Zoysia Grass??

[flyfisher]

So my lawn is more weed than grass and I am not a big fan of yard work as it cuts into to much of my hobby time and my green thumb is purple. I saw the zoysia grass and it seems to be pretty maintenance free and looks pretty good.

Anyone have any experience with the stuff? I know it turns brown as soon as it gets cold which I am ok with and it requires little to no maintenance, little watering, good wear resistance and you can use existing established areas to "plug" other areas as needed. I am thinking of trying it on a small isolated section I have just to check it out.

Anyone who has it or has any experience advice would be appreciated.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Very little. I've always been told its a weed. However people seem to like it. If it cuts good and looks good, I say go for it. Worse comes to worse hose it down with herbicide and start over.

[CKFishin]

My dad loves it.. It spreads like crazy so if you put it in, its going to spread...

[Ima Bass Ninja]

What part of the country are you in? I was in landscaping for 9 years. In the south centipede is the most maintenance free grass there is. However being that it doesn't like a lot of fertilization or chemicals it's also the hardest to fix if you ever encounter a problem.

[flyfisher]

I am in central VA and as far as spreading goes I guess that is kind of the deal since they give you plugs and you plant them 1-2 a sq foot and if you use 2 it should fill in within 1-1/2 growing seasons.

[HeavyDluxe]

We had Zoysia growing up.  Looks and cuts great when it's green, but honestly it seemed a little 'sharp' on bare feet (for whatever that's worth).  It seemed to brown pretty quickly without watering, so take that into account.

 

Oh, our neighbors had Zoysia, too.  Ours spread and took over their lawns.

[roadwarrior]

Well, a lot of that is just hype. Here in the Mid South most people have zoysia grass

and/or Bermuda. The zoysia does better in areas with partial shade; Bermuda is a finer

grass (think golf course) that thrives in full sun.

 

Buy sod, not plugs...Both grasses spread over time, but not "as advertised". Neither

is any better than other bluegrass in terms of "weed control". You will need at least

one application of weed killer every spring. In the fall and late winter I apply crabgrass

inhibitor, too.

 

So, like any other grass, zoysia requires water, fertilizer, weed control and weekly mowing.

The upside is a brilliant green yard during the hottest summer days!

[Siebert Outdoors]

I have it.  Last years drought destroyed it in areas.  This year I'm fighting to get the weeds under control and have it grow back in those bare spots.  I put down some Scotts Weed and Feed.  Well so far the weeds are greener and in some spots so is the grass. LOL

[Bankbeater]

The only part I don't like about having it is the getting rid of the brown, dead stuff in the spring.  You have to burn it off or rake it up.

[Hi Salenity]

I personally hate it. It isn't like ordinary grass it just runs throwing off a blade every now and again (hard to explain). probably the main reason I hate it is wen I was a kid I mowed my grandparents yard with a push mower and if you let it get too tall you were stroked! Don't let it get away from you.

 

I know several people that have used Roundup on their lawns just to get rid of it.

[Long Mike]

I got tired of trying to keep up with the the demands of both bermuda and zoysia, so I replanted the entire yard with sensimilla.

[roadwarrior]

  I had to look it up  

[flyfisher]

  I had to look it up  

me too

[bocabasser]

I just put down 8 pallets of palmetto. I looked at the zoyzia, but it was $30-$50 more per pallet. The key to a healthy, long lasting lawn is fertilization. I became lazy with my lawn and it took a dump because of the chinch bugs and lack of fertilization. The company I bought my sod from said that palmetto, floratam and zoysia are all of the st. augustine family. the palmetto i put down 2 weeks ago looks amazing. Im not going to give it a first cut for another week even though the roots have a strong hold. If you go on you tube, there are several videos on the different types of sod. I also live in Florida, so what works here, may not work in Virginia. Good luck.

[Brian Needham]

So my lawn is more weed than grass and I am not a big fan of yard work as it cuts into to much of my hobby time and my green thumb is purple. I saw the zoysia grass and it seems to be pretty maintenance free and looks pretty good.

Anyone have any experience with the stuff? I know it turns brown as soon as it gets cold which I am ok with and it requires little to no maintenance, little watering, good wear resistance and you can use existing established areas to "plug" other areas as needed. I am thinking of trying it on a small isolated section I have just to check it out.

Anyone who has it or has any experience advice would be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

if you got any questions PM me if you want. Being a golf course superintendent I talk, look at, and grow grass all day long.... and would be glad to help.

[roadwarrior]

Wow! That's pretty interesting.

 

So, here is my question:

 

How do you feel about me overseeding

with creeping bentgrass?

[flyfisher]

I was a little concerned about the creeping nature but my yard has a driveway on both sides so unless it can grow over concrete the width of two cars My neighbors shouldn't be to upset. Now the backyard is a different story but since I have a privacy fence I won't have to see if my neighbors are grumpy

I may put a border around the yard though just so I am a good neighbor and all

[Brian Needham]

RW- I wouldn't do it....... I got bentgrass greens and its the reason I cant fish most of the summer. Its beyond a headache and a crap shoot whether they make it through each and every summer. Most courses in the Memphis area have gone back to Bermuda......... as far as I know there are only 2 courses left with Bentgrass, mine and Chickasaw CC.

 

 

Flyfisher...... I wouldn't worry about the creeping nature of Zoysia , while yes it is propagated by stolens like Bermuda, it does not spread at near the rate a Bermuda grass would..... and really you would be edging your driveway and curbs every 2 weeks anyway to make it pleasing to look at so you really have no worries on that end of it.

[flyfisher]

Well I got my plugs and planted them in about a 200 sq foot isolated area of my yard as a test. A few things I learned....

1-no way will you get the number of plugs they say because cutting them into 1"x1" squares is ridiculous

2-ground should be pretty soft to make it easier to plant

3-the plugger tool....totally worth it

4-if I go with doing my whole yard it will all be dead and as close to bare dirt as I can get it

5- 2 people would make the job go a whole lot faster

I'll post some time lapse pictures as things progress.

[Brian Needham]

Well I got my plugs and planted them in about a 200 sq foot isolated area of my yard as a test. A few things I learned....

1-no way will you get the number of plugs they say because cutting them into 1"x1" squares is ridiculous

2-ground should be pretty soft to make it easier to plant

3-the plugger tool....totally worth it

4-if I go with doing my whole yard it will all be dead and as close to bare dirt as I can get it

5- 2 people would make the job go a whole lot faster

I'll post some time lapse pictures as things progress.

 

how did the yard pan out this summer?

[flyfisher]

how did the yard pan out this summer?

So the section i did is about half full but it turns out we had a bad season for zoysia growing.  Apparently it never got hot enough and almost had to much rain in teh growing season for it to totally take hold and spread like crazy.  I will be curious to see how it does next year.

[Brian Needham]

it was a different summer for sure....... make sure going into late fall/early winter that you put down a good potash application.

 

something like a 10-0-40 for example, or anything with a low first number, high third number(potash).

 

this will help the plant "harden" off for winter and help stave off any possible winter kill. You will need this being you have young yearling grass.

Let us know next spring when it takes off!

[deaknh03]

me too

I didn't