Lawn Looks Terrible - Help Needed!!

[kevinm55]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance

[Arctic Fox]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds.

Replace it with ground cover such as Asian Jasmine.

Very low maintenance and green all year round.

[Rainger99]

Replace it with ground cover such as Asian Jasmine.

Very low maintenance and green all year round.

Don’t you need ARC approval for that?

[Rainger99]

Replace it with ground cover such as Asian Jasmine.

Very low maintenance and green all year round.

Article on Asian Jasmine.

Asian Jasmine an excellent ground cover | Real Estate | chronicleonline.com (https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/real_estate/asian-jasmine-an-excellent-ground-cover/article_653a7420-2697-11e9-bff6-0754efcf75cc.html)

[ThirdOfFive]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance
I wouldn't go so far as to tear out the grass. When we moved here in 2020 our lawn (St. Augustine Grass) had obviously been neglected: it looked horrible. More bare spots than grass, and most of the grass was interspersed with weeds. I hired a yard guy to cut it: his advice was that resodding was unnecessary: that the current grass would send out runners to the bare spots and in time the lawn would look great. It did, but not without a lot of TLC for the first year. He also advised getting a good weed and pest control service, which I did: Florida Pest Control. They're not the cheapest game in town but in my opinion one of the most conscientious. They're there when they say they'll be there and do what they say they're going to do. A bit over three years later and my lawn is one of the two or three best on our street.

Resodding is expensive. Patience isn't. Get a GOOD company to curb the weeds and pests, water conscientiously, and in time your lawn should be fine.

[Arctic Fox]

Don’t you need ARC approval for that?

Always worth checking with ARC, but when we asked (eight years ago) they were very keen for us to do it, and it is what The Villages uses a lot around trees etc.

[PugMom]

Fertigator. they were recommended by another member here, & i'm beyond pleased. i prepaid the year, & these guys come out, spend lots of time & do it all, inc. shrub care.

[PugMom]

I wouldn't go so far as to tear out the grass. When we moved here in 2020 our lawn (St. Augustine Grass) had obviously been neglected: it looked horrible. More bare spots than grass, and most of the grass was interspersed with weeds. I hired a yard guy to cut it: his advice was that resodding was unnecessary: that the current grass would send out runners to the bare spots and in time the lawn would look great. It did, but not without a lot of TLC for the first year. He also advised getting a good weed and pest control service, which I did: Florida Pest Control. They're not the cheapest game in town but in my opinion one of the most conscientious. They're there when they say they'll be there and do what they say they're going to do. A bit over three years later and my lawn is one of the two or three best on our street.

Resodding is expensive. Patience isn't. Get a GOOD company to curb the weeds and pests, water conscientiously, and in time your lawn should be fine.

i agree. mine was the same way until i got the new landscapers- i thought the lawn was beyond repair. it took awhile, but is lovely now

[RMore49]

You do not need ARC approval when replacing sod with the same. I had it done by LaCosta Sod. *(407) 271-2991

I fought my lawn for over two years. Tried multiple services who said they could save it. NO LUCK. Spent lots of time and money. Finally I found LaCosta. It was torn out in one day and replaced the same day with fresh sod. I now have one the the prettiest lawns in the neighborhood:)

[Pugchief]

Replace it with ground cover such as Asian Jasmine.

Very low maintenance and green all year round.

Do you know a contractor that can do this? Is it expensive?

[Pondboy]

St Augustine grass is in dormancy right now, so it’s not growing or doing anything. Don’t rip it out, come spring, it’ll take off. Call a few lawn care companies (we use Florida Pest). Have them give you recommendations on treatments and price quotes.

Also check your irrigation system to confirm it’s running right. St Augustine grass usually crowds out most weeds when it’s thick and healthy. So figure out why it went downhill in the first place.

I’d gather that a good spraying for weeds now, and a good program next year including fertilizer, weed and insect control is all you need. It will take time to recover but it will get there.

[Normal]

First of all, watering and clean sprinkler heads that rotate are important to the health of your lawn. Makes sure your Hunter heads have a rotating pattern when you turn them on. In many cases underperforming heads are clogged and need to be cleaned out. I pop them up and put a large envelope clip on them before turning the heads for cleaning.

Next, weeds gain only be eradicated by using 41% glyphosate. Anything else will kill your grass.
Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Compare-N-Save-Concentrate-41-Percent-Glyphosate-1-Gallon/dp/B00ARKS3XO/ref=sr_1_5?adgrpid=1342504262519467&hvadid=83906839643599&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=44945&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83906863780488%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=23631_13532318&keywords=41-percent+glyphosate&qid=1699111112&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-5)

The most important thing to remember is St. Augustine can’t be seeded. It’s a runner. You can buy plugs or cut out bad turf and soil and replant. That’s about it. Black Cow soil is great, but it often brings the weeds you don’t want.

