Was about to lay down some 2,4-D I bought when I double-checked and read that it's not good for st. Augustine. What do y'all recommend?

Grow it thicker. Mow it longer. Crowd it out.

Atrazine

TikkaShooter said:

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Grow it thicker. Mow it longer. Crowd it out.

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Definitely will and hit it with some fertilizer earlier. Also did a bag of preemergent in Nov and in Feb so I have no idea what happened…

BurnetAggie99 said:

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Atrazine

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Thanks, something like this?

Hi-Yield (33430) Atrazine Weed Killer (32 oz) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016TQFPQ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CWMV5211FC4FZYJ0F9JJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

or this

Southern Ag 006130 Atrazine St. Augustine Weed Killer 32oz Specialty Herbicide, Light Tan https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052MZBYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RCM3MGY081CRYREFQFT8

Atrazine hi yield. Just put some down. No results yet. Tired of the mow high, vinegar orange oil, pull them etc etc. Needed bigger weaponry. Fannicks in SA set me up w granule pre and liquid post emergents.

Dill-Ag13 said:

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TikkaShooter said:

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Grow it thicker. Mow it longer. Crowd it out.

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Definitely will and hit it with some fertilizer earlier. Also did a bag of preemergent in Nov and in Feb so I have no idea what happened…

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November is too late for pre-e. I've also noticed that liquid apps are far more effective than granular for both pre and post emergent. That's just my experience after switching to liquid for the last year or so.

Be careful with atrazine around trees.

They make a "Weed-B-Gone for Southern lawns" that will nail broadleaf weeds and leave you Augustine unharmed. Be sure to add Dawn to the mix.

Use 2-4, D all the time on my St. Augustine without issue.

https://www.amazon.com/Roundup-Lawns-Concentrate-Southern-32oz/dp/B01JIRHPLC/ref=sr_1_6?crid=EBAK8DGMUI8L&keywords=roundup+for+lawns&qid=1650284900&sprefix=round+up+for+%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-6

pretty sure this is what i use and its pretty good.

Say your yard is mostly trees with st augustine underneath, what would you use then?

ktownag08 said:

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Use 2-4, D all the time on my St. Augustine without issue.

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I didn't realize there was an issue with 2 4 D on St. Agustine and have spot treated a decent amount over the past few weeks. Not saying it's great long term (I have no idea), but the weeds are dead, and the grass is not.

In my experience pre emergent helps keep the weeds back, but isn't 100% effective. I usually end up having to use a post emergent like atrazine as well at some point.

Guess I'd like to piggyback off this thread.

I'm usually pretty good at keeping my yard in good shape, but this year I'm starting to lose the battle in my backyard against this. Crabgrass or goosegrass right? And how to get rid of it? I put pre-emerge down in late February, fertilized a couple weeks ago, feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to do….

U use the atrazine liquid for post emergent? How long after u spray before u see results? I mixed 4oz per 1 gallon of water and sprayed 5 days ago. No visible results yet on weeds.

In my experience it's usually a week before you see anything and about two weeks for dead weeds.

Very important tip that gets over looked. Make sure you checking your PH level of the water you use to mix any chemical. Your water needs to be a PH of 7 when you mix any chemical.

Using water that has a high/low PH it effects the chemical tremendously and your chemical won't work.

you need a broadleaf weed killer. Spot treat it and mow your grass as high as you can.

saysomethin said:

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U use the atrazine liquid for post emergent? How long after u spray before u see results? I mixed 4oz per 1 gallon of water and sprayed 5 days ago. No visible results yet on weeds.

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I'd say about a week I can see wilting/yellowing/dieing of weeds. Probably 2 weeks before they are dead. Not sure of the concentration I use. Generally I buy the one that attaches to the water hose.

What kind of weeds are you battling?

I couldn't tell you. Big mix of the weed pictured above, some broadleaf with tiny yellow flowers, Johnson grass etc etc. Took actual weeds to Fannicks and this is what they gave me. Said to treat with granule Attazine, wait a week, then use liquid Atrazine. It's not the hose adapter style though.

To be clear I used a liquid atrazine for post emergent weeds. Thats what I was speaking to in my last post as far as time lines. I use the one you attach to a waterhose just for ease of use and how quick it is. Mixing and applying with a sprayer should work just as well.

How much direct sunlight does the area in that first picture gets?

agfan2013 said:

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Guess I'd like to piggyback off this thread.

I'm usually pretty good at keeping my yard in good shape, but this year I'm starting to lose the battle in my backyard against this. Crabgrass or goosegrass right? And how to get rid of it? I put pre-emerge down in late February, fertilized a couple weeks ago, feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to do….

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No. That is a cool season annual grass in the ryegrass/rescue grass family. A pre-emerge in the fall will prevent it. It will croak when the weather gets hot, and spread its evil spawn for next fall.

I spent about three hours yesterday digging/pulling crab grass from all over the yard. That stuff sucks. I'm sure half of it is going to come back up, so I can do it again.

Now we're in my neck of the woods, albeit severe action and error.

My dad ('54) died in January 2000, and he was a floroculture/horticulture major and had a couple of nurseries. So growing up, if it could be dug, pulled, planted, lifted, cleaned, or involved any kind of labor, I was the guy. Since he took care of all that for my mom, I had little idea what to do. After five years of hit and miss, putting out too much, or too little, I finally got it.

I'm very surprised to hear your 2-4 D didn't work well on St Augustine. I've got mainly St Augustine, with a small mix of Zoysia and have had very good success. However, the VERY best decision was putting down two different types of fertilizer before September 15th every year. In DFW, it needs to be done before September 10th, since the weeds for next Spring will have already seeded.

One type for grassy weeds and one type for broad leaf weeds. Apparently, y'all have had some success with Atrizine, I've used it a couple of times, but didn't see a marked benefit.

If you want to peruse a website, go to Neil Sperry's FB page. There are some posts from 2011 that tells you exactly what to do, in specific parts of Texas, at the end of August to mid-September. The biggest issue I had with the fall fertilizer was specifying the marketing names of the grassy and broad-leaf weeds to the industry names of each company. It can get a little confusing, but in about two years, you'll be VERY happy.

It may take you a little while to locate that post, and I assume it's still there, but it will give you the education you need. Certainly enough for and old economic/finance guy like me.

B-1 83 said:

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agfan2013 said:

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Guess I'd like to piggyback off this thread.

I'm usually pretty good at keeping my yard in good shape, but this year I'm starting to lose the battle in my backyard against this. Crabgrass or goosegrass right? And how to get rid of it? I put pre-emerge down in late February, fertilized a couple weeks ago, feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to do….

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No. That is a cool season annual grass in the ryegrass/rescue grass family. A pre-emerge in the fall will prevent it. It will croak when the weather gets hot, and spread its evil spawn for next fall

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I put pre-ermerge down several times a year. That being said, what can I put down now to kill off the cool season annual grasses and virginia buttonweed/creeper?

Mow more regularly and at 2". Weeds seem to grow faster than grass. 24D is perfectly fine just don't overdo it.

https://neilsperry.com/faq/what-mowing-heights-best-grass-doesnt-look-good-after-mow-it-10404/

Only morning Sun, which is why it's a trouble spot

Will grazon affect St Augustine?

Cadet05 said:

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Will grazon affect St Augustine?

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Don't use it will damage your St. Augustine. Use Trimec Southern Broadleaf Herbicide which is labeled for St Augustine as long as it is not Floratam. Also Sedgehammer Plus is safe for both St Augustine and Bermuda grass.