Need help with lawn

Our lawn has St. Augustine's grass. Photos of it are at
http://www.geocities.com/tiggernut24/Birds/MyLawn/ - you will get a
directory of photos.

First, is it pretty much suffering from shade stress, or should I look for
more wrong? The grass is green and growing well where it is growing, but
nowhere is it very thick, and there are large bare spots, and no grass at
all grows near the tree trunks or the house.

Second, what kinds of St. Augustine's are most resistant to shade, that I
should be readily able to find in Austin, Texas? Our grass also has to be
able to tolerate drought.

I'm reading it both ways; is St. Augustine's easily killed by shade, or more
resistant to shade than other varieties of grass?

Third, there are photos of some runners that are distinctly above the
ground. I'm not sure if they originally grew that way or if they got more
exposed than they originally were in the course of sweeping up bird seed
over the winter. St. Augustine runners grow every which way including
straight up. Should I cover these with dirt, or put a layer of dirt
underneath them?

Fourth, should I till the bare patches to encourage grass to take root?
The ground is hard but water is still able to soak in. I understand there
are limited things you can do to loosen the earth on a lawn with St.
Augustine's because you can damage the runners.

Fifth, how do I prepare teh bare patches for sods of grass?

Thanks!

Yours,
Dora Smith
Austin, Texas

Hi Vilandra, welcome to the Stew from north Texas. Why don't you post an intro of yourself in the Welcome to GardenStew forum so we can get to know each other.

http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/turf/publications/staug.html

http://www.organiclawncaretips.com/st_augustine_grass.html

http://agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/HORT/May2202a.htm

These websites should give you some answers you need.
Basically, it is a thirsty grass and doesn't like much foot traffic. It is also the most shade tolerant of any of the grasses.
You probably should start with a soil test. Most garden centers will do a soil test for free or fairly cheap.
You could also contact your local county extension office or the Agriculture dept at UT with the questions.

St Augustine makes a pretty lawn if don't mind the work and don't have kids or dogs running around on it.
If you ever consider starting over, you might consider Buffalo Grass or one of the other Texas native prairie grasses.

Good Luck