[Arctic Fox]

Do you know a contractor that can do this? Is it expensive?

Our regular gardener did the Asian Jasmine for us, but he no longer works in The Villages.

Basically, he planted them in a grid at approx 18" spacing in both directions and just let them grow.

They do take quite a time to fill in the gaps but it looks fine while doing so and doesn't need weeding as they will take over eventually.

The plants are always on sale at Lowes and with a bulb planter it should be very easy for anyone to do.

They need no fertiliser or pesticide and very little irrigation. We strim the edges three times a year to neaten them up, but they grow to less than a foot in height so don't need "mowing".

[MSchad]

Next, weeds gain only be eradicated by using 41% glyphosate. Anything else will kill your grass.
Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Compare-N-Save-Concentrate-41-Percent-Glyphosate-1-Gallon/dp/B00ARKS3XO/ref=sr_1_5?adgrpid=1342504262519467&hvadid=83906839643599&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=44945&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83906863780488%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=23631_13532318&keywords=41-percent+glyphosate&qid=1699111112&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-5)

The most important thing to remember is St. Augustine can’t be seeded. It’s a runner. You can buy plugs or cut out bad turf and soil and replant. That’s about it. Black Cow soil is great, but it often brings the weeds you don’t want.
The product you provided the link to say it will also kill all grass. How do you spray for weeds in the St Augustine grass without killing the St Augustine?

[banjobob]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance

Call Deans Service the best in the area.

[La lamy]

I have a patch of dead grass that I would like to replace. Is there a store that sells pieces of sod at this time of year?

[thevillagernie]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance

try a seriois de thatching then apply the weed and feed,after a heavy rain apply it again..good luck,it will be awhile.

[sarp1967]

After you get it fixed, we use Lawn Care & Pest Control in Orlando | Evergreen Lawn & Pest (https://www.evergreenpc.com) and are extremely pleased. Our yard looks fantastic compared to neighbors who are paying other companies. The same guy treats ours every month.

[kevinm55]

Sincere thanks to all for your responses. This will be a process obviously and all info provided on this thread has been helpful!

[Normal]

The product you provided the link to say it will also kill all grass. How do you spray for weeds in the St Augustine grass without killing the St Augustine?

Scott’s pro vista St. Augustine isn’t harmed by the spray. If you aren’t sure if this is your type of grass, contact The Villages before spraying. It is widely used in South Florida. Many sod farms grow this type of grass.

Here is a link to better assist you
https://www.lawnsite.com/threads/what-are-your-thoughts-on-scotts-provista-st-augustine-sod-gylphosate-tolerant.485154/page-2

[Normal]

I have a patch of dead grass that I would like to replace. Is there a store that sells pieces of sod at this time of year?

What type? I know St. Augustine is available right now at Lowe’s in Wildwood. Also know your culprit that killed your grass. Was it grubs, chinch bugs, a female dog, softener salt, another dog on medication etc. It is important to clear some soil underneath the spot you plug.

[merrymini]

Technically you can replace grass with ground cover. Florida law states you can replace sod with ground cover, whether it must be a native ground cover or not, is open to question. Asiatic jasmine, used throughout the villages is not native, sunshine mimosa is. Asiatic jasmine maintains a dense green look throughout the year, whereas mimosa seems to go a little brown. Only a hand full of people have ever pulled this off and villas would lend themselves to this better than larger lots. The villages did pass an ordinance or statute that requires the ground cover to cover all the bare spots within a year. The villages may say it is Florida friendly but it not and expect it would come down on you so you should check with arc before beginning. You might want to begin with maintaining the grass and enlarging the ground cover area a little at a time. Resodding would be my last resort as it is very expensive.

[westernrider75]

I have a patch of dead grass that I would like to replace. Is there a store that sells pieces of sod at this time of year?

Lowes sells both plugs and squares that are 24” x 16”.

[bowlingal]

Kevin, I wouldn't seed. I tried seeding bare spots in my lawn ( zoysia) two times in two years in the spring. Very expensive seed. 5 pounds is about $48 depending where you go and doesn't cover a whole lot. Better go with sod.

[GizmoWhiskers]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance
GRUBS... stores will tell you not to worry in the Fall about them. Wrong. I just replaced (bought St Augustine from Lowes) about a 6 x 4 area and found about 20 of them. I use grub specific granules. Sunniland Weed and Feed for St Augustine works great. I put it down quarterly. Dollar weeds mean too much water. I use fungicide for too much water and fungus. I use insect control as well as needed.

Massey was doing a terrible job and almost killed my yard. I became a diy-er.

[kitnhead]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance

Agreed, it all looks terrible. My husband digs out the dead spots, treats for fungus and then replaces the spots with Zoysia pieces. The Zoysia will eventually take over. Some of the landscapes say it’s not a fungus, but that’s BS. Everyone seems to be suffering from it. It’s a lot of work for him, but it looks good and if you can do it, it’s cheaper this way.

