Buttwheat – posted 13 April 2004 15:44
I’ve already researched so I know the ADVERTISED pros and cons, no need to repeat. What I’m looking for are people who have actually put it in their yard and what they liked or didn’t like about it – ie how easy/hard was it to grow, price vs other grasses, did you seed or sod or plugs, how did or didn’t it live up to billing, etc etc. Thx
Texas Creek Thom Henry – posted 14 April 2004 14:29
I planted Amazoy in ’02 and companion seeds last year. About 15% of my plugs are still around and 5x their original size. I planted 2 different batches of seen, one in May, the other in July. The 1st batch did okay, the second did nothing. Apparently, the seeds are picky and some batched do not germinate.
I love what has come up and am tempted to try El Toro plugs because they spread faster… but they cost 10x what Amazoy would so I’ll pass.
BTW, I am planning on planting more companion seeds next month on another part of my lawn. This time, I’ll kill the existing weeds better! (I live in a new house that was a field before ’02).
Disappointed in SC – posted 18 April 2004 21:11
I had a large amount (> 18,000 sqft) of Zenith Zoysia sod installed at my new house in the fall of 2002. After much of it failed to grow in the spring and summer of 2003, I was told that the harse winter (in SC) killed the sod. I have been trying to work with the landscape contractor and he with SuperSod to correct the problem since that time. It is yet to be seen if the contractor with or without SuperSod replaces the sod. I would be cautious with the product and make sure you have a written warranty.
redbird – posted 20 April 2004 09:04
I am in the beginning of my 2nd year with Empire Zoysia in hot, humid, buggy, SE Coastal Georgia. My thoughts/experience:
1) Most people who have problems with zoysia that is of a CORRECT CULTIVAR FOR REGION (assuming there is an appropriate cultivar for their region – not always the case) started with plugs. Zoysia grows slowly. If you plant plugs on bare dirt, you will be miserable with weeds growing up in-between and gullys washed out around your little zoysia mounds – mounds that will take years to fill in. If you plug throughout an existing lawn, the already slow-growing zoysia will now have to out-compete the existing grass. And I have been hearing that zoysia may encounter difficulties overtaking aggressive grasses like St. Augustine & bermuda. You can help the zoysia by suppressing your existing lawn by depriving food/water – but you now have a lawn made up of pretty green lumps in the middle of another stressed, under-performing turf grass. And, you may be dealing with grasses which prefer varying mowing heights, fertlizer/water needs, and green-up/dormancy schedules. None of this really appeals to me. My advice – if you are going w/zoysia, lay sod. The previous poster in SC is the first that I have heard who is unhappy after laying sod. Possible issue – late fall installation. The sod salesmen love to advertise that their sod can be laid year round. I am personally skeptical. I have seen bad results sometimes. If you don’t water enough – the roots dry out and the grass dies. If You water too much, you have a fungus growing in your dormant sod – never knowing it until you have a crummy greenup. If the sod doesn’t root really well before the first frost, grass that would normally be cold tolerant is dammaged. IMHO (I know, I know – lots of people disagree) it just seems safer to lay sod in the spring.
2) Correct cultivar: Research, research research. Again, not looking to start an on-line arguement, but I think that it is unwise to buy mail order plugs. You pay a huge price for a piece of sod (sometimes cut into plugs, sometimes left for YOU to cut) when you consider how much a PALLET of sod costs. These businesses are making out like bandits – mailing you a dried out, stressed piece of sod, that may not even be right for your area anyway! AGAIN -if the grass will thrive in your area, there is a turf farm in your region that is growing it. If not, there’s a reason why. I would rather drive 3 hours to see a turf grass performing in the field and ask questions on site, than order something that I have never seen.
Regarding Empire Zoysiaq in my area – I am very happy with it. I mow it low (1 1/2″ – 2″)every 7-9 days, edge it every 3 weeks. It is a perfect, soft, green mat. I have the most beautiful lawn in the neighborhood. People stop and ask questions, they take photos – all the “Lawn Guys” in the neighborhood envy me. I had to learn to water it only when stressed (otherwise, you leech out all the nutrients in my sandy soil and the color lightens and mottles, also, overwatering promotes brown patch – which doesn’t kill the zoysia, but takes away from the beauty & doesn’t go away easily). The zoysia is extremely wear resistant. Mole cricket damage is minor compared to other lawns around me. Less maintenance than bermuda – maybe a little more than St. Augustine/centipede. The one drawback to consider is this: although it is tough stuff – resistant to bugs/fungi – it is slow growing, so if I ever do have a disaster, it won’t repair during the course of a season, like some other grasses.
The 2nd best lawn in the neighborhood is (suprisingly) centipede – planted by an old guy who wanted “the lazy man’s lawn.” Everything has pros & cons – I am really happy with my choice, but I researched it, visited a sod farm, etc.
Mike
TX-Zoysia – posted 24 April 2004 13:15
I planted 2 pallets of emerald zoysia about 2 1/2 years ago. I went to look at grass samples at Milbergers in San Antonio (I live in Boerne) and liked the look of zeon zoysia. However being in Oct. I could not get the zeon (weren’t cutting any more that year) and had to settle for emerald zoyzia which costs more about $170 vs 130.00 per pallet or 450 sq ft. It looks very much the same but I have found out that due to its slow growth I have encounted other problems like weeds and bare patches that take forever to fill in etc. The zeon on the other hand grows faster, very thick, chokes out the weeds and looks the same like a green velvet carpet. I will be planting 10 more pallets in the next few weeks.
TX-Zoysia – posted 24 April 2004 13:24
Left out that I planted zeon the next spring. The zeon spreads about 10″ per year and the emerald about 2″.
Buttwheat – posted 27 April 2004 13:20
Good info, appreciate it –