Question
Hi Ron!

Thanks for volunteering your time to help people like myself out with our lawn challenges.

I live in southwest Florida, (North Port, specifically) and I have just moved into a new home. The lawn we have is Bahia I am told. I have a bald spot in the lawn that has a very light brown, (almost straw colored) fringe of old dead grass and the middle of the spot, a very dark soil. The spot is next to the concrete slab that my AC unit and water softener equipment sit on, which is on the southeast facing side of the house. It almost looks like something has spilled out of the softener onto the grass and has killed it as the swath of damage starts wide (approx. 5 feet) near the slab, and the dead spot gradually tapers as the grade falls to the edge of the lot where the damage is about a foot wide. The soil looks really dark where there is no grass at all. There is piece of hose that attaches to the plumbing behind the control valve of the softener that runs off the slab about two inches although when I moved in, it wasn't pointing near the dead spot. There is no tube on the overflow port of the brine tank.

My question is this: does water softener salt and or system water run off have the ability to kill grass? And if so, is there anything I can do to patch this spot? I understand Bahia doesn't "spread" like other grasses, and will never fill in the spot from the decent adjacent grass roots. I also understand that no such Bahia sod exists, but I am capable of sowing new Pensacola Bahia grass seed. My concern is being able to keep it wet enough to germinate and take roots considering I am on severe watering restrictions of 6 hours per week, 1 inch per zone. If I DO try to plant new grass, can I cover the sown patch with weed control fabric (the black stuff that allows water and some sunlight through) to help keep the seed in place and moist AND so it doesn't scorch from the 7-8 hours of full intense sun exposure it will get everyday.

I've never seen a spot like this before, but I've never had well water before, either.

Sorry this was so long-winded. Hope you can help.

Best regards,

Pat
North Port, FL

Answer
The discharge from the softener (which occurs each time the system is recharged) has the potential to kill plants. Can you pipe the discharge from the water softener and the a/c into the ground? The a/c discharge is pure water and will dilute the weekly? discharge from the softener. You might consider planting a salt tolerant shrub which should grow well and also 'hide' the equipment.