St. Augustine Sod Problems

Watering

• St. Augustine sod requires a great deal of preparation and care for it to be successful. The night before laying sod, the whole area must be irrigated with at least ¼-inch water. The soil should be kept damp for planting. Once installed, the sod must be thoroughly watered. The top 1 inch of soil must remain wet until the sod has taken root. If a proper watering schedule isn't followed, the sod will not root and won't survive. The morning hours are the best for watering, giving the grass time to absorb the moisture before nightfall. Standing water tends to leave roots and grass open for bacterial and fungal infection.

Chinch Bugs

• St. Augustine grass is susceptible to a number of serious pest problems, many of which are fatal if left untreated. The southern lawn chinch bug is among the most serious, particularly throughout the southern U.S. Active throughout much of the year, the chinch bug feeds on the stems of the grass blades. Damage will become obvious with as few as 20 or 30 bugs per square foot, and the symptoms will resemble those of drought, including stunted growth, chlorotic spots and dead spots throughout. Insecticides work well at controlling chinch bugs, but five or six doses are sometimes necessary. A few natural enemies, including big-eyed bugs, predatory earwigs and spiders, will help to keep populations under control.

Other Insects

• White grubs are another serious problem with St. Augustine sod. They feed on the roots, causing severe damage. In some cases, depending when the infestation begins, the damage won't be apparent until subsequent years, where dying spots are easily removed from the yard. Control products, including insecticides, must be applied below the surface of the soil, and the soil must be thoroughly drenched, to be effective. Sod webworms, armyworms and cutworms also are trouble for St. Augustine sod. They are most problematic when present in large numbers. Symptoms of infestation will vary greatly between species but include leaf blade skeletonization, webs and patches of grass that have been defoliated. Insecticides are the most effective method of control. Additional problems come from ground pearls, a scale insect that lives under the soil and feeds on roots.

Diseases

• Though St. Augustine is fairly hardy and will crowd out most weeds on its own, it is susceptible to a few diseases. Some of the most common include brown patch, gray leaf spot, rust, Helminthosporium, Pythum and downy mildew, according to Texas A&M. Most of these diseases are the result of fungal infections and can be controlled using fungicides. St. Augustine decline is a viral disease that does not have chemical treatment, though there are some St. Augustine varieties that are resistant. Of these diseases, according to Texas A&M, brown patch and gray leaf spot are the most severe, though even these will rarely kill sod. Instead, the result of infection normally is a thin, unsightly look to the grass.