Are most zoysia’s better than Celebration Bermuda?

New in Pensacola, FL – posted 07 April 2010 02:39

I have researched and researched different zoysia’s (for Pensacola FL area, which is mostly like southern Alabama), and love the soft feel, and the weed-crowding out ability of zoysia. The main ones available to me, I believe, are empire, and BK-7 (a cross between meyer and emerald). There may be others, but I’d pay a heftier delivery fee. (like for zorro, diamond, palisades, el toro, and others). Then, I come across this Celebration Bermuda, and just don’t know how to compare it to any type of zoysia. It is explained that it is super shade tolerant, and is super soft. Those are my primary concerns, as I have one section of my front yard with two huge, ugly water oaks that I’m not allowed to cut down due to Home Owners Assoc. rules. The rest of my lawn gets at least 7 hours sun, but this front lawn part only gets about 3-4 hours of filtered sun. (I detest the current st augustine there, as it just isn’t doing well under those two trees, and I don’t like it’s look or feel or diseases)

So should I sod with a zoysia type or this celebration bermuda?? My main desires are:1) lush green and soft to play on2) shade tolerance3) keep this nasty florida weeds outI don’t care how much work it is to mow/water/maintain, as I’m willing to do the reel type and I have a deep well for irrigation. Any comments are very welcome and thank you!!

green in atlanta – posted 07 April 2010 07:36

I can’t help you choose because I am not familiar with that type of bermuda. (I have empire zoysia, and love it, by the way.) The reason for my reply is to warn you not to fall into the trap of thinking ANY warm season turf will perform well in the shade of those oak trees. Yes, some turfs are more shade tolerant than other, but NONE thrive in dense shade. You’d be better to establish mulch beds under those trees. Just my two cents.

ken4255 – posted 07 April 2010 08:03

http://www.becksturf.com/waynes-blog.php

New in Pensacola, FL – posted 07 April 2010 22:41

Thanks for your replies. I read that linked page about mowing and watering, and I agree to do all that I can to make it look nice. And yes, in between the two oak trees with shade, I was thinking about a flower bed, but now my son and hubby want a miniature putting green or two or three. I saw Home depot had a synthetic zoysia, which I thought would be hilarious to put down, just in that area alone, as it would be green even in the winter!! But seriously, I guess I’ve learned that Bermuda, even the shade tolerant Celebration, would require a LOT more mowing than most zoysia’s. So maybe that’s not so smart for a home lawn.But there are SO many new zoysia varieties out now, but unfortunately, some of the ones that I think I would like, are grown everywhere but here. Texas has some, northern Alabama and Georgia have some, Carolinas have some, central/south florida, but I’m so out in the middle of nowhere, that the freight per pallet cost more than the pallet!! Uof Florida as a nice one called ‘ultimate’, but they are no where near Pensacola. I just want a soft grass like they have up north. It’s seems so difficult in the south to have both an easy care lawn and a soft play area. Maybe I’m wrong. Thanks for your input!

ken4255 – posted 08 April 2010 07:31

That’s one of the things I was thinking when I orginally had my Meyer zoysia sod installed — less mowing would mean more time for golf, etc. However, the other side of the coin of less mowing is slower recovery from wear and other damage. The Meyer recovers so slowly. I am experimenting with Jamur, which seems to grow more horizontally, and seems to recover more quickly.