We have sprayed yard for insects and put down Scott fungicide but lawn is getting more brown places?

Question

I have St. Augestine Grass.

Answer 1

Plants are dependent on the soil. The health of soil is dependent on all the tiny organisms that have been creating it since beginning of time. When you dump all those chemicals on your lawn you sterilize your soil and decrease its efficiency in fighting off disease. You can have a much healthier lawn and not expose your family to powerful carcinogens, if you decide to go organic.

Answer 2

I'll throw out a few suggestions and you can see which of them might make sense for you to try. First, St. Augustine grass needs to be watered every 4-7 days in the summer, for about an hour or one inch per zone. You want the turf to get deep, infrequent waterings, so the root system will push deeper into the soil. That'll help keep the plant healthier and cooler in this heat. If you're getting a lot of rain in your area, adjust your irrigation accordingly. Water early in the morning, never during the day after 10:00 a.m. and never at night. Insects can definitely be a problem in the summer, so make sure that you applied the product exactly as the label directed. Fungus is less common in the summer, but you may want to double check that you applied it correctly as well, in case you eliminate all the other issues and decide to re-apply. Make sure you're mowing the lawn at the highest setting on the mower. Mowing the lawn too short can cause the lawn to lose a lot of color as well.

Answer 3

Did you send a sample to your local extension service? they can tell what you need to do. I use epsom salt and bayer rose fertilizer on my entire yard, but sometime it seems the soil in a spot will just go bad. then i double dig it to 12 inches deep and replug .. that usually works..I have an area in back near the garden that i use for repluging shoots, it seems to do very in the areas i dont want it--ie; the garden

Answer 4

Sounds like you may have grubs. All the suggestions above are good, but you should still apply a granular insecticide for grubs. Do it now before they get much worse, as you'll have to replug the dead spots for more to grow.