Removing Centipedegrass From St. Augustine Lawn

Centipedegrass invading St. Augustine. You want to kill centipede without harming St. Augustine.

The Hard Truth

No selective herbicide kills centipedegrass (a grass) in St. Augustine (a grass). Both are warm-season grasses; what kills one kills the other.

Your Only Options

1. Shade it out. Centipede hates shade. Raise St. Augustine mow height to 3.5–4″. Dense canopy suppresses centipede.
2. Spot-treat with glyphosate. Paint on centipede patches (shield St. Augustine). Re-sod killed spots.
3. Manual removal. Dig out centipede patches (roots go deep). Fill with soil; plug St. Augustine.
4. Accept it. Centipede is lower maintenance, less water, fewer pests. Mixed lawn = resilient.

Why It's There

• Centipede thrives in acidic, low-fertility soil.
• St. Augustine prefers higher pH, more fertility.
• Soil test → lime/fertilize for St. Augustine advantage.

Best bet: raise mow height, soil test, spot-treat worst patches. Total removal = resodding.