00 for 400sq ft. They are the cheapest I have found.


That's not bad!

As far as grass goes, I'm not any good at growing it. :o Our yard is half dirt from where the tree came down and the rest is being taken over by blueish clumps. I've treated the yard and I water but to no avail.

[FSON]

1. Turn soil over top 6".
2. Sod
3. Water every day for rest of summer.
4. Fertilize once a month until December with a quality fertilizer.
5. Start fertilizing once a month starting in March untilthe following September, then once every 2-3 months.

[94StangFiveO]

Improve the soil conditions. Click here. (http://www.soilmender.com/products/f_hu_tsb.php) Apply dried molasses at 20lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. Don't water at night. It promotes fungus. Water DEEPLY, less frequently. Keep it mowed at 2.5-3". Any more questions just ask me.

<----Texas Certified Nursery Professional.

[94StangFiveO]

1. Turn soil over top 6".
2. Sod
3. Water every day for rest of summer. Wrong.
4. Fertilize once a month until December with a quality fertilizer. Wrong.
5. Start fertilizing once a month starting in March untilthe following September, then once every 2-3 months.Wrong again.

Water everyday for the first few weeks then start backing off. Every day will cause fungal problems. Use a root stimulator or starter fertilizer on new sod, not a regular fertilizer. Regular fertilizers have high nitrogen which is bad for new sod. You promote too much new growth while lacking a sufficient root system. After one year fertilize every 2 months, once a month is too much. Too much water and fertilizer causes numerous problems such as thatch build up, take-all patch, brown spot, grubs, etc.

[mustangacman]

Five0 why would I have runners on top of the grass. ABC pest control sprayed something on it that dang near killed it.

[Txstang1]

I briefly talked to a guy I know that works in lawn care at a bar a couple months ago and all I remember is that it's bad to water St. Augustine in the wee hours of the night. :o

I remember him saying something about doing it just after dawn, but that's all I can recall and I can't find his phone #.Watering late is not bad , IMO.

I have had St.Augustine for about 10 years now and all you need to do to it is water the shit out of it and put some scotts bonus S fertilizer on it in the earlier spring and late fall and once or twice in between if your having a weed problem. Usually though, if you just keep it watered real good the st auggy will choke out any weeds, stay green and take over.



<----greenest yard on the block!!!!!

[94StangFiveO]

Five0 why would I have runners on top of the grass. ABC pest control sprayed something on it that dang near killed it.
Picture? Possibly poor soil conditions(too compact or too contaminated) and the grass is not wanting to root into it.

[zemog]

Water everyday for the first few weeks then start backing off. Every day will cause fungal problems. Use a root stimulator or starter fertilizer on new sod, not a regular fertilizer. Regular fertilizers have high nitrogen which is bad for new sod. You promote too much new growth while lacking a sufficient root system. After one year fertilize every 2 months, once a month is too much. Too much water and fertilizer causes numerous problems such as thatch build up, take-all patch, brown spot, grubs, etc.


watering when its over 95 degrees daily will NOT cause fungal problems, fungi can not survive in temps over 95,
always apply a starter fertilizer 18-24-12 at first then rotate with a quick release fert. either an ammonium nitrate or sulfate 14-2-14 or 18-2-18 at 1#nitrogen per thousand square feet.
you need to promote new growth during grow in
brown patch and the other disease appear in cool 75-85 degree weather when high humidity and excessive water is applied so yes back off when it cools down, it takes years to accumulate enough thatch to matter.
water and fert. have nothing to do with grubs

[FSON]

Water everyday for the first few weeks then start backing off. Every day will cause fungal problems. Use a root stimulator or starter fertilizer on new sod, not a regular fertilizer. Regular fertilizers have high nitrogen which is bad for new sod. You promote too much new growth while lacking a sufficient root system. After one year fertilize every 2 months, once a month is too much. Too much water and fertilizer causes numerous problems such as thatch build up, take-all patch, brown spot, grubs, etc.
Not an expert. But after 20 years of working these lawns in my neighborhood, what I posted works.
Good for you if you know better.
I use the Vertigrow Texas.

[Txstang1]

While we are on the subject of yard and fungal problems.......I have mushrooms growing in my yard, what causes that?

