I've heard that you aren't supposed to dethatch st. Augustine, but I've got a lot of dead compacted grass and trash in my front yard. The back doesn't have this problem. It seems to really make my grass struggle and grow in thin. What can I do about it?

I am having the same damn problem. The back yard is as thick as it can be, the front looks like sheet compareably.

If you fertilize your front more than the back it is probably caused from nitrogen in the fertilizer. Don't know why, just what I have heard.

Ask the Agronomist(TM) says .....

This is not really a problem, but will keep the soil cooler and make your grass come out a little slower .... NEVER DETHATCH ST AUGUSTINE!

If you do anything, rent a "core aerator" and use it. It takes "plugs" out of the yard and helps break down the residue a little quicker.

Same thing here. Happens every year, but this year seems worse. Always winds up being thick, though.

Use a leaf rake and rake the dead grass out. This will leave bare spots, but will also allow some air into the grass, and with proper watering and nutrition, they will grow over. As one of the previous posters recommended, renting a "core aerator" is one of the best things you can do for your yard. Golf courses aerate 3-4 times a year.

I am in south Houston and have this issue too. Seems like lots do this year.

I have a lot of dead grass from grubs last year and I've seen a lot of the same in my neighborhood. If what you're all seeing is mostly around sidewalks amd driveways suspect it may be grub related.

As posted above though, I've alway heard you shouldn't de-thatch but you should aerate.

Well I had a chinch bug issue for a while, but a lot of water and insecticide later, I think I've got em licked. Now the problem is the matted dead grass. I'll try raking it out and if that doesn't work I'll look into the aerator. I used to mulch when I mowed but someone told me you shouldn't do this every time as it can contribute to the dead grass problem. Any thoughts on mulching?

Might be a fungus issue. My lawn is the same way.

Could be I guess, but with as dry as it's been lately, I'd be surprised to see fungus doing well...

Does it have to do with the amount of shade? St.Aug needs a certain amount of shade.

It doesn't "need" shade, it's just more shade tolerant than most.

Same thing.

I mulch the clippings back in every time. Please don't tell me that's bad because I really dot want to rake or bag clippings.

I detest St Augustine grass (except in places where it rains enough to grow it without extra watering).

The best St Augustine grass is dead St Augustine grass.

Mulched grass clippings can be a good thing. However, grass can take a long time to decompose fully, especially with as dry as it has been. Keep your nitrogen on with water and use the core aerator mentioned above. In order for that to decompose, you need to keep your C:N ratios at a lower level by adding the fertilizer. On the bright side, it will be difficult for weeds to come up in that spot.

I've gotten the same issue the last two years since I've been in my new house. Each summer though the yard would finally green out and look great. I say leave it in because it's keeping the harsh hot sunlight off the soil and therefore helping to retain moisture. It's also still keeping the weeds at bay. St. Augustine is highly invasive and will send runners right through it!

I had the same problem last year and the existing grass wasn't growing into those areas. I used a string trimmer to break up the dead grass and then mowed over it with a bagging lawn mower. This year the St Augustine has fully covered the areas I did that in and is still struggling in the areas I left.

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As one of the previous posters recommended, renting a "core aerator" is one of the best things you can do for your yard.

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That wasn't just a previous poster that was our resident agronomist. Follow his instructions.