St Augustine Grass Disease Pictures Identification of TARR, Take All Root Rot, Take All Patch, Curvularia, Crown Rot, Blight in North Texas

St Augustine Grass Diseases Identification - Lawn Fungus Diseases in St. Augustine

If you are on this page, the turfgrass on your property is probably in trouble. Many people in the same boat are doing Google or AI searches for St. Augustine Fungus Identification, St Augustine Grass Diseases Pictures, and Why are there Brown Spots in St. Augustine Grass? Or your St Augustine may already be so far gone that you are searching for St. Augustine Grass Seed, or How Much is a Pallet of St Augustine sod?

Of course, if you do those last two searches, you are about to put lipstick on a dead pig. Unless you first determine the root cause of whatever killed your St. Augustine to begin with, it will 100% die again.

Expert Consultant Identification of St. Augustine Fungus Diseases

Do you want to know how to spot fungus in St Augustine grass? Or be given some valuable guidelines for St Augustine grass disease identification of TARR, Take All Patch, Crown Rot, Blight, and other fungal diseases rampant in St. Augustine grass in North Texas? This video shows all the fungi and diseases found in just a 5-7 minute walk across three blocks in Frisco, TX.

What is TARR? What is Take-All Patch (TAP) and Take-All Root Rot?

The scientific name for TARR and Take All Patch is Gaeumannomyces Graminis. It is a soil-borne disease that lives on both living and dead stolons. And contrary to most funguses in warm-season turfgrasses, it also spreads in the winter when St. Augustine is semi-dormant.

LSU has recently written an article about the rapid growth of Take All Root Rot and Take All Patch in southern Louisiana: LSU TARR Article. They also honestly note that the various fungicides used to treat it are not readily available at Home Depot for homeowners to purchase.

Oklahoma State wrote an article a couple of years ago related to Take All Patch and Bermuda Grass Decline Virus: OSU Disease Research.

Texas A&M has published several articles on Take-All Patch in Bermuda and St. Augustine grass. Their older articles, along with the great Neil Sperry, talk about "spreading some peat moss" to try to lower the pH a little. Important Note: Do not dump peat moss all over your lawn. It will NOT "cure" TARR or TAP. TAMU Disease Handbook.

Are Zoysia Grass Fungus Diseases the same as St. Augustine Diseases

Some Zoysia grass funguses and diseases are the same, and some are exclusively for Zoysia. We have a separate page highlighting pictures of fungus and fungicides related to Zoysia grass. Please go to this link: https://turfgrassscience.com/fungicide-zoysia-grass-fungus-picture-northtx/

Can I Cure TARR and Take All Root Rot with Peat Moss or Organic (only) Products in North Texas?

The short answer is no.

• TARR is Managed, Not "Cured": TARR and TAP cannot be fully cured, only managed in some situations.
• Texas Soil Types: The majority of North Texas and Central Texas has Blackland Clay (black gumbo). Blackland clay already has considerable organic matter and naturally high pH.
• The Peat Moss Myth: Peat moss will lower pH for a few months, but city water (pH 7.6-8.0) quickly neutralizes it. This leaves a moisture-holding material covering the stolons during 90-110 degree heat—creating a breeding ground for disease.
• The Proper Method: Amending the soil = doing deep core aeration, throwing the cores away, and backfilling with a sand-sandy loam mix with compost/peat blend.

What are the Brown Spots in St. Augustine Grass?

Brown spots in St Augustine grass can be caused by about fifteen different things. In our professional landscape consultant work, we usually find a combination of 3-8 of these problems at once:

• Lack of DLI & Photosynthesis
• Chinch bugs, Scale, and Grub worms
• Dog pee and Soil Compaction
• Drainage problems and Dense/Full shade
• Improper irrigation coverage (Wrong % overlap)
• Nutrient soil deficiency and high pH
• Fungus: TARR, Blight, Take All Patch, Crown Rot, Bipolaris Rot, Curvalaria, etc.

How to Revive St. Augustine Grass?

The average customer who calls us for a lawn specialist consultant has resodded 2-4 times in the past 5-10 years. To revive St Augustine grass, you must first call someone qualified with a degree in the field.

A professional specialist will perform a complete evaluation, sending soil tests to one lab and disease stolon/rhizome tests to another. Once the results come back, you can stop guessing and start taking action to fix your turfgrass problems permanently.

St. Augustine Consulting in Central and North Texas

In 90% of North Texas lawns, you won't fix fungus by purchasing a bag of fungicide from Lowe's or Calloway's. The majority of our consulting centers on DLI (direct light intensity) and photosynthesis. If the grass variety does not have the minimum amount of DLI, you won't be able to manage the diseases effectively as your lawn is essentially a petri dish.

If you want to see more details, pricing, and FAQs about our professional services, please visit our Lawn Grass Consultant page: Lawn Consultant Page.