Any you can get your hands on cheap like Soybean meal

Yep Soybean meal at your nearest animal feed stores. If not, I suppose you can try Scotts organic fertilizer. Lowes and Home Depot carry them. If it's your first time, don't expect too much. It'd work significantly better if you put down compost about one yard per 1000 sqft to get the ball rolling. Applying unsulfured blackstrap molasses every few months with organic fertilizer (dry or liquid, your choice) will speed things up

I don't think I ever heard anything about Soybean meal. Might have to look into it. How much per sq ft do you apply? I have bare areas of dirt I want the St. Augustine to expand into.

Has anyone heard anything good about Corn Glutten? And how about Miracle Grow Organic?

Soybean meal is the most economical because of the protien content vs cost per pound. You use 13-pounds per 1000/ft2. Where as cornmeal cost the same by wieght but requires 35 pounds.

Corn gluten meal is a great fertilizer, but so is soy. If your budget is a factor, check the cost per percent of protein content. As far as we know now, one pound (of protein) from one grain source is identical to a pound from another source. There might be more to having a blend after more research is done.

How long has your bare spot been bare? St Aug will normally fill outward for 10 feet in one growing season. It could be you have soil problems in that spot.

dchall thanks. I'm in a new home and had St Augustine layed. 1 year later the grass is dying under a large shady oak. I just removed several large limbs to "lighten up" the area under the oak where the grass was dying. I think St Augustine needs heavy sun so I'm now hoping there's plenty of light and that's the reason for the grass dying. If not it may be soil problems. I've removed several weeds from bare areas where I want the grass to spread.

SA can take some shade, but not heavy shade. It is impossible for anybody here on the forum to be able to tell you if the shade was too heavy or not to cause your problems. The good news is since SA is a warm season grass you will soon know after the weather warms up if your trww prunnibg effort was successful or not.

If they are large oak trees, don't expect SA or any grass to grow around the trunk or north of the trunk

It is a large water oak. I have driveway to the east and sidewalk to the north of the tree the grass in between has thinned out. The grass to the south and west is also thin for at least 10 ft or so and that's where I trimmed the most branches to let more sun in. I'm hoping to see the grass re-grow. Also hoping the fertilizer will help since now is the time.

Thanks for all your suggestions/help.

Ringer Lawn Restore works beautifully ...