This is St Augustine Palmetto and has been down 2 years....grows really well and when put down I had a layer of organic compost laid down before grass was laid.

My question is this. It looks healthy on top, but underneath is a good bit of 'brown' or 'dead looking' layer underneath. So is it healthy? We have had a good bit of rain the last month in the greater Houston area.

Just looks like thatch to me.

rake it up and bag your grass to keep it from building. Only real issue is that it may keep water from getting into the soil or cause some fungus issues that could kill your grass. I usually rake up a different small section before I mow and bag it up when mowing.

some of those blades look like SAD. I've never personally experienced it...

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/lawn_garden/commercial_horticulture/turfgrass/turfgrass-diseases/st-augustine-decline

So...based on the LSU site linked...not much I can really do. A few things...but it says no cure....just a 'decline' virus.

So....what can I really do. Put out a fungicide?

All radio landscape shows DRILL for better lawns below:

Mow mow mow mow is Job 1 with Fine MULCHING blades = free fertilizer so do not bag = $$$$ better than one can buy
1" water soaker every week
Cheap nitrogen fertilizer as package directs
Late June aeration/dressing mix watered in wall (best if from rain)

BlackThumb 2-cents, so take with a grain of salt

Not sure what the post is trying to state?

So mow often and do not bag?

Water deep, not often. Ideally you want a controller that had soak feature otherwise just set up the same zones to run multiple times so the water soaks in deep in-between each run

You want to encourage deep roots. You don't need to water again till the grass starts showing water stress in the afternoon.

Watering often encourage shallow roots which just makes it need more water because it can't reach the deeper moisture.

So I know a guy that works Horticulture Extension Agent, Montgomery County | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service | Certified Professional Turf Manager and he has looked at photos and we have had discussions.




Ok.. so.. That is normal for newly established lawns. What happens is that the grass will stress the first season or two because of the newly forming roots. So it basically goes through transplant stress. I have seen a lot of it over the years. In fact, I have the same thing going on in my yard with some newly planted sod as well. It will take a little time for the dead leaf material to break down and become organic matter. After about 2 years you can do a light top dressing of compost. (no more than 1/2".) That will help the leaf material decompose quicker. Doing it while it is still establishing would cause some problems.

It usually takes 2 years for turfgrass to properly establish.. or at least be fully established.

ABATTBQ11 said:

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Sharpen your mower blade

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This x 10000…mower just ripping the blades of grass off. And it should be cut pretty long…3-4 inches.

Are you following a fertilizer plan? Randy Lemmon gets a lot of hate but his general plan produces really nice lawns in 99% if cases

I use a lawn service mainly because the leaves are so bad around here in the fall and I would have to bag up dozen bags of leaves about every weekend so they use the stand behind self-propelled mowers and come every two weeks. I just texted the owner and told him he probably needs to sharpen his blades and he said he just sharpened them all on Sunday

Just for reference, this is what the backyard used to look like.
Two years after sod laid, I have grass. Palmetto St Augustine.

Put down some compost organic then Palmetto. Trimmed the trees.

CAR96 said:

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I use a lawn service mainly because the leaves are so bad around here in the fall and I would have to bag up dozen bags of leaves about every weekend so they use the stand behind self-propelled mowers and come every two weeks. I just texted the owner and told him he probably needs to sharpen his blades and he said he just sharpened them all on Sunday

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Well you'll know after the next cut…id also look into mowing your own grass if you don't want to deal with fungal and weed issues. Those guys don't clean their equipment in between lawns thus bringing whatever the people before you have going on in their grass

Just my .02

Pics look good!!!

I would rather cut my own due to unclean equipment bit it is impossible to stay on top of the leaves in the fall; I coach football in the fall and work long hours and last thing I want to do is pick up leaves every weekend.