[JoeKnapp51]

We had chinch bugs which caused brown areas. Has been sprayed by Deans but damage is done. I doubt our grass will recover. We will probably re-sod in the spring if grass does not recover. Hope this helps.

[Gunny2403]

If you live in a courtyard Villa and a district that permit, get rid of it all. Rock landscaping is best. Get ARC approval and you’ll never regret it.

[Ptmcbriz]

Chinch bugs are ruining St Augustine grass really fast this year. At first it looks like a patch of area is not getting enough water. It’s a wilted looking. Then if you don’t treat it with insecticide it will be dead within two weeks. Go Lowe’s and buy a bag of Triazicide and spread it according to directions. It’s a granular. Then water the heck out of your grass. You’ll want to to it now to get a jump on them in the spring. I had to water 10 minutes every morning plus the two days a week of deep watering of 45 minutes each. My grass is thick and lush but I jumped on it fast when any area started looking bad. St Augustine seems to require more water than the normal TV standards to keep it looking lush.

[thebollaros]

We also live in a Villa. Since we started using GreenSmiths, we have no insectsand our grass, same as yours, looks great.

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance

[galluccb]

Kevin
Before you spend money get free advice from a professional.
I've used Larry at Massey for years. I totally trust him.
Give him a call
Good Luck Bob G




he front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance[/QUOTE]

[dolphin]

i agree. mine was the same way until i got the new landscapers- i thought the lawn was beyond repair. it took awhile, but is lovely now

Greensmiths Lawn and Pest control did wonders to our lawn over a period of 6 months. Highly recommend. Little more expensive but well worth i

[maistocars]

I have a patch of dead grass that I would like to replace. Is there a store that sells pieces of sod at this time of year?
Lowes and Home Depot - was there 10 days ago.

[Teemotay]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance

It’s difficult to advise you on the proper way to fix this yourself without more info, although many have done just that.

Your question was for trustworthy landscapers to give you a fresh start. I can’t help you there, however if you want to give it a shot yourself then you need to educate yourself on several issues concerning growing healthy St Augustine grass.

Weeds have been a big problem this year and especially since we’ve been in a bit of a drought for a while now. Without adequate water the grass weakens and the weeds come in. You said that you water regularly but what does that mean? You could be watering every day for 10 minutes and not getting enough water for your grass to thrive. First, understand how much water your grass needs and then test to be sure it’s getting it from your irrigation.

You should also do a soil test to better understand what what is lacking in it. The grass needs nutrients and proper water to thrive. A soil test will tell you what fertilizer to apply so that you’re feeding your grass what it needs.

As far as weeds are concerned, you need to know what they are so that you know how to control/eradicate them. One size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to fertilizer and weed control.

Your grass is not dormant now, contrary to another comment in this thread. We’ve been having temps in the 80’s and healthy St Augustine is still growing enough to need mowing. If you’re mowing it then it’s not dormant.

I do my own lawn mowing and treatment. I’ve attached a picture of how it looks this morning. Definitely not dormant.

The University of Florida extension service has great info on growing a healthy St Augustine lawn. Good luck with your lawn!

[SHIBUMI]

I have ridden around a lot of the Villages and none have good grass. No matter the species, zoysia or St Augustine. At any time of the year, at best 60% of the grass is green.
The other 40 is some shade of brown. The reality here is that the weather and the bugs are never going to allow you to have a northern lawn, 90% green.

I saw a couple of really good lawns 80% green, I was impressed, what did they do? 3 months later they were back to 60% green. Its just the nature of the beast, what you are fighting is not being 25% green.

The less lawn you have the better, turn it into something else, rock, ground cover. A villa is ideal for that. Everyone else larger than that will just have to suffer with the 60% green.

Don't look at a lawn from a distance, stand on it, you will see the brown. Its just the nature of the beast here.

Now, if someone says I have a great lawn, go and look at it and see for yourself. There are no great lawns here. People have just gotten acclimated to the 40% brown. More brown in the winter and less brown in the spring summer. And all of these services do the same thing, BUT, they too cannot fight nature either, they just try to keep the 60% from becoming less.

Really, take a good look around and you will see, any lawn you can eliminate is good. The rest you can settle with 60% green, like everyo:thumbup:ne else.


Sincere thanks to all for your responses. This will be a process obviously and all info provided on this thread has been helpful!

[Switter]

Chinch bugs are ruining St Augustine grass really fast this year. At first it looks like a patch of area is not getting enough water. It’s a wilted looking. Go Lowe’s and buy a bag of Triazicide and spread it according to directions. It’s a granular. Then water the heck out of your grass. You’ll want to to it now to get a jump on them in the spring. I had to water 10 minutes every morning plus the two days a week of deep watering of 45 minutes each. I grass is thick and lush but I jumped on it fast when any area started looking bad. St Augustine seems to require more water than the normal TV standards to keep it looking lush.

