Q: A disease got into my St. Augustinegrass lawn last fall and killed one-third of my front lawn. Will the disease come back this spring?

A: Take-all patch has wreaked havoc with St. Augustinegrass lawns in Georgia. Initial symptoms are irregular, straw-colored, thin patches in the lawn. As the disease progresses, patches coalesce, eventually killing large areas. The patches can reappear in subsequent years. Experts in Texas found that lowering the pH of the soil with peat moss gives good control. Dr. Phillip Colbaugh recommends scattering 3.8 cubic feet of sphagnum peat moss over 1000 square feet of lawn. There are fungicide options as well. More details here.