Dawg_Fan

Oh, and don't fertilize. Let it recover naturally after treatment. The moths are attracted to new, succulent growth. Fertilizer will compound your problem. Where are you located? I own a spraying company. May be able to treat it if your nearby.

Thatch has nothing to do with clippings. Thatch is dead stems, not leaves. St. Aug can develop thatch the same as Zoysia. The reason people relate thatch to fertilizer is because excessive fertilizer causes excessive growth of leaves AND stems. The stem (stolons and rhizomes) grow at a rate which is faster than they can break down. Over the years, a thick layer of thatch develops and the grass basically grows above the thatch layer, with little to no contact with the soil. That's why dethatching needs to be done every couple of years.

If the grass has been down for 3 weeks, you can cut watering back to one day a week. DO NOT WATER AT NIGHT. That will extend the amount of time the leaf is wet and you will end up with gray leaf spot and possibly brown patch. Fertilize it with 1lb of N/1000 sq ft. Lastly, DO NOT WATER AT NIGHT!!!

I think I've settled on the Lowrance Elite 7ti. There is a $100 rebate if purchased before 7/31, so that makes it even more appealing. Before I pull the trigger, are there any others that should be considered?

I own a spraying business, so I deal with all types of warm season turfs. Zoysia hands down if your choices are between those two, however, Bermuda is the cheapest and easiest option!!! There's a reason the state and local municipalities spray roadsides with glyphosate/ 2,4-d mix...they're trying to encourage Bermuda to take over because it's extremely hardy and the amount of maintenance is minimal in that setting. Put bermuda in a lawn setting where it's mowed regularly and gets watered/rain 2x per week and you end up with a beautiful lawn. St Aug is prone to Brown Patch in Spring and Fall. It will thin during times of frequent rain...like we've had this summer. It doesn't tolerate traffic, so if you have a dog or kids, they will wear it thin and Bermuda or weeds will fill in the areas worn by foot traffic. Zoysia on the other hand is pretty disease and insect resistant. When planted next to St. Augustine, it will eventually take over the lawn. It does fairly well in traffic areas, though not as well as Bermuda. Like Bermuda, it grows via rhizomes and stolens, which adds to its resiliency when stressed.
To answer your question about sprigging, you're probably not going to be happy with the results because your going to be dealing with a lot of weeds until the lawn fills in. If your on a budget, seed with Bermuda. If not, sod with Zoysia.

Good to know. What area(s) does your card cover? Could you send me a screen shot example so I can look at the detail? Doesn't matter where the location of screenshot is. My email is jnoegel@mac.com. Thanks!