Q: I have lots of dichondra weed growing in my St. Augustine lawn on the north side of the house in partial shade. It is spreading. What is the best approach to controlling it?

A: If your St. Augustinegrass is thinning in the shade, you’ll always have weed problems. Nature has a way of finding plants to grow in any environment. You will constantly fight dichondra, moss or creeping Charlie. Why not make your life easier and do something in the shady spot that will be attractive and less problematic? You could landscape with shade-loving plants like Lenten rose, hosta, and ferns. Or you could do what I’m doing and plant dwarf mondo grass sprigs six inches apart in the shady area. Eventually the mondo grass will fill the area and give an evergreen grass-like effect.