Thanks for posting this. Good information. I think I have cinch bugs too, at least that's what someone from Massey told me when they came to my door soliciting service. I bought my place in August had sat empty for a year and a half so I'm sure no one was taking care of the lawn. I went out and bought a granular from Bayer called Merit. It's supposed to work really well with cinch bugs. I have no idea if it's working though because I'm not really sure how to identify them, other than dead spots in the lawn. I applied this with a normal granular broadcast spreader. I might do a second application pretty soon.

I also do my own general pest control. I will alternate between talspar P and Termidor four times a year. That's what I did in my previous home. The Termidor is better for ants and termites because it's a slow release and they take it back to the nest. I just go around the whole house about 4 feet up the wall and 4 feet out into the yard and hit the eaves that I can reach.

As for weeds, I have nutsedge, which I treated with something called sedgehammer. I just applied it yesterday so it's too early to see if it's working. It's a little spendy though. I also have clover and something I think they call Hawksbeard (which is kind of like dandelions where I came from) that regular spectraside (the kind that doesn't kill grass) from Home Depot or Lowes seems to work. The Hawksbeard is starting to wilt a little. If it survives, I bought something called Celsius, also from Bayer, that's supposed to work really good. But that's expensive so I'm gonna try the spectraside first because it's cheaper. I'll come back and update my post after I get some results. All of the applications above, except for the Merit, you mix with water and spray on. I know I could just pay Massey or other service to do it but it is a lot cheaper to DIY and I am the kind of person who likes to do it myself anyway.

I'm gonna keep watching this thread to see what others suggest.

[DeeCee Dubya]

Their default service is six visits a year and they charge you over $50 per visit.

Some of their visits take only two or three minutes and I have no idea what they’re doing.

They don’t do anything to kill weeds in fact they will tell you that they will not treat for crabgrass.

[ryoungs]

My lawn is going bad also. Mine is because the guy I hired to mow does me third in a series of six or so houses and has brought weeds from the houses before mine into my yard. The weed is a Spurge, and it spreads rapidly. I told my mower guy I would get him a ramp to drive up on so that he could use my hose to wash the bottom of his mower (he refused, and that is understandable), and so I asked him to mow my lawn first and clean his mower at home before coming out (again, he refused). At first, he was running his machine so fast that he was rutting my lawn and destroying sprinkler heads and landscaping lights, but I asked him to slow down and not run his mower at full throttle. That helped a little, but not with the weed problem. I recently hired a landscaping company to remove the weeds, plug the patches with sod, and spray the lawn with a "weed and feed" type chemical once a month. It is expensive, but they are certain they can get the lawn back to how it looked a few months ago.

Now, here is my question for you -- does my St. Agustine grass need to be mowed weekly during the winter months (my lawn mowing guy mowed it short last time and wants to mow it every other week during the winter months), and do you think I could find somebody in the area to mow using my own riding mower and gas. If so, how often should the job be done?

By the way, my lawn here looks a lot better than at my home in Illinois where my soil is hard clay. Up there, my lawn is mostly "creeping Charlie" and tree roots (I built in a forest).

[Switter]

I have ridden around a lot of the Villages and none have good grass. No matter the species, zoysia or St Augustine. At any time of the year, at best 60% of the grass is green.
The other 40 is some shade of brown. The reality here is that the weather and the bugs are never going to allow you to have a northern lawn, 90% green.

I saw a couple of really good lawns 80% green, I was impressed, what did they do? 3 months later they were back to 60% green. Its just the nature of the beast, what you are fighting is not being 25% green.

The less lawn you have the better, turn it into something else, rock, ground cover. A villa is ideal for that. Everyone else larger than that will just have to suffer with the 60% green.

Don't look at a lawn from a distance, stand on it, you will see the brown. Its just the nature of the beast here.

Now, if someone says I have a great lawn, go and look at it and see for yourself. There are no great lawns here. People have just gotten acclimated to the 40% brown. More brown in the winter and less brown in the spring summer. And all of these services do the same thing, BUT, they too cannot fight nature either, they just try to keep the 60% from becoming less.

Really, take a good look around and you will see, any lawn you can eliminate is good. The rest you can settle with 60% green, like everyo:thumbup:ne else.

I'm actually kind of glad to hear this! I'm pretty new to the villages and my lawn is a little rough (working on it) and I'm worried that I'm gonna get a letter from ARC, lol. I probably won't but I am still learning the ropes here. I eventually will replace more of my lawn with landscaping to reduce the amount of grass I have. Saint Augustine grass isn't even nice as far as I'm concerned, not compared to Kentucky bluegrass that I had in Minnesota. It reminds me of the quackgrass and crabgrass I was trying to kill off, lol.

[lpkruege1]

Fertigator. they were recommended by another member here, & i'm beyond pleased. i prepaid the year, & these guys come out, spend lots of time & do it all, inc. shrub care.

