St augustine, kill paspalum and fescue

Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, Centipede, Bahia, Paspalum, etc
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lojack323
Posts: 34
Joined: August 1st, 2018, 12:16 pm
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Grass Type: St. Augustine
Lawn Size: < 1000
Level: Some Experience

St augustine, kill paspalum and fescue

Post by lojack323 » February 19th, 2020, 1:24 pm

Hi all.

Last year I threw some st augustine plugs into my front yard wanting to see how well they’d do. The front yard is a mix of fescue and paspalum (that grows everywhere in our area like a weed).

The st augustine plugs did well but didn’t spread much as I hoped they would. The paspalum was just too thick and vigorous in the summer I suppose.

This year I plan to plug the whole area. Is there a herbicide that will target just the fescue and paspalum? I’d like to save the existing st augustine plugs if possible. Would atrazine (google is giving me conflicting answers on what it will kill)? Or is glyphosate everything the only way?

Thanks in advance.

Green
Posts: 6837
Joined: September 14th, 2012, 10:53 pm
Location: CT (Zone 6B)
Grass Type: KBG, TTTF, TTPR, and FF (various mixtures)
Lawn Size: 10000-20000
Level: Experienced

Re: St augustine, kill paspalum and fescue

Post by Green » March 4th, 2020, 10:21 pm

[quote=lojack323 post_id=338402 time=1582133054 user_id=9100]
Is there a herbicide that will target just the fescue and paspalum? I’d like to save the existing st augustine plugs if possible. Would atrazine (google is giving me conflicting answers on what it will kill)? Or is glyphosate everything the only way?
[/quote]

Fusillade plus Triclopyr is known to kill Paspalum. Tenacity can be mixed with those two (but is only labeled for use with St. Aug on sod farms due to excessive bleaching and a fine line between damaged and gone). You'd have to get the ratios right and accept some collateral damage most likely. Sorry I don't have any first hand experience with this grass/herbicide combo, but I got the info while asking a warm season expert how to kill Paspalum in cool season grass. Fusilade/Triclopyr will not however the Tall Fescue. I'm not sure if there is something that will do everything you want it to. But if this post helps focus your research a bit, great. Good luck and hopefully you'll get the info you need.

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Dchall_San_Antonio
Posts: 3339
Joined: December 17th, 2008, 1:53 am
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Grass Type: St Augustine
Lawn Size: 5000-10000
Level: Advanced

Re: St augustine, kill paspalum and fescue

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » March 19th, 2020, 1:30 am

If you are watering deeply and infrequently, and mowing high, then the St Augustine should take over. St Augustine is sensitive to most herbicides, with the exception of atrazine. I would try that if you can get it in SoCal.

We don't get St Aug by the plug. We get it by the piece with one piece being 18x24 inches. It's a lot easier to establish in larger pieces.

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