Living in Florida, our lawn goals are to have a beautiful St. Augustine lawn. If you’re unfamiliar, this is a warm-season type of grass that is perfect for tropical & subtropical regions. St. Augustine is dark green in color, with broad and flat blades, which forms a thick sod and is good at crowding out most weeds and other grasses.
Care for Your St. Augustine Lawn
When caring for your St. Augustine lawn, be sure to check frequently for signs of decline. You could have fungus, or turf destroying insects.
There are many different kinds of lawn insects, such as:
- Chinch Bugs
- Grubs
- Sod-web worms
- And many more
Lawn fungus can come in many different shapes or forms, as there are many different types. For example, there is what’s called “brown-patch disease”, which is more common during cooler temperatures; and “take-all root rot” which is seen more during warm and moist weather. The key to dealing with fungus is preventative and is easiest to treat when caught early on.
Water: A Delicate Balance
Maintaining your lawn properly can help prevent chinch bugs or fungus from destroying your St. Augustine lawn. Be sure to water early in the morning, this way as the sun rises the grass will have more time to dry before nightfall. You want to also be sure you are giving it just the right amount of water, and be careful not to drown your lawn! Ideally, you should apply 3/4″ of water to your lawn twice per week, or 1 1/2″ per week.
Fungus… What Do I Do?
When you think your lawn may have a disease, the safest bet is to call the professionals. Brown or yellow spots in your lawn might not always be fungus, as this could be caused by drought or cold weather. Assuming you have diagnosed the problem and treating it based off that assumption, you could just be damaging your lawn even further. You know what you get when you ass-u-me!
For example: do not feed the fungus! Fertilizing a fungus will cause it to explode and make the problem even harder to get rid of. You want to avoid watering as well, as this will only give it strength. There are several steps to relieve your lawn but just remember: it will get worse before it gets better.
Leave It To The Pros!
It’s important to use the correct fungicide or insecticide when dealing with deficiencies in your lawn, as I said before there are so many different types of fungus and insects, and not all are treated the same. Treating your lawn is best left for the professionals, this way mistakes aren’t made and the problem is controlled the right way the first time around. If you suspect trouble in your lawn, call us today for a free evaluation.