Empire Sod at Lowes

jb1020 – posted 07 June 2010 07:27

Been a long time lurker to this site, but thought a lot of folks might be interested in pieces of Empire at Lowes for $1.14.

I just moved into a new home with the front yard being centipede (about 3000 sq ft) and a backyard thats mainly bermuda, but a little bit of centipede (about 5000 sq ft).

Anyways, I’ve been wanting to transition the yard to Empire since I moved in in April, but killing perfectly good centipede and bermuda and re-sodding seemed a little senseless. I was about to go to my local nursery and just buy a pallet and plug away. This would have made for a very long weekend. And I dont have a truck so delivery would be a must, so well over $200.

I was thinking I’d buy about 50-100 pieces and put them out in about 5 different sections, wait for them to establish and then just start plugging from there.

Does that sound like a good plan? Yes, I know it will take a long time.

ken4255 – posted 07 June 2010 08:25

I have been working on plugging an area with Jamur zoysia that does not have another competing grass. It’s been about 3 years now and it still hasn’t filled in 100%. Of course, I haven’t made the effort to get the plugs in every six inches as some articles suggest.

I have not tried to plug zoysia in Bermuda. I have seen another post in this forum speculate that the zoysia would overtake the Bermuda, eventually, if you allow the zoysia to grow long and if you sort of leave it alone. (The theory was that good maintenance – fertilizer, water – promotes the Bermuda, while neglect promotes the Zoysia.)

I don’t think it will work as well with the centipede. I think centipede is also a low maintenance grass like zoysia, plus it grows about as high as zoysia so I don’t think the zoysia will choke it out so well.

I still spend a lot of time and money treating for weeds, dethatching, and fertilizing my zoysia. It is not the “miracle grass” that some sites advertise. If your Bermuda gets enough sun, I think you can get your existing lawn looking great with about the same amount of maintenance the zoysia needs.

Plugging zoysia could wind up giving you a really ratty looking mix of grass. I don’t like the idea. Maybe someone else can weigh in who has actually tried this in both Centipede and bermuda.

jb1020 – posted 07 June 2010 09:53

From what I have read the zoysia will eventually choke out the bermuda. But who knows for sure??? This isnt the nice type of hybrid bermuda. Its basically wild.

As for the centipede I have been setting the zoysia plugs and spraying to MSMA around. Centipede is browning nicely, hopefully that will be enough to let the empire over take it.

I know it wont look great, but I absolutely cannot stand this bermuda. You cant control it. But I do think, hope that eventually the empire takes hold.

Free Man – posted 07 June 2010 18:25

Well you could kill your bermuda grass with a product called Ornamec or the brand name (more expensive) fusilade.

You would need to check, I am not sure if it kills centipede.

It is labeled safe for use in Zoysia, which makes it a good fit for you. It also kills crabgrass.

jb1020 – posted 08 June 2010 07:04

thanks for the info, I did not know about ormamec or fusilade.

green in atlanta – posted 09 June 2010 10:49

quote:Originally posted by jb1020:thanks for the info, I did not know about ormamec or fusilade.

Those products must be applied correctly or they will kill your zoysia as well. In fact, I have had trouble finding professionals in my area willing to use them for fear of damaging the good grass along with the bad. Also, I am sorry to say empire zoysia will NOT outcompete common bermuda — especially when plugging, which I do not recommend at all if bermuda is present. Your best hope is to raise your mower height, forcing the bermuda to grow “up” more, and making harder for the horizontal runners to take root. Good luck.

Free Man – posted 12 June 2010 11:23

The active product in Ornamec (or Fusilade) can also be found in a lower concentration at Home Depot (and online) and it is called Grass B Gone from Ortho, it is the exact same thing only at .48% active instead. It is completely safe in Zoysia unless it is less than a month old (unestablished) or stressed by drought or diseased of course. My sod is 5 weeks old and it has not hurt it one bit.

As with any weed killer, or selective weed grass herbicide, you should always measure carefully and error on the low side unless you want some yellowing, or some die off.

However, I just tested some of the Weed B Gone, as I have not had a chance to order the Ornamec 1 pint concentrate yet, and it has not done any damage to the Zoysia whatsoever.

