Question
I live in Southeast Texas. I just bought a new-built house (suppose to close tomorrow) that was sodded yesterday (St. Augustine). The grass is yellowish-brown with about a 1" gap between them at times. Is this grass dormant or just plain dead? I do not want to close on the house if, in 3 months, I have to replace the grass. Thanks!

Answer
Hi Andrea;
Some of the grass in St. Augustine plugs do die during shipping etcm, because they keep it stacked up too long.
Get it in writing that if the grass does not come up green in the spring, when all the other lawns do, that the seller will re-sod.
It is the dormant season, but you really can't tell because you don't know how long since the pallets were cut, or how long they were stacked.
There should be a guarantee from the grass company it was bought from.
Water the bejeebers out of it.
Keep it moist.
If you let it dry out, the roots can die and you are sunk.
You just about can't water St. Augustine too much. I think it would live in a swamp.
They should have filled in between the grass where there is a space between the pallets, with soil.
You could do this.
If you really like the house, the grass should not be a problem enough for you to refuse to close.
Grass, trees etc are NOT opart of real value when you are buying a house.
Beter Homes and Gardens and other magazines write articlkes that these things add to the value of your home.
I was in Real Estate for a long time, and that is simply not the truth.
If there are two identical houses for sale, and one has a lovely lawn and trees and the other doesn't, the nicer lawn and trees will sell forst, but they will not affect the price of the home.
Get on a good organic program, right away.
If I were you, I would close it ot, get a few bags of topsoil at a nursery ( Calloways is a great nursery to do business with, if you have one in the area. They are only in Texas) fill in the spaces where needed, and even sprinkle about a half inch of it all over the grass. The put sugar ( plain table sugar) at the rate of 4 or 5 pounds per 1000 sq.ft, and water it in well, to a depth of at least 6 inches, then kep the top three inches of the soil damp so the roots will take hold. When the roots start to take hold, and you get grass growing, water once a week.always at least 6 inches deep.
Only when the summer temps stay in the pluss 100s for several days and the ground starts to crack, just about, will you have to water more than once a week, during the growing season. Cut back on the watering during the dormant season.
Write me for other organic things to do.
If fubgus ia a problem in your area, Apply Agricultural corn meal at the rate of 10 or 15 pounbds per 1000 sq.ft.. and water well. That will kill fungus in and on the soil.
Write anytime I can help.
Charlotte