Question
Hi there.  I have had really good fortune in keeping my St. Augustine grass very green and plush in most areas.  However, I have one area about 5 feet by three feet that has started turning brown.  That area did the very same thing last year until it died.  I fully replaced it with new sod about two months ago.  Initially it did well and now it is brown.  It gets plenty of sun and has been well watered and fertilized.  What do I do to find out the problem with that area?  Thanks for your help.  Matt

Answer
Hi Matt;
Bown spot fungus comes to mind. It usually doesn't restrict itself to one spot though, but if it is a fungus, it will not clear up by itself. You will have to treat it with a fungicide, or use baking soda disolved in water. Saturate the ground with whichever you use.
Do you have a bird feeder over that area?
The black sunflower seed hulls are toxic to vegetation. If you have a feeder there, it may have a buildup of hulls.Those hulls, when they build up enough to poison the vegetation do just that.
Could it be too much fertilizer was put there? If too much was put down in that area, it would just be reinforced when you fed this year.
If it was sunflower seed hulls, that toxin stays in the soil for years, or until the soil is replaced.
That is all I can think of that it might be.
If there is no bird feeder, you might want to take a sample of the soil there to have it tested.
Hope one of those ideas answered your question.Sorry I can't think of any more.
If it is too much fertilizer was put there, drenching the area with water until you leech out the soil should fix the problem,Or replacing the soil altogethr.
If you can think of something that could have damaged the soil, let me know. I may have a remedy for it.
You might talk to your nurseryman. That may be a problem that is familiar in your area, and he may be able to tell you how to fix it.
I wouldn't put any more fertilizer on it.
I use sugar. Fertilizers kill beneficial microbes that enrich the soil, dry molasses, or sugar will keep them alive.If you build good rich soil, weeds will not grow in it. Weeds like poor soil, they will not thrive in rich soil.
I haven't fertilized for years, just putting sugar down in the spring and fall every year. For the first 2 or 3 years after I started using sugar, the weeds came up each spring, but they would be gone after 3 or 4 mowings, now they don't even bother to come up.
Sugar or dry molasses doesn't kill weeds, it just makes the soil rich so the weeds won't thrive.
If you do decide to still use fertilizer, putting down the fertilizer, then the dry molasses or sugar and watering it all in together.That will maximize your feeding.
If you feel I can help more, feel free to write me, anytime.
Charlotte