2025-2026
Heatherwood Estates 76248
$1,200 Annually
Organic Maintenance Saves Diseased Lawn
Summary:
Marshall Grain restored this Keller St. Augustine lawn by treating the Brown Patch fungus and addressing the unhealthy soil conditions contributing to the problem. A customized organic maintenance program used beneficial microbes, bioinoculants, humate, organic fertilizer, and ongoing treatments to rebuild soil health, strengthen the lawn, and help it recover without replacing the existing turf.
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In April of 2025 this homeowner contracted with us for an organic maintenance program that included special treatment for Brown Patch fungus in a large section of the lawn.
Brown Patch is a common fungal disease that affects St. Augustine turf. Damaged and dying, the lawn was browning and the problem was spreading.
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While some services typically recommend re-sodding the area, Marshall Grain’s experience has shown that, unless the lawn is first treated for the disease, re-sodding would only result the new grass becoming infected and the problem would only get worse over time. Instead, we recommended restoring the soil health by applying a combination of beneficial microbes, bio inoculant, and other amendments to rebuild the lawn’s immune system.
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The rebuilding process also involved regular fertilizations with an organic lawn fertilizer and spring and fall applications of Corn Gluten Meal as an organic pre-emergent herbicide to control weeds.
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Our program for this customer also included general soil improvements and fire ant control treatments.
Before: St. Augustine Lawn showing damage caused by Brown Patch fungus
After: Healthy St. Augustine Lawn after Marshall Grain's organic treatment for Brown Patch fungus
TIMELINE OF WORK
2025 - Lawn Restoration
May: Our first priority was to save the homeowner’s lawn. We began in May by applying an anti-fungal foliar feed of MicrorLife AF (a blend of benefical microbes).
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July: We applied a granular humate. Humate is a form of carbon that can dramatically improve the structure and productivity of your soil, increasing it’s fertility by as much as 100 times!
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September: We used an anti-fungal foliar spray. This included a blend of bio inoculants: MicroLife’s Liquid AF, Garrett Juice, Agrispon, and dry molasses ― a source of sugar to feed soil microbes. We also treated the lawn with Corn Gluten Meal to control weeds.
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October: We applied a granular organic fertilizer
2026- On-Going Maintenance & Recovery
February: We applied a spring application of Corn Gluten Meal to suppress weeds
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March: It was time for another application of an organic fertilizer
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May: To prevent a recurrance of Brown Patch, we put down another anti-fungal foliar feed of MicrorLife AF.
HOW OUR APPROACH WORKS
Organic lawn care programs work differently from chemical programs. Where synthetic fertilizers focus on putting macro nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium) on the plant, salts and other ingredients in them harm the microbial life in your soil, which reduces the plants’ immunity to pests and diseases. The result is you need to fertilize and water much more frequently.
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Poor soil means poor immunity so your yard is more likely to be invaded. Adding beneficial microbes to the soil, like beneficial fungi and bacteria, boosts root development and supports the plant’s ability to take up micronutrients. It also improves the structure of your soil, which helps with moisture retention and drainage so your plants need less water and fewer applications of nutrients over time.
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Without rebuilding and rebalancing soil health, problems like Brown Patch tend to get worse and usually recur.
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Results
Today, there is no sign of Brown Patch and the homeowner’s lawn is thick and green. Our program has also:
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Improved drainage and irrigation performance
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By rebuilding soil health, we saved the customer the cost of replacing damaged turf, prevented a return of the disease, and improved the rest of the landscape.
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Made the entire landscape healthier through organic soil-building practices
Liquid bioinoculant product used as part of the lawn’s organic treatment program.