I had them and I wasn't impressed. I fired them.

[lpkruege1]

My lawn is going bad also. Mine is because the guy I hired to mow does me third in a series of six or so houses and has brought weeds from the houses before mine into my yard. The weed is a Spurge, and it spreads rapidly. I told my mower guy I would get him a ramp to drive up on so that he could use my hose to wash the bottom of his mower (he refused, and that is understandable), and so I asked him to mow my lawn first and clean his mower at home before coming out (again, he refused). At first, he was running his machine so fast that he was rutting my lawn and destroying sprinkler heads and landscaping lights, but I asked him to slow down and not run his mower at full throttle. That helped a little, but not with the weed problem. I recently hired a landscaping company to remove the weeds, plug the patches with sod, and spray the lawn with a "weed and feed" type chemical once a month. It is expensive, but they are certain they can get the lawn back to how it looked a few months ago.

Now, here is my question for you -- does my St. Agustine grass need to be mowed weekly during the winter months (my lawn mowing guy mowed it short last time and wants to mow it every other week during the winter months), and do you think I could find somebody in the area to mow using my own riding mower and gas. If so, how often should the job be done?

Cutting every other week is fine. Cutting to short is not. A number of us asked the lawn guys to cut a little longer. Low and behold, the grass is green and lush. St. Augustine doesn't like to be cut to short.

Finding someone that actually sprays the weeds is the next issue.
It appears the company that does my lawn fertilizer and weeds seems to do a lot better job on the front and sides of the house. Hey, it's what you see from the road. The back of the house looks like it wasn't fertilized or sprayed for weeds. Hmm, their contract will not be renewed.

[lpkruege1]

Their default service is six visits a year and they charge you over $50 per visit.

Some of their visits take only two or three minutes and I have no idea what they’re doing.

They don’t do anything to kill weeds in fact they will tell you that they will not treat for crabgrass.

Same thing here. The front and sides look great. The back looks like is hasn't been fertilized or sprayed for weeds. I had to have them come back out AGAIN. Funny how it looks way better after you complain than if you don't.

Anyone have any experience with Tru Green?

[Villagesgal]

You gave such a small lawn. Go to Lowe's or Homedepot and buy a bag of Weed and Feed for St. Augustine grass. Then put it on the lawn including the bare spots, you can use a gloved hand, don't need a spreader, then water it in well. Do it now. It will kill weeds slowly and feed your lawn. In March, do it again. Then in June and again in September and your lawn will be beautiful. A bag of Scott's Southern St Augustine weed and feed will cost you about $30.00. After the first year you only need to do it March and September and your lawn will be the envy of the neighborhood. It takes about 20 minutes to do your entire lawn. I've been doing this for 22 years and my lawn is the best in the neighborhood. So easy and saves you so much money. Those services don't care about your lawn, only you do. If you can throw out a handful like you were feeding chickens, you can do this yourself. When you see new weeds, spray Roundup Weed Killer for Southern lawns, buy it at ACE Hardware, ask for it specifically, not regular Roundup. That takes only about 20 minutes once a month, but when your lawn is healthy, you get next to no weeds. Save your money and do it yourself. You'll be glad you did.

[rickaslin]

The product you provided the link to say it will also kill all grass. How do you spray for weeds in the St Augustine grass without killing the St Augustine?
Lowes told me any weed killer they have with a purple lid will NOT kill St Aug grass. It has worked so far for me

[PugMom]

Greensmiths Lawn and Pest control did wonders to our lawn over a period of 6 months. Highly recommend. Little more expensive but well worth i

thx for the tip. if i ever need someone else, they will be on my list to call :smiley:

[Rlimits]

Fertigator has are lawn looking so much better now, but I did hire them to take care of the irrigation and fertilizing. This way there is no finger pointing, one saying not enough water the other saying not correct weed control.

[SHIBUMI]

Please include more pictures of the rest of the lawn.......thanks


It’s difficult to advise you on the proper way to fix this yourself without more info, although many have done just that.

Your question was for trustworthy landscapers to give you a fresh start. I can’t help you there, however if you want to give it a shot yourself then you need to educate yourself on several issues concerning growing healthy St Augustine grass.

Weeds have been a big problem this year and especially since we’ve been in a bit of a drought for a while now. Without adequate water the grass weakens and the weeds come in. You said that you water regularly but what does that mean? You could be watering every day for 10 minutes and not getting enough water for your grass to thrive. First, understand how much water your grass needs and then test to be sure it’s getting it from your irrigation.

You should also do a soil test to better understand what what is lacking in it. The grass needs nutrients and proper water to thrive. A soil test will tell you what fertilizer to apply so that you’re feeding your grass what it needs.

As far as weeds are concerned, you need to know what they are so that you know how to control/eradicate them. One size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to fertilizer and weed control.