Ornamec is made for home use, by non-professionals and is at a very low concentrate (less than half of Fusilade) so if you want to kill your crabgrass, bermuda, torpedo, or Dallis grasses it is the way to go for Zoysia. In fact it is one of the only products that will work, and on so many pervasive weed grasses too.

My big complaint with Ornamec is that it does not touch Sedges at all. You need sedgehammer.

[This message has been edited by Free Man (edited 12 June 2010).]

Free Man – posted 12 June 2010 11:27

P.S. Post back and keep us updated on your success in what you ended up doing or using.

jb1020 – posted 14 June 2010 09:36

Thanks for the info on the grass b gone. I can only find it in the 24 oz ready to spray bottle. Do you know if they sale the concentrate anywhere? Ill just be using it in small sections anyways, so the small bottle will work.

I ended up getting 35 pieces of sod. I sprayed some round up and broke up the dirt a few days in advance. I basically put 10 pieces right in the center of the yard, then put the remaining pieces in kinda a circle around the center in sections of 5.

Hopefully the sod will take pretty quick. I have a plugger and plan on plugging the places in between. I probably wont start pulling plugs for at least another month.

This is the hottest June I can remember in Mississippi and we havent had any rain. It takes a little more time, but I have just gone out with a water hose and watering the individual sections. I guess the neglect on the existing bermuda will help my cause.

green in atlanta – posted 16 June 2010 13:23

quote:Originally posted by Free Man:The active product in Ornamec (or Fusilade) can also be found in a lower concentration at Home Depot (and online) and it is called Grass B Gone from Ortho, it is the exact same thing only at .48% active instead. It is completely safe in Zoysia unless it is less than a month old (unestablished) or stressed by drought or diseased of course. My sod is 5 weeks old and it has not hurt it one bit.

As with any weed killer, or selective weed grass herbicide, you should always measure carefully and error on the low side unless you want some yellowing, or some die off.

However, I just tested some of the Weed B Gone, as I have not had a chance to order the Ornamec 1 pint concentrate yet, and it has not done any damage to the Zoysia whatsoever.

Ornamec is made for home use, by non-professionals and is at a very low concentrate (less than half of Fusilade) so if you want to kill your crabgrass, bermuda, torpedo, or Dallis grasses it is the way to go for Zoysia. In fact it is one of the only products that will work, and on so many pervasive weed grasses too.

My big complaint with Ornamec is that it does not touch Sedges at all. You need sedgehammer.

[This message has been edited by Free Man (edited 12 June 2010).]

Agreed that Grass-B-Gone has the same active ingredient as Fusillade II and Ornamec, though at a lower concentration. I am aware of it, and I used it myself and accidentally killed several patches of my zoysia with it. Admittedly, I may have applied it too liberally, and it was during the epic drought we had in ATL from 2007-2009, so my turf may have already been weak. Be careful with the Fluazifop-P-Butyl is all I am saying.

jb1020 – posted 17 June 2010 07:13

You know, after reading the reply in this thread I came across your post about your little incident.

It has me hesitant to say the least. And I hope all is well at this point.

My strategy has changed a little bit. I’m actually thinking I might just round up the section I plan on moving plugs too. Then nurse the empire along. I know it will never look great, but I got more time than I do $$$$. So sodding the entire yard is never really an option.

The empire I laid in my front yard looks very close to the existing centipede, but much greener. I’m thinking it will be the easier transition. Probably plug all summer than hit it with some msma. There is another newer msma type product I used on my bermuda in the back to get rid of some weeds, cant recall the name, but it did great.

green in atlanta – posted 17 June 2010 07:28

quote:Originally posted by jb1020:You know, after reading the reply in this thread I came across your post about your little incident.

It has me hesitant to say the least. And I hope all is well at this point.

My strategy has changed a little bit. I’m actually thinking I might just round up the section I plan on moving plugs too. Then nurse the empire along. I know it will never look great, but I got more time than I do $$$$. So sodding the entire yard is never really an option.

The empire I laid in my front yard looks very close to the existing centipede, but much greener. I’m thinking it will be the easier transition. Probably plug all summer than hit it with some msma. There is another newer msma type product I used on my bermuda in the back to get rid of some weeds, cant recall the name, but it did great.

Not a bad plan. I may experiment with the Grass-B-Gone again one day, but I will NOT spot-treat my entