Weed B Gone for St. Augustine Grass
 

I have a small yard in my courtyard villa that has St. Augustine grass (sometimes called crabgrass by others). Last year I started getting a weed problem, so in the off season, I pulled every weed I could find. This year the lawn came up green and lush and I thought I had beat the Florida weeds for once. No such luck. Now I have weeds spread all over the lawn, some of which attach their seeds to our dog every time she goes out (several times a day). In the early summer I bought Weed B Gone for St. Augustine grass and applied it as directed. No obvious change. I applied it again last month. No obvious change. The weeds are thriving. I’m about to use Spectricide Lawn and Weed Killer which will kill everything, and I can lay sod on the dead areas in the spring. But before I take that drastic action, does anyone know of a product that actually works? I think plain water would work as good as Weed B Gone.

go talk with Tommy at the Wildwood Ace Hardware first... he can make great suggestions for the correct stuff to use and when.

Assume you mow your own yard? If not, that could be the source of your weeds from others yards when the contractor mower jumps yard to yard to yard.

Thanks, I do mow my own lawn. I’ve always mulched it but this year I’ve used the bag to minimize seed dispersal.

Thanks. Which Ace Hardware?

This is not the time to kill weeds in your lawn. Wait until early spring then use Scott's fertilizer with pre-emergent weed and crabgrass control suitable for St. Augustine grass. After that what ever weeds come up use a granular weed and crab grass killer and problem will be solved.

Most herbicides are only effective during an active growing season. Try again in spring. Your lawn and weeds should be pretty much dormant now anyways until then.

I've found that the "Roundup for Southern lawns" is an effective product for weeds in St Augustine grass, but what the OP was using was probably fine in the first place.

Is there any way to get a load of dirt? I don’t know kind of grass we have now, actually it’s brown and almost non-existent, but we are planning to put down St. Augustine. But my husband wants to put down dirt first because he says the ground is all sand, but I don’t know where to get a load of dirt.

Dirt Cheap, Summerfield

Dirt Cheap

I found that a herbicide called Atrazine works well for broadleaf weeds and does not harm the St. Augustine. I buy it online at Domyown.com. Mix in a hand bottle sprayer for spot treatments. And I use a pre-emergent in April and Nov as I was instructed by the UF agriculture extension agent (Master Gardener) at Sumpter County to prevent new weed seeds from sprouting. Comes in granules and spread like fertilizer. My lawn is doing much better now.

I attached a lawn care guide that the UF lady sent to me.

RoundUP
 

Do no use RoundUp on lawn grass. It kills ALL vegetation....weeds, grass, any living plant. Don't do it!

I hired TrueGreen to take care of our small TV lawn. But when we lived on acreage I used Atrazine.. It works well for broadleaf weeds and does not harm the St. Augustine, or other grasses.

In the spring use a weed and feed fertilizer. Don't forget to treat your lawn with a pesticide. This area has a huge problem with chinch bugs, and it will also help keep bugs out of your home.

As others have said go to Ace and ask for advise to buy these products.

No weed problem is “solved.” Better controlled but not “solved.”

Pay attention to what the original quoted post said "Roundup for Southern Lawns." It is a variation specifically meant for weed killing, and does not harm St. Augustine grass.

However, Atrazine is a much better choice, and is also safe for St. Augustine grass.

Since the pre-emergent didn't work sounds like your weeds are perennial. For St Augustine Provista use glyphosate 41% to kill the weeds. Tractor Supply and Rural King are the only places around here that sell glyphosate. If your lawn is not actively growing then mix the glyphosate at 50% or wait until spring to apply.