[94StangFiveO]

While we are on the subject of yard and fungal problems.......I have mushrooms growing in my yard, what causes that?
Organic matter in the soil being broken down by a fungus. The mushrooms are the fruiting body of them under ideal conditions i.e. cooler temps, cloud cover(darkness), excess moisture. They're usually harmless.

[94StangFiveO]

watering when its over 95 degrees daily will NOT cause fungal problems, fungi can not survive in temps over 95,
always apply a starter fertilizer 18-24-12 at first then rotate with a quick release fert. either an ammonium nitrate or sulfate 14-2-14 or 18-2-18 at 1#nitrogen per thousand square feet.
you need to promote new growth during grow in
brown patch and the other disease appear in cool 75-85 degree weather when high humidity and excessive water is applied so yes back off when it cools down, it takes years to accumulate enough thatch to matter.
water and fert. have nothing to do with grubs
Oh that's right, because root rot doesn't occur when the soil is too wet. :rolleyes: Grubs are always there, but they only really become a problem on stressed lawns which could result from overwatering and overfertilizing.

[Txstang1]

Organic matter in the soil being broken down by a fungus. The mushrooms are the fruiting body of them under ideal conditions i.e. cooler temps, cloud cover(darkness), excess moisture. They're usually harmless.
so no need to worry about them then? They look kinda cool until they turn brown and they provide soemthing to swing my driver at that I can actually hit. (Bad golf joke).

[FSON]

Oh that's right, because root rot doesn't occur when the soil is too wet. :rolleyes: Grubs are always there, but they only really become a problem on stressed lawns which could result from overwatering and overfertilizing.
I don't want to counter an expert, but I have found the opposite to be true. Underwatered and underfertilized grass is in far more stressed and invites grubs and disease. If I need to get a lawn back to health quickly, I increase watering and fertilizing in proportion. Plus, longer grass is cooler grass... less heat stress.
I welcome any professional critiques.

[zemog255]

curious as to your experience...........me landscape and golf course management owner since 1994............but what experience do i have :rolleyes:

[FSON]

curious as to your experience...........me landscape and golf course management owner since 1994............but what experience do i have :rolleyes:
OK, how about some more ideas.

[94StangFiveO]

OK, how about some more ideas.
Technology is changing. Things that were correct a decade and half ago might now be an incorrect practice, or there might be a better way. I'm not saying what you do doesn't work for you but trying to take care of average Joe's lawn is not exactly the same as a gold course. You feel me?

[94StangFiveO]

so no need to worry about them then? They look kinda cool until they turn brown and they provide soemthing to swing my driver at that I can actually hit. (Bad golf joke).
Yeah no need really. I tell most people kick them over of just use them for golf practice.

[94StangFiveO]

I don't want to counter an expert, but I have found the opposite to be true. Underwatered and underfertilized grass is in far more stressed and invites grubs and disease. If I need to get a lawn back to health quickly, I increase watering and fertilizing in proportion. Plus, longer grass is cooler grass... less heat stress.
I welcome any professional critiques.
Under/over anything and you can stress plant material. Most people know that not enough water or nourishment can cause problems but I see alot of problems happen because of too much care. It's a double edge sword.

[94StangFiveO]

curious as to your experience...........me landscape and golf course management owner since 1994............but what experience do i have :rolleyes:
Been in the business/industry for almost 9 yrs. You name it, I've probably done it or had a class on it.

[zemog255]

Been in the business/industry for almost 9 yrs. You name it, I've probably done it or had a class on it.

built and maintained private golf courses...........i have/do

[jims93lx]

watering when its over 95 degrees daily will NOT cause fungal problems, fungi can not survive in temps over 95,
always apply a starter fertilizer 18-24-12 at first then rotate with a quick release fert. either an ammonium nitrate or sulfate 14-2-14 or 18-2-18 at 1#nitrogen per thousand square feet.
you need to promote new growth during grow in
brown patch and the other disease appear in cool 75-85 degree weather when high humidity and excessive water is applied so yes back off when it cools down, it takes years to accumulate enough thatch to matter.
water and fert. have nothing to do with grubs


That's the best advice I have seen on here. If you manage golf courses, you probably buy alot of your turfcare products from the company that I work for. Plus you sound like all the golf guys that I know.