Lime green colored spots of grass

[shirley803]

Our yard is made up of st augustine and some bermuda. We have several spots of lime green colored grass all over our yard. Although it is sort of pretty with the vergated colors, I am afraid that there is something wrong. Can anyone help? :P

[Dchall_San_Antonio]

If you used organic fertilizer in early spring, you were ready for some more back on July 4th. If you have already done that and still have the lime green, I'll take a wild guess that you've had a significant amount of rain this summer. If you've had LOTS of rain, it will change the pH of your soil deep down through the entire root system. You cannot afford to apply that much water when you water, so you would not normally see the grass turn yellow. When the pH is changed, what iron you have in the soil becomes "locked up" and your grass can't get it anymore.

Get some greensand (glauconite) and scatter that at 40 pounds per 1,000 square feet. In three weeks you will be the only house with a deep green lawn. You will also be able to see where you missed in your first scattering. Scatter a little more in the remaining yellow places and you're good for at least a year.

I'm not sure how the greensand works but it does. The iron in greensand is also in the locked up, ferric, form. What you need is the unlocked, ferrous, form. So probably what happens is something in the greensand promotes the unlocking of the iron that was previously in the soil and makes it available to the plants again. Whatever, it works when nothing else will.

Forget about using Ironite - at least in my experience. Waste of money. Want half a bag?

[shirley803]

I had to laugh when I read your reply. We live out of city limits, but have city water. They charge us a very high rate for water since we are out of city limits. If we water, our water bill can easily exceed 200 - 300 dollars a month so we decided to drill a well for watering purposes. We drilled in March of this year. Could it be that we have been over indulgent in watering? We get little rain here in the summer so I know nature didn't do it. Guess I will try less water first, then try the greensand. Can you get it in any lawn and garden section or do you have to go somewhere that specializes in organic type lawn care?

Thanks . . . Shirley

[Dchall_San_Antonio]

You should try to train your grass to need water only once per week. Training involves developing deep roots and soft soil that will absorb all the water you give it - once a week.

Start backing off on the frequency of watering and start increasing the amount you water. My next door neighbor has not watered her St Augustine in 4 years and it looks pretty good at all times.