Lawn question about St. Augustine grass

[billyfsu76]

I bought a house recently and, for the first time since living at home with my parents, have to take care of a lawn again. It's a medium-sized lawn and mostly is good shape.

There is, however, a patch of no grass - just dirt - at the corner of my lot adjacent to the street. It's fairly small (if it were in a different part of the lawn I probably wouldn't even address it ) but since it's at the road where people can see it, I would like to fix it. Maybe 4 ft x 3 ft. I am not sure why there's no grass - it is where the former owners but the trash / recycle bin so maybe something from that leaked and killed the grass.

What is the best way to start grass growing here? Thanks for your help.

 

[Bartdog]

When you have a bare spot next to the street, my chinch bug sense starts tingling. Might want to go ahead and treat for bugs, even if that's not what this particular issue is, unless you know when it was last treated.

Does it have a sprinkler system? Maybe that spot isn't getting hit.

To get grass started, I prefer to use densly placed plugs, but you can also use pieces of sod. Try to find out what variety of St. Augustine you have and buy to match that. Use a mild starter fertilizer, not too high on the first number, or milorganite on the new stuff.

 

[OrlandNole]

To get grass started, I prefer to use densly placed plugs, but you can also use pieces of sod.

For an area that small, I would use plugs.

 

[billyfsu76]

Thanks for the help. How do I find out what type of St. Augustine I have ? Sorry, have no idea on this.

 

[OrlandNole]

Thanks for the help. How do I find out what type of St. Augustine I have ? Sorry, have no idea on this.

Take a picture on your phone and go to Home Depot/wherever you're buying the plugs and have them tell you.

 

[Bartdog]

Thanks for the help. How do I find out what type of St. Augustine I have ? Sorry, have no idea on this.

Well.. that's a good question isn't it? I don't honestly know how to tell exactly what kind you have, but you can get pretty close just by pulling up a runner and comparing it to what you're about to buy or showing it to a true expert. The biggest thing for me is floratam vs NOT floratam because that's the one that sticks out the most. I like it for full sun areas, but it is big, thick and aggressive. Palmetto is a nice all-around variety.

For an area that small, I would use plugs.

yes, definitely, me, too.

 

[cmanole]

Sounds like you might have some bunk soil perhaps. Maybe excavate the area a few inches, add some new soil then sod or plug. That's what I'd do to be sure. You don't want to do all that work then have the grass not live. Besides you've got to excavate anyway to get the sod to lay right...

 

[fsufantoo]

Treat it for chinch bugs. Those little bastages are hard on St A grass.

 

[seminoledq]

You've got to seed your lawn. Seed it.

 

[Garnet66]

Agree with everything Bartdog said. I got a St. Augustine grass brochure at a local nursery once. You probably can find pictures on line. Just make sure sun/shade tolerance matches your lawn area.

 

[TexSkills]

Treat it for chinch bugs. Those little bastages are hard on St A grass.

This . We had to treat ours for chinch bugs and grubworms. Our lawn was infested with them and we also had a huge mole problem.

 

[goldmom]

When you have a bare spot next to the street, my chinch bug sense starts tingling. Might want to go ahead and treat for bugs, even if that's not what this particular issue is, unless you know when it was last treated.

Does it have a sprinkler system? Maybe that spot isn't getting hit.

To get grass started, I prefer to use densly placed plugs, but you can also use pieces of sod. Try to find out what variety of St. Augustine you have and buy to match that. Use a mild starter fertilizer, not too high on the first number, or milorganite on the new stuff.

Bart Dog nailed it on all counts. There are different varieties of St. Augustine sod, by the way. FloraTam is very common in NoFla but in any case try to get good "muck sod" out of the 'Glades.

 

[goldmom]

You've got to seed your lawn. Seed it.

Bless your heart. That's great Colorado advice.

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

Could be chinch since it's next to concrete, or from what you mentioned.

As for how to replace I would treat with round up, tear out and replace with full pieces of sod. Literally a 20 min job. Make sure sprinklers are covering beforehand.


@Bartdog
Even the scientists that have invented this stuff have a hard time distinguishing one strain from the other just by looking at it.

 

[seminoledq]

Bless your heart. That's great Colorado advice.

Ha!. It's from a Scott's Commercial that shows out here. I don't even know what the hell a chinch bug is.

 

[goldmom]

Ha!. It's from a Scott's Commercial that shows out here. I don't even know what the hell a chinch bug is.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. After it eats your lawn, it comes after small dogs and children. And newcomers who move to Florida.

 

[Bartdog]

Could be chinch since it's next to concrete, or from what you mentioned.

As for how to replace I would treat with round up, tear out and replace with full pieces of sod. Literally a 20 min job. Make sure sprinklers are covering beforehand.


@Bartdog
Even the scientists that have invented this stuff have a hard time distinguishing one strain from the other just by looking at it.

Yeah, that's why I said my main concern is floratam/NOT floratam. That's the only one I can definitely tell by looking at. Unless someone's gone and made a new one that looks like that....

 

[wdnole]

This . We had to treat ours for chinch bugs and grubworms. Our lawn was infested with them and we also had a huge mole problem.

Mole problem? Call 6022141 ×1023.