The only time my St. Augustine has gone to seed is when I don't mow often enough. If it grows fast and one can't mow due to weather, etc., it will tend to get seeds on it. I don't believe this means anything except to mow as needed if possible.

It happens to mine every year starting about this time... I keep it 2.5 - 3" long.

It means it is really healthy -- do not worry. The seeds do not reproduce.

I have the same problem. I was told this is because my grass isn't heat tolerant enough. The grass is going to seed because with the extreme temps lately, the lawn thinks the growing season is over and it's time to go to seed. To prevent this and make your yard more heat tolerant, I was told to spray with seaweed once every week or two.

I don't see any reason to prevent anything. The seed stalks mow off just like the grass.

Spraying with seaweed is a nice idea but I'd be surprised if it had any effect on the seed heads.

I think you were sold a crock by a speculater. It happens every year w/ healthy St. Aug. Relax and mow....

Happens every other year for me.

Mine went to seed as well this year,but not a bad thing.i hacked of the seed pods and set up a few test pots. I am now getting little baby grass blades growing in 3 of the 6 test pots. the one thing this tells you is that the variety you have is sterile ( most are)or fertile. So if you want to find out if you have sterile or fertile variety, just et up a few pots with good soil drop in a half dozen pods on top in others slightly bury some pods. I have found the top broadcasted pots are the ones showing growth. You must keep the soil damp, therefore seems the ones i buried completely, tend to rot, whereas the top brodcasted pods dont rot and thus produce germinated seedling.

Found this old thread and others like it that are more recent. Seems the consensus is that it's normal and not cause for concern. However, the thin, hard, light-green look and feel that accompanies this situation sure isn't desirable. Compared to the deep green, soft, leafy look I have in other areas of my yard this sure seems like a problem.

For me, it happens in my front yard which gets full sun all day. My back yard, that gets quite a bit of shade doesn't have this situation.

Any other comments or suggestions?

thanks

This is interesting. I remarked above that it only occurred every other year for me. And many of you have mentioned that it happens in sunny areas. It could be a sunny area issue. We lost some trees this summer due to wind and now have full sun where we used to have deep shade. In the newly sunny areas we had the seed stalks where we never had them before.

I love these forums!

I still don't think of seed stalks as a problem, though. I am probably a LOT less picky about the appearance of my lawn than many of you. Anyone who saw it and found out I was a moderator on several organic lawn forums would just laugh.