Yellow-Green St. Augustine

[curtindobber]

Under a couple of our trees (one in front yard and one in back/different types of trees) our St. Augustine grass has turned yellow-green in the shape of the shadow of the tree folage. We are totally organic. We applied corn gluten in the early spring/late winter and then applied dry molasses and then Lady Bug. Our house faces south. Any ideas? Too much water? Not enough? Not enough light? We are puzzled. We have had a lot of rain and our grass is thick and healthy except for this. Thanks for your help.

[khwoz]

Not enough light, too much moisture & use Horticultural or Whole Ground cornmeal for fungus type problems. Search the site for other fungus type solutions but I believe too much moisture is your main problem w/shade #2.

[e Craig]

Not sure this is your problem, but:

St Augustine likes some shade, will grow better than in full sun. But, w/o warning it will decline when it decides that the shade is too dense!

Probably the best situation, for the tree as well as lawn or shrubs, etc. beneath, will be dappled shade. Look up at your trees, is it solidly dark or can you generally see patches of sky? If there is no moderate balance of foliage and sky, consider thinning the tree, carefully.

Actually, you will get the maximum cooling effect from a combination of shade and air circulation that aids the tree's respiration.

Take care.
Craig

[curtindobber]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try the horticultural corn meal. The area gets sun, but from the sides of the trees not down through the leaves. One tree is a bald cypress and the other an ash.

[sandih]

My normally dark green St. Augustine now has light green blades throught the lawn. I assume it's because of all the rain, because nothing else has changed. It's that way in the sunny areas as well as the shady areas. Should I just wait until it dries out, or should ai use Texas T or some other fertilizer to help green it up?

[e Craig]

Sandi,
I dunno. Sometimes the best advice is, "Don't just do something. Stand there!"

Take care.
Craig

[Derek]

Funny! I was about to post the same topic. Mine has been like this the past 4 years. My front yard is very shaded. But it gets early sun. My backyard is very open. The sun is blocked by the house early, but full sun rest of the day. Both my front and back look the same. Very yellow/green St. Aug. I have put down corn gluten/reg corn, green sand, molasses. Here is not the problem. IMO.

1) The extra heavy rain lately
2) To much Shade/Sun
3) The Organic Program- (i've herd this is the problem)

Here is what the prob is. IMO. *** Note*** My house had St. Aug when I bought it. I planted St. Aug 2 years ago in diffrent spots. All of it has changed to the yellow/green.


I think it is a nutritional problem. Not iron though. Maybe. Mag, Potassium, micro. I'm not really sure which one yet. I am going to get this weekend, a organic fert, with a lot of micros, I don't know which one yet. I will apply and let you know the results.
Brand/Rates/Price/ect...
Results....

I know this is not much help. But, if we try, and post results, we will all help each other.

[e Craig]

Haven't thought much about this possibility lately, but you may need to check for symptoms of St. Augustine Decline [SAD], a viral disease. Examine, closely, the leaves of the affected grass. Especially check in areas of transition from green to yellowed. SAD infected grass will show the yellowing in random small long spots, not related to the veins, etc.

The standard remedy for SAD is to interplant with one of the varieties found to be resistant to SAD. Of course the standard advice comes from/for people using chemical care. Which was usually the case when I was presented with infected lawns. I generally found that switching to organic care reduced or eliminated the problem. This should not be your situation, so I dunno.

A search on the web for "St. Augustine Decline" [quotes included] will produce lots of references, including http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/turf/publications/Staugdecline.html which advises
Quote: Early stages of SAD are often confused with iron chlorosis, but the two can be readily distinguished. Leaves showing chlorosis caused by iron deficiency are either uniformly yellow or show characteristic yellow stripes parallel to the mid-vein of the leaf. Iron chlorosis also appears first in the new, or young leaves; whereas SAD produces the mottling in young and older leaves. Iron chlorosis is readily corrected by a foliar application of iron sulfate or iron chelate.
Whadda y'all think?

Take care.
Craig

[sandih]

Mine still sounds like an issue with lack of iron. There's no mottling, it like every 5th blade is a light green, through out the lawn, shade or sun.

