Recovering Floratam St. Augustine from Herbicide Damage

Applied the wrong weed preventer to new Floratam St. Augustine sod in Orlando? The damage appears to be spreading beyond treated areas. Here's the recovery plan.

Immediate Action

Water heavily and consistently. Dilute remaining herbicide in the soil profile. St. Augustinegrass often recovers from single herbicide applications if not at lethal concentration.

Assessment & Repair

• Wait 2-3 weeks—grass showing green at base will likely recover
• Remove truly dead sections (brown, no green tissue at crown)
• Re-sod dead patches with matching Floratam
• Avoid all herbicides/fertilizers during recovery

Prevention

Always verify herbicide labels for St. Augustinegrass safety—many "weed preventers" contain atrazine or other compounds toxic to Floratam. Spot-treat weeds manually or with targeted applications. Build dense turf through proper mowing (3.5-4 inches), deep watering, and organic soil amendments to naturally suppress weeds.

Floratam's coarse texture and shade tolerance make it popular in Florida, but its herbicide sensitivity requires careful product selection. Patience and water are your best tools now.