Your grass is not dormant now, contrary to another comment in this thread. We’ve been having temps in the 80’s and healthy St Augustine is still growing enough to need mowing. If you’re mowing it then it’s not dormant.

I do my own lawn mowing and treatment. I’ve attached a picture of how it looks this morning. Definitely not dormant.

The University of Florida extension service has great info on growing a healthy St Augustine lawn. Good luck with your lawn!

[midiwiz]

Do you know a contractor that can do this? Is it expensive?

it's ugly and you will end up having to tear it all out and putting in what's in the docs.... just a heads up

[midiwiz]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance

try Greensmith, I've had them for 2 years awesome job. Also since it's St Aug. you don't need to rip it out, that type of lawn recovers bare spots in months if it's taken care of right. Meaning how much thatch do you have in it? That's a large issue around here since no service bags.

[KsJayhawkers]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance

You didnt mention what type of SA turf you have. I live south of SR44 and we all have Provista SA grass, which IMO is the worse type of SA on the market. After repeated attempts to salvage my lawn, I ended up tearing out all of my lawn, getting a soil sample, and making the proper soil amendments. I replaced all of the ProVista with CitraBlue SA turf, which is a new turf developed for Florida by the State of Florida Extension Office. It is drought resistant, chinch bug resistant, wear resistant, and shade tolerant.

I have had the CitraBlue in for about eight months now and it is doing incredibly well. It is lush green, no weeds whatsoever, and very full. You can purchase it/have it delivered from the Sod Lot in Summerfield. Google CitraBlue and there are a host of articles about benefits of this turf.

[Teemotay]

Please include more pictures of the rest of the lawn.......thanks

I suspect that you’re wanting to validate your earlier comment about the lawns you’ve seen. I’ll tell you that it’s not perfect and you’ll see parts that are showing signs of needing water, however my comment was intending to show that St Augustine grass in our area of Florida is not dormant.

[SHIBUMI]

Everything everyone is saying here is true............imagine a world where you did not have to worry about any of it. If you turn your lawn to cover and stone and no grass you eliminate, irrigation, fertilization weed control, fungicide, insecticide, mowing, which when done still ends up with a 60% green lawn..............that would buy a lot of dinners and you would sleep better at nite. BUT

Check with your district ARC before doing that to get an okay.......in a Villa its the way to go.............:boom:

I'm actually kind of glad to hear this! I'm pretty new to the villages and my lawn is a little rough (working on it) and I'm worried that I'm gonna get a letter from ARC, lol. I probably won't but I am still learning the ropes here. I eventually will replace more of my lawn with landscaping to reduce the amount of grass I have. Saint Augustine grass isn't even nice as far as I'm concerned, not compared to Kentucky bluegrass that I had in Minnesota. It reminds me of the quackgrass and crabgrass I was trying to kill off, lol.

[70 Challenger]

Can you please post some photos of your lawn

[Switter]

Everything everyone is saying here is true............imagine a world where you did not have to worry about any of it. If you turn your lawn to cover and stone and no grass you eliminate, irrigation, fertilization weed control, fungicide, insecticide, mowing, which when done still ends up with a 60% green lawn..............that would buy a lot of dinners and you would sleep better at nite. BUT

Check with your district ARC before doing that to get an okay.......in a Villa its the way to go.............:boom:

yep, I will definitely check with ARC before I do anything. Thanks again.

[SHIBUMI]

Yes, it is not dormant yet........... you have a great looking lawn..you are in the 1% that do. Congratulations, keep it up............my message on villa's is to minimize the grass......some in citrus grove have and awns are not an issue for them now......

I suspect that you’re wanting to validate your earlier comment about the lawns you’ve seen. I’ll tell you that it’s not perfect and you’ll see parts that are showing signs of needing water, however my comment was intending to show that St Augustine grass in our area of Florida is not dormant.

[Teemotay]

Yes, it is not dormant yet........... you have a great looking lawn..you are in the 1% that do. Congratulations, keep it up............my message on villa's is to minimize the grass......some in citrus grove have and awns are not an issue for them now......

Thank you for your comments. It means more to me knowing that you’ve looked at several.

It’s a lot of work but I enjoy it (mostly) and it hasn’t cut into my golf or pickleball yet 😎

[MrChip72]

Our backyard with St Augustine was starting to get pretty weedy after being away for a few months up until October and I bought a bottle of Spectricide herbicide that's designed for St Augustine grass applications. It's active ingredient is Atrazine which is pretty much the only herbicide you can use on St Augustine that won't damage the grass. I applied the herbicide using the supplied garden hose attachment. I checked around 10 days later and most of the weeds were dead and shriveled up.

I use a weed n feed meant for St Augustine at the end of winter and that helps keep things in check for several months.

[Ozzello]

Scott’s pro vista St. Augustine isn’t harmed by the spray. If you aren’t sure if this is your type of grass, contact The Villages before spraying. It is widely used in South Florida. Many sod farms grow this type of grass.

