northwesterner has my number. I don't get here often enough, and look what time it is. What am I still doing up??
I have reclaimed St Aug from bemuda many times. Here's the fastest way to get there.
- Mow every other week at the mower's highest setting. If you can go to 3 weeks, do that.
- Water weekly a full inch. If you allow the St Aug to dry out, it will die and bermuda will take over immediately.
- Fertilize only the St Augustine with alfalfa, corn gluten meal, Milorganite, or (last resort) corn meal. Rate is whatever you want but at least 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. When the St Aug sends runners into the bermuda, drop some fertilizer right along the runner trying not to fertilize much of the bermuda. Fertilizer is critical to the success. Without it the St Aug will never become dense enough to choke out the bermuda.
Bermuda must have full sun or it thins out. If you have full sun, this process can take more than a couple seasons. Anything you can do to encourage shade over the bermuda, do that. For example pitch a canopy up 6 feet off the ground to allow light in from the sides but not direct sunlight.