Well I'm a dummy and used the wrong fall fertilizer on my St. Augustine yard (orange Scotts bag instead of the red one)...and now of course my yard isn't doing great. Any ideas on what I should put down to try and save it? Or should I just put the right bag down and just call it a day prior to winter?

What is in the orange Scotts bag?

Spore Ag said:

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What is in the orange Scotts bag?

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https://www.scotts.com/en-us/products/lawn-food/scotts-turf-builder-winterguard-fall-weed-feed3

May be more of a yellow but it's the winter guard that says don't use on St Augustine in the fine print

I'm guessing your best bet is to leave it alone and water the crap out of it

Definitely don't pour anything else down. Water for a few weeks and pray.

I used their "safe for southern lawns" weed and feed this spring, and nearly lost my lawn (St Augustine). Took all summer to come back. Will never touch that stuff again. In fact, I'm done with Scotts. Going with Milorganite and/or other more organic types of fertilizer.

Thanks guys, I didn't realize it for a week after I put it down so may be too late, but will just keep watering

Calvin Finch, retired A&M horticulturist (and other reputable experts) in San Antonio, says to never use weed & feed. He says fertilizing and applying herbicide should be done separately. The timing is never the same. You could actually be fertilizing your weeds if done at wrong time.

I know this is not your question but still applicable.

If you have not already watered it in, leaf blow as much as you can. Might also mow/bag.

Not an expert in soil science, but I think it may be the 2-4-D that did it. I used some spray herbicide to get ride of the puncture-vine that is so rampant in San Angelo and I lost my St. Augustine too. The main ingredient was the 2-4-D. How to save it? I can not help you there.

zachsccr said:

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Not an expert in soil science, but I think it may be the 2-4-D that did it. I used some spray herbicide to get ride of the puncture-vine that is so rampant in San Angelo and I lost my St. Augustine too. The main ingredient was the 2-4-D. How to save it? I can not help you there.

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Don't like the sound of that

Let it die
Dig it up
Plant Bermuda
Profit

2-4-D is fine on St. Augustine for broadleaf weed control.

Look at a Lesco fertilizer high in N for St. Augustine at Home Depot or even better Siteone.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/LESCO-50-lbs-24-0-11-No-Phos-Fertilizer-080258/202310769

Quit using weed and feed products.

Why do folks still use it? I thought this was pretty well known to be awful for turf lawns.

Weed and feed will eventually kill your plants like azaleas.

Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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Quit using weed and feed products.

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Seriously. Quit buying that garbage. Pre-emergent 2 weeks before your usual last freeze, again 90 days later, and then the first week of September. Dimension, Halts, or Balan granules. Fertilize April 1, June 1, Aug 1, Oct 1. If you don't test to see your specific needs, then a 3-1-2 ratio slow release is typically a good Texas lawn fertilizer to use.

This is basically the Neil Sperry playbook and it's done me right for 20+ years, bermuda (last house) and st augustine (current house)

Nitro-Phos in the future

https://www.nitro-phos.com/products.html

People buy it because it's easy, and if they're selling it, it must work.

Yeah I've bought for ease and simplicity...but this is what I get for not paying attention I guess

Day 1 of water the **** out of the yard complete haha

My yard is a 50/50 mix of Bermuda and st Augustine and use that. No problems at all

Why are so many against St Augustine? It feels great in the summer and looks good too.

McDadeTXAggie said:

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Why are so many against St Augustine? It feels great in the summer and looks good too.

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doesnt feel as great as walking on Bermuda. Nor does it look as good.

Rockdoc said:

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My yard is a 50/50 mix of Bermuda and st Augustine and use that. No problems at all

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Mine is mixed as well. In the shade, it's all St. Augustine, in the sunny areas, it transitions to Bermuda. I couldn't get Bermuda to grow in much of my yard.

Ragoo said:

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McDadeTXAggie said:

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Why are so many against St Augustine? It feels great in the summer and looks good too.

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doesnt feel as great as walking on Bermuda. Nor does it look as good.

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And it takes a ****load more water and maintenance.

F4GIB71 said:

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Calvin Finch, retired A&M horticulturist (and other reputable experts) in San Antonio, says to never use weed & feed. He says fertilizing and applying herbicide should be done separately. The timing is never the same. You could actually be fertilizing your weeds if done at wrong time.

I know this is not your question but still applicable.

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My wife (Texas Master Gardener) always said she would murder me, then divorce me if I ever used weed and feed on our lawn.

Marauder Blue 6 said:

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Ragoo said:

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McDadeTXAggie said:

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Why are so many against St Augustine? It feels great in the summer and looks good too.

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doesnt feel as great as walking on Bermuda. Nor does it look as good.

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And it takes a ****load more water and maintenance.

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And in parts of Texas where it isn't adapted, it likes to find creative ways to die about 3 years after it's established.

St Augustine loves dappled shade and shouldn't require much maintenance in that environment. Full sun... good luck

Well seems like green grass is slowly starting to come out in almost all of the burned spots, so think I'll be good longer term and will just have a browner yard than most prior to winter

I'll keep watering the hell out of it the next few weeks until it goes dormant, and I already bought fertilizer only for next season

Rip it out and plant Celebration Bermuda!! And it works great for a chipping practice area for my sons golf!! And then the orange bag works!! Cut down in between 1/2 inch a nd a 1/4 inch!!

I find that a little fertilizer in St Augustine is pretty much all you need. Once it starts growing it chokes out any weeds. During the 2011 drought I only had two green runners in the back yard. A few weeks after little fertilizer and water it looked great.