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This exactly. I had to do the same thing last month to my St Aug because it was struggling after an extremely cold winter and a weed attack after Hurricane Harvey.SCGrassMan said:Cut it low, remove the thatch. Hit it with some fast release fertilizer, and water the crap out of it. Just my $0.02
Good work dude! Nice lawnSaidwest said:Update: thank you guys for you help. The yard has recovered nicely. I forgot to post pictures.
Get something with some more N so you can encourage a little more growth in the present. Milo is great, but it's going to slow release and St. Aug already grows slow enough. If you are needing the grass to repair and fill in, you often have to add a spike to your fert programLowCountryCharleston said:I'm doing it this weekend using Soil Savvy so I know this will give me a good line of sight as to how my soil is looking. Right, my plan was to put down my July 4th Milorganite app but since it's in short supply hard to find i'm researching comparable replacements. My guess is I'll have to wait until the fall to begin my work for next year and bite the bullet this year.Saidwest said:Have you done a soil analysis?LowCountryCharleston said:I'm having the same issues too with my St. Aug. Why does it help to cut it low and how low do you cut it. I typically cut mine at 4 inches. It's already had one app of Milorganite and one of the Bio Stimulant Next products over the past few months.
Any input is greatly appreciated.
The reason why they told me to cut it low was to make it easier dethatch. Basically cut low dethatch use some quick release fertilizer and irrigate. If you do not plan on detaching you don't have to cut it low. Also I'm not sure if it's too late in the season to dethatch. You may have to research that. This weekend I'm putting down Milorganite AND ringer. Supposed to give me good growth and color response.
I would just go grab some basic 32-0-4 or 29-0-2 fertilizer from your local hardware store. You can supplement with individual minerals later if it calls for it, but encouraging growth with N will help shade out weeds and get the lawn in better condition for next year, when you can start achieving the same thing though better soil. Because it's summer you might apply half rates so it doesn't encourage too much unhealthy growth, and just do that two weekends in a row.LowCountryCharleston said:Thanks for your reply. Can you recommend any Fert with more N in it? Or just look locally for a bag that offers more than what Milo offers. The center area of my lawn is nice and think/green. It's the outer edges of the area that is having issues.Ecks from Tex said:Get something with some more N so you can encourage a little more growth in the present. Milo is great, but it's going to slow release and St. Aug already grows slow enough. If you are needing the grass to repair and fill in, you often have to add a spike to your fert programLowCountryCharleston said:I'm doing it this weekend using Soil Savvy so I know this will give me a good line of sight as to how my soil is looking. Right, my plan was to put down my July 4th Milorganite app but since it's in short supply hard to find i'm researching comparable replacements. My guess is I'll have to wait until the fall to begin my work for next year and bite the bullet this year.
Thanks.
You should kill off the bermuda now. You can still install sod plugs and let their root systems get established by fall. I wouldn't wait on any of that if you are ready to do it now.LowCountryCharleston said:Sounds good. I'll check my local Garden center for the Fert. My ultimate plan is to get the St. Aug growing thick and green and on the side against my driveway I have a swath of Bermuda growing and getting bigger so I plan at some point to kill that off and then put in plugs to fill in the open space to get my front 100% St. Aug. Also, plan on doing the soil test this weekend to get a good feel for the soil.Ecks from Tex said:I would just go grab some basic 32-0-4 or 29-0-2 fertilizer from your local hardware store. You can supplement with individual minerals later if it calls for it, but encouraging growth with N will help shade out weeds and get the lawn in better condition for next year, when you can start achieving the same thing though better soil. Because it's summer you might apply half rates so it doesn't encourage too much unhealthy growth, and just do that two weekends in a row.LowCountryCharleston said:Thanks for your reply. Can you recommend any Fert with more N in it? Or just look locally for a bag that offers more than what Milo offers. The center area of my lawn is nice and think/green. It's the outer edges of the area that is having issues.
Thanks.
I don't think you have to wait to being making changes to your lawn either. Just depends on what you're wanting to do. What are you plans?
Do yourself a favor and go to a real turf farm, so you get a better grass and can match it with your current cultivar as well as sun/shade conditions. You can get it cut in squares and just lay the squares in a checkerboard, or you can use a sod knife and cut the pieces up into smaller plugs. Honestly I would just kill off the bermuda and lay the whole thing with sod, it's not much more expensive if the sq. feet of the area is not too big, and then you'll have a nice looking lawn a month later.LowCountryCharleston said:Yeah this is all good info. I'll look into killing that s--- now and live with the ugliness knowing I'll install plugs water the hell out of it. No more mulching and just bag cut and apply all the liquid goodness to keep things moving forward.
Does anyone know where to get good grass plugs?
Yes. That is common for smaller plug repair projects.LowCountryCharleston said:Do you think for St. Aug that I could take plugs from the healthy center part of my lawn and begin to put that to the area that I eventually clean out in conjunction with plugs I buy because transplanting won't be enough.