Here is a link to better assist you
https://www.lawnsite.com/threads/what-are-your-thoughts-on-scotts-provista-st-augustine-sod-gylphosate-tolerant.485154/page-2

Pro Vista has turned out to be a horrible grass, very susceptible to our local bugs and fungi.
Floritam is still the best sod, and TV builder has stopped using Provista south of 44 and gone back to the old faithful Floritam , but not sure where the line was drawn down there.

I also give high marks to Fertigator, as the absolute best in the area.

[kevinm55]

Hi folks - I am sending this note to say sincere thanks to all of you for your collective feedback. Between work and the holidays my lawn and this thread have been out of site and out of mind unfortunately. I will plan to post some pictures this weekend. Thank you all again!!

[Ozzello]

NUMBER 1- Proper water. 1-2 a week is NOT enough.
NUMBER 2- pH pH pH pH!!!! 90% chance your soil is too alkaline and at 7.2. The rip it out , add topsoil (6") and replace the sod method will work... but so will spreading a little coffee every month or 2 for the tannic acid. Massey will pretend this isn't a factor, but all good farmers in Florida know this (including the SOD FARMERS) testing is cheap... find out for yourself , or trust me.
NUMBER 3- Pro Vista was a terrible idea. Yes it allows you to spray Round up on it, but it is way mor tender to all the issues that Floritam takes in stride. If you replace.... make sure it's Floritam.
4- Fertigator is the best, everyone is better than Massey.
5- Don't replace till spring
6- Treat for bugs, but NOT FOR WEEDS. Dig them out and fill the hole with topsoil... weed killers STRESS YOUR GRASS. Sorry all you retirees from chemical companies, but they still haven't come up with the "magic chemical" even though they launch a "SUPER AWESOME NEW" one every year.
7- Don't stand so close, look at your lawn from 50 ft away or so, it might not be that bad.

[graciegirl]

Hi all. The front lawn consisting of St Augustine grass at our villa looks terrible and also has weeds. We water regularly and pay for treatment every other month from a company called zoysia green (obviously not happy with their service)….

In short, I am considering having all grass torn out, fresh soil added and then either seed or sod put down. I would be interested in hearing any and all suggestions from those who have done the same or similar. Also interested to learn if there is a particular time of year that is suggested for best results.

Any recommendations for trustworthy landscapers to do this job will also be appreciated. I love the Villages and want to make my lawn look great and think I need to start my lawn over! Thx in advance

No need to worry about your lawn being beige instead of GREEN. It is December and the next few months your lawn will be dormant and not lovely but your roses and Azalia should be blooming. Smile and wait.

[graciegirl]

I have ridden around a lot of the Villages and none have good grass. No matter the species, zoysia or St Augustine. At any time of the year, at best 60% of the grass is green.
The other 40 is some shade of brown. The reality here is that the weather and the bugs are never going to allow you to have a northern lawn, 90% green.

I saw a couple of really good lawns 80% green, I was impressed, what did they do? 3 months later they were back to 60% green. Its just the nature of the beast, what you are fighting is not being 25% green.

The less lawn you have the better, turn it into something else, rock, ground cover. A villa is ideal for that. Everyone else larger than that will just have to suffer with the 60% green.

Don't look at a lawn from a distance, stand on it, you will see the brown. Its just the nature of the beast here.

Now, if someone says I have a great lawn, go and look at it and see for yourself. There are no great lawns here. People have just gotten acclimated to the 40% brown. More brown in the winter and less brown in the spring summer. And all of these services do the same thing, BUT, they too cannot fight nature either, they just try to keep the 60% from becoming less.

Really, take a good look around and you will see, any lawn you can eliminate is good. The rest you can settle with 60% green, like everyo:thumbup:ne else.

You want to eliminate all lawns in The Villages?????

I question your motives and your sense of beauty, sir, madam.

Would you be one of those with a cause? Cause I don't like the cause of the rock-lawns, I am an old bird and I like a traditional lawn that sometimes needs chemicals. I see lots and lots of green lawns, mostly all green lawns here in The Villages during the growing season and they so please my eyes as does the flowers and nicely trimmed greenery in the common areas. I so appreciate this beautiful place taken good care of by homeowners and the developers and the CCD.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I’ve had 3 homes with lawns including the one I’m in now and I have had 3 courtyards mostly with rock . As much as I enjoyed the rock in the villas , I would not want to see the whole place full of rock lawns I think it would look awful .I agree with another poster who said just don’t look to close and I don’t , I have a service and do some watering but as long as nobody complains I guess I’m doing enough and that’s all I care about .The lawns I’ve had here are the first lawns I’ve had anywhere and just like when it comes to fixing things around the house , I’ll just let someone else worry about it .

[Brwne]

It’s difficult to advise you on the proper way to fix this yourself without more info, although many have done just that.

