It must be a terrible responsibility to be an expert on every subject.
"animaux" wrote in message
...
Northeast Texas is a full agricultural zone lower than we are in 8b. You
are in
7a-7b. No comparison. You also have more acidic soils up in NE Texas.
We have
highly calciferous soils, some deep (like mine at 5 feet deep) and some
shallow.
People with shallow soil have a very hard time using turf. In Austin,
more
people use native landscapes than anywhere I've lived. I'm so glad to be
here.

We saw a black skink today in the garden!

On 27 Apr 2003 05:49:11 -0700, (bryan lafleur) wrote:

I agree with everything animaux said, except possibly for bermuda
taking over in sunny areas, but this may be the case in Austin with
shallower soils. In northeast Tx., St. Augustine overuns everything
if watered enough. It requires more water than everything else, but
is more susceptible to diseases, which is one reason why it is better
to water deeper less often. Watering every day or every other day
causes a lot of disease problems.

If your yard has become dry enough for grass to die out, it is
probably compacted, so aerating is definately recommended. If it is
not a large area, or money is not a factor, this is a good time to
topdress with compost, but is not necessary.

Aerate, water deeply, fertilize, and mow at 3" and the st. Augustine
will spread out. How long? Sorry, depends on your conditions. You
can use plugs in bare areas to speed it up, but as animaux said, do
not patch sod, it will be uneven.

Good luck,
Bryan