Dead Grass

[Cresswell Dawg]

Need some turf help.
I have St. Augustine grass in south LA. I started with what looked like brown patch disease in a few small spots. I put out some broadadvanced fungus control, probably lil heavy handed, before I left on vacation. I didn’t water due to the sky looking black, trying to prevent it all washing away. Not sure about the amount of rain that day with minimal over past week with very high temps. I have a sprinkler system that goes off every other day in the morning. When we returned grass was in dire straits with a majority dead. I believe I took a page out of Eli apples play book and let myself get burnt.

I am asking for the best treatment at the lowest cost. What can I do before I get professionals and their invoices involved?

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

You are probably watering too much. We water St Augustine once or twice a week in Texas and go for 30-45 days without rain at times. You want to soak the soil deep, but not leave the surface wet all of the time.

About 5 years ago the whole city went on once a week restrictions during a crazy drought 30+ consecutive days 100+ with no rain. Once a week was fine.

June and September I shoot for 1" a week. July and August 1.25-1.5" per week. A spray head will usually give you 1.5" per hour. So instead of watering 15 minutes 4 times per week, switch to 30 minutes twice or 45-60 minutes once. Honestly I can't see you even needing that much, in LA. It would have to be rare not to get rain for 10+ days.

I only go to twice a week when we have not had rain in 10+ days. The grass will tell you when it's thirsty, the blades will dry up a little , but keep the green. If it starts to get a little yellow it's thirsty.

Watering too much is a major cause of fungus.


ETA. Keep it mowed high. 3" or so. And make sure you dethatch at least once a year. All of the thatch builds up at the surface and makes a water soaked blanket that encourages fungus and keeps water from getting to the grass roots.

 

[FISHDAWG]

Need some turf help.
I have St. Augustine grass in south LA. I started with what looked like brown patch disease in a few small spots. I put out some broadadvanced fungus control, probably lil heavy handed, before I left on vacation. I didn’t water due to the sky looking black, trying to prevent it all washing away. Not sure about the amount of rain that day with minimal over past week with very high temps. I have a sprinkler system that goes off every other day in the morning. When we returned grass was in dire straits with a majority dead. I believe I took a page out of Eli apples play book and let myself get burnt.

I am asking for the best treatment at the lowest cost. What can I do before I get professionals and their invoices involved?

is it in full sun ... full shade.... or a mix ? Might need to go to another grass depending on answer

 

[o_LandDawg]

May be chinch bugs. Had them a couple yrs ago. Started as a few yellowing patches. Just kept getting worse. Saw my neighbor spraying a few days later. He knew it was chinch bugs. Paid his lawn guy to spray once & they were gone.
Very small & live down in the thatch & around soil line. Hard to see & I thought it was a disease.

 

[Xenomorph]

Don't go to Colorado for it. They have the plague.

 

[OneParticularHarbor]

Ditto on the over watering. I planted St Augustine in front yard in sections over the last few years and got a nice spread. I watered at least 3 times per week for 25 minutes with auto sprinkler. It looked great and healthy through last summer. This spring as it was supposed to be greening up, I got the same fungus brown patches. I tried the broadcast granules you can get at Lowe's/Home Depot and it had no impact. I went to a local garden center and they hooked me up with some organic fungicide (I can't remember the name but it is in a small white bottle with yellow/green label) which I have sprayed every three days or so. I gave it a light fertilizing and cut the water back to 15 minutes once per week and turn it off if I've had significant rain. At last it's starting to show progress- the brown patches have stopped spreading and new runners are starting to grow into the damaged areas. The unaffected sections look very healthy now- I also spray the fungicide on those. I have also heard that sphagnum peat moss on the damaged parts will help recovery but I haven't tried that.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

This guy is the oracle of St Augustine. Hope it helps.

https://neilsperry.com/2019/05/st-augustine-diagnostics-2/