[mikeinmlb]

So I want to be clear from the start of my expectations: A C+ lawn. Nothing more, nothing less.

Long story my house never had a good lawn in Melbourne, FL.. I threw down Atrazine and Image and weed and feed. The HOA requires Floratam but the previous owners seeded bahia. It was never a big priority and the HOA never bothered me.

I decided a few months ago that finally I would try and make it nice finally, then life happened. Some serious unexpected commitments and expenses came up, Irma left a pile of waste that piled up on the lawn for a month awaiting pickup.

And now I have a formal complaint from the HOA and my lawn nazi neighbor is cursing me to my face.

So I need to fix this, but again I have a lot of things going on right now and money and time are in short supply.

I really need to know what I need to do to try and get the Floratam lawn back. I would be willing to hire a professional but my overall budget is maybe $300 and maybe 10-12 hours over a month.

I just want to know what I need to do to get the lawn sorted and the HOA happy.

 

[Redtenchu]

I'm not a St Augustine Guy, but I know you can sprig or plug the dead areas very cheap.

If you wanted to sprig the area, you'll want to use a hoe to dig rows in the soil 1 to 2 inches deep, about 12 inches apart. Collect some 4-6 inch healthy plant sections (sprigs) from your lawn attempting to get some of the root system with each piece. Place the sprigs in the rows, spacing them 3 inches apart. Cover them with soil around the roots and bottom of the base of the sprigs. Leave one-third of the blade uncovered so it can get some sun. For the best results get some organic slow release fertilizer and spread it lightly over the length of each row. Water the grass for five to 10 minutes multiple times daily for the first week. The second week you should be able to only water 1-2 times. Water two to three times per week for the third week. Reduce watering to as needed after the grass is established in the four week.

If it was me, I would plug the areas! I would use a Pro Plugger and space the plugs 6 inches apart in the dead areas. Plugs are faster to recover and will require less attention than the sprigs!

Sorry it took so long to reply, keep us updated @mikeinmlb!