1.  Lawn turning brown and dying

2.  Lawn watering

3.  Grass for shade

4.  Zoysiagrass

5.  Grass Clippings

1.  Areas of my lawn are turning brown and dying.  What could be causing this?
It depends upon what kind of grass do you have:
      If St. Augustine — possibly chinch bugs.
      If Bahia or Bermuda — possibly mole crickets.
      If St. Augustine or Bermuda — possibly nematodes.
      If it's been dry — possibly poor sprinkler coverage.
      If it's been raining a lot — possibly brown patch, take-all or other root disease.
      If it's mid-late fall — may be grassy weeds dying out, not the lawn!

2. How often should I water my grass?  When is the best time of day to do this?
It is nearly impossible to say how many times a week a lawn should be watered since so many factors will influence this. Thus, it is best to water on an as-needed basis or when the grass shows signs of stress from a lack of water. Some of those signs are:
   1. The grass color will be a bluish-gray rather than a clear green.
   2. Footprints will remain for a long time when the grass is walked on.
   3. Grass blades will fold in half.
   4. Soil samples from the root zone feel dry.

 A general rule for watering is to apply 1/2 to 3/4 inch of water two times per week in the summer and once every ten to fourteen days in the winter (in the event of no rain). The best time for lawn irrigation is in the early morning hours to avoid prolonging the dew period which can encourage disease problems.

3. What type of grass will grow in the shady areas of my yard?
All of the turfgrasses that are grown in Florida require full sun except two varieties of St. Augustine: Seville and Bitter Blue. Seville is more shade tolerant than Bitter Blue, however, neither will take dense shade. In densely shady areas, planting a shade loving ground cover instead of turfgrass is recommended.

4. I have read about this wonderful miracle grass called Zoysia. Is it as good as the advertisement says?
Due to over-enthusiastic newspaper advertisements, the public has been misinformed on the merits of zoysiagrasses. Zoysias have advantages and disadvantages like all Florida lawngrasses. The improved zoysias have to be propagated vegetatively and are extremely slow in becoming established. An entire growing season may be required for coverage of the lawn when propagated by plugging or sprigging. All zoysias produce a heavy thatch which required periodic renovation. Other disadvantages include: slow recovery from damage; high fertility requirement; need for  frequent irrigations; can be severely damaged by nematodes, hunting billbugs, and several diseases. If you are interested in having a Zoysia lawn, locate a variety developed for Florida (such as Cashmere); the varieties usually advertised will not grow in Florida.

5. Should I leave my grass clippings on the lawn or should I have a catch bag on my mower?
If you are mowing frequently enough, it is best to leave the clippings on the grass to recycle the nitrogen in them (as much as 1-2 pounds per year - the equivalent of 1 to 2 fertilizations per year). Mow often enough so that no more than 1/3 of the grassblades are removed. The small amount of clippings generated from frequent mowings will not contribute to thatch.

Links:

• Florida Lawn Handbook
• Key for Identification of Landscape Turfgrass Diseases
• Lawn Care
• Turfgrass science