Your question was for trustworthy landscapers to give you a fresh start. I can’t help you there, however if you want to give it a shot yourself then you need to educate yourself on several issues concerning growing healthy St Augustine grass.

Weeds have been a big problem this year and especially since we’ve been in a bit of a drought for a while now. Without adequate water the grass weakens and the weeds come in. You said that you water regularly but what does that mean? You could be watering every day for 10 minutes and not getting enough water for your grass to thrive. First, understand how much water your grass needs and then test to be sure it’s getting it from your irrigation.

You should also do a soil test to better understand what what is lacking in it. The grass needs nutrients and proper water to thrive. A soil test will tell you what fertilizer to apply so that you’re feeding your grass what it needs.

As far as weeds are concerned, you need to know what they are so that you know how to control/eradicate them. One size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to fertilizer and weed control.

Your grass is not dormant now, contrary to another comment in this thread. We’ve been having temps in the 80’s and healthy St Augustine is still growing enough to need mowing. If you’re mowing it then it’s not dormant.

I do my own lawn mowing and treatment. I’ve attached a picture of how it looks this morning. Definitely not dormant.

The University of Florida extension service has great info on growing a healthy St Augustine lawn. Good luck with your lawn!

My lawn looks like yours. I hire Dean's to handle the "chemicals" but I control the water and mow my own lawn. Mowing services bring and deposit remnants (bugs, weeds?) from each lawn they mowed that morning. Water, water, in this environment, that provides fast recovery from "damage". I mow and then hand water the bad spots I encounter, till they're gone. Summer time - mow three times a week. Wintertime - every 6 weeks, or so.

I figure - if I can ride my bike and/or golf in the hot summer, I can mow my lawn, too.

[Breitsd]

I have noticed in my yard and in the neighborhood that lawn services are not at all effective in dealing with weeds. I have been hand-pulling mine and now they are rare and my lawn looks great. I recently learned that I have Parkinson’s Disease and I would like some feedback: Would you consider making a donation to either the Parkinson’s Foundation or Michael J Fox Foundation in exchange for me hand-pulling your weeds? Yes, it’s hard work, but it’s good for me to stay active and I know that it’s effective. Please let me know your thoughts or suggestions.

[1009 wilder]

be carefull i was turned in to the villages by nabors and was fined not the happyest home town

[PugMom]

be carefull i was turned in to the villages by nabors and was fined not the happyest home town

so funny you should say that. i was going to pick some of the weeds on the neighbors lawn because they were out of state & didnt know it wasn't being done. community watch said they could fine me for trespassing. :loco:

[PugMom]

I have noticed in my yard and in the neighborhood that lawn services are not at all effective in dealing with weeds. I have been hand-pulling mine and now they are rare and my lawn looks great. I recently learned that I have Parkinson’s Disease and I would like some feedback: Would you consider making a donation to either the Parkinson’s Foundation or Michael J Fox Foundation in exchange for me hand-pulling your weeds? Yes, it’s hard work, but it’s good for me to stay active and I know that it’s effective. Please let me know your thoughts or suggestions.

i'd make a donation without asking you to pluck, lol. God Bless :bigbow:

[kkingston57]

I have a patch of dead grass that I would like to replace. Is there a store that sells pieces of sod at this time of year?

Would wait till March/April. Cool weather still around and most grasses are dormant,

[kkingston57]

My lawn is going bad also. Mine is because the guy I hired to mow does me third in a series of six or so houses and has brought weeds from the houses before mine into my yard. The weed is a Spurge, and it spreads rapidly. I told my mower guy I would get him a ramp to drive up on so that he could use my hose to wash the bottom of his mower (he refused, and that is understandable), and so I asked him to mow my lawn first and clean his mower at home before coming out (again, he refused). At first, he was running his machine so fast that he was rutting my lawn and destroying sprinkler heads and landscaping lights, but I asked him to slow down and not run his mower at full throttle. That helped a little, but not with the weed problem. I recently hired a landscaping company to remove the weeds, plug the patches with sod, and spray the lawn with a "weed and feed" type chemical once a month. It is expensive, but they are certain they can get the lawn back to how it looked a few months ago.

Now, here is my question for you -- does my St. Agustine grass need to be mowed weekly during the winter months (my lawn mowing guy mowed it short last time and wants to mow it every other week during the winter months), and do you think I could find somebody in the area to mow using my own riding mower and gas. If so, how often should the job be done?

By the way, my lawn here looks a lot better than at my home in Illinois where my soil is hard clay. Up there, my lawn is mostly "creeping Charlie" and tree roots (I built in a forest).

? of cutting grass in the winter time. Does not need once a week(norm in the summer) and suggest cutting it every 15-20 days. It will not need any more unless winter is very warm. Personal aesthetic choice

[rjn5656]

Luis Landscaping replaced my lawn with sod. Did a great job.