Is the recommendation to just put a good overall organic fertilizer on or should I only treat it with an iron supplement?

[e Craig]

I got away from specific prescriptions 30 or so years ago when I was unlearning all that I thought I knew B/4 making an attitude switch to organics. Most of the problems I encountered needed the switch away from chemicals first. After my customers made the commitment few problems remained, especially given their newfound willingness to wait.

Now, one of the reasons for joining DD was to learn some more about those few that could be helped by tailoring the remedies tried.

With the various symptoms presented in this topic, I dunno. Of course, the conditions are not the same at the various locations reporting in. For instance not all of us have had too much rain, certainly not at my location. But I need only travel a few miles to find a location that has.

Brainstorming:
1> I am unfamiliar with yellowing from too much moisture and I see few here that suggest this.
2> St Augustinegrass in heavy shade is weaker, but not usually yellowed.
3> Yellowing from Iron and Magnesium deficiency are very similar.
4> Applying the wrong remedy won't help. If you suspect a deficit, more investigation would be required.
5> Imbalances are rare in organic care.
6> Usually, any specific excess applied by general applications will be handled by the natural process.
7> Any loss would be in costs, money or labor.
8> My own inclination is to apply less rather than more, until I am sure.

Let's stay in touch while trying.

Take care.
Craig
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." ___Daniel P. Moynihan

[sandih]

Thanks Craig. I don't have heavy shade anywhere, it's pretty dappled. The yellowing is uniform through out the lawn, full sun or dappled shade. I probably won't do anything until this dang rain stops. I will probably start with a good overall organice fertilizer (Lady Bug or Texas Tee) and go from there. I'll keep you posted.

[Nadine]

Derek wrote: Funny! I was about to post the same topic. Mine has been like this the past 4 years. My front yard is very shaded. But it gets early sun. My backyard is very open. The sun is blocked by the house early, but full sun rest of the day. Both my front and back look the same. Very yellow/green St. Aug. I have put down corn gluten/reg corn, green sand, molasses. Here is not the problem. IMO.

1) The extra heavy rain lately
2) To much Shade/Sun
3) The Organic Program- (i've herd this is the problem)

Here is what the prob is. IMO. *** Note*** My house had St. Aug when I bought it. I planted St. Aug 2 years ago in diffrent spots. All of it has changed to the yellow/green.


I think it is a nutritional problem. Not iron though. Maybe. Mag, Potassium, micro. I'm not really sure which one yet. I am going to get this weekend, a organic fert, with a lot of micros, I don't know which one yet. I will apply and let you know the results.
Brand/Rates/Price/ect...
Results....

I know this is not much help. But, if we try, and post results, we will all help each other.

:shock: Regarding the text in green, you are kidding, right?
Corn gluten meal is the organic answer for those wishing to add nitrogen which, from what I understand, helps the grass to "green". (I like the Alliance Milling brand myself, but they quit making it for some frustrating reason, so if you can still find some, get it)! Photosynthesis is important as well. Not just important, but critical.
Our plants have not been receiving the sun they usually get because of the weather. I have a feeling this may be part of the "problem". A sprig of grass grew up into our garage and it was beige from lack of sun. :lol: Otherwise, it appeared to be quite healthy.

[Nadine]

sandih wrote: Mine still sounds like an issue with lack of iron. There's no mottling, it like every 5th blade is a light green, through out the lawn, shade or sun.

Is the recommendation to just put a good overall organic fertilizer on or should I only treat it with an iron supplement?

If you need to add iron, the best way to do so is to broadcast Texas greensand. Stay away from the bagged iron product that turns your sidewalks rusty. It contains arsenic.

[sandih]

I assume I could add greensand to the LadyBug brand organic fertilizer I just bought?

[lou_midlothian_tx]

sandih wrote: I assume I could add greensand to the LadyBug brand organic fertilizer I just bought?


Head over to Lowe's for greensand. Dirt cheap. apply at the rate of 40lbs per 1000 sqft. Mix Lava sand (also at Lowe's) equal part with greensand to make it a lot easier to spread by hand. The greensand itself is a bit claylike so you can't really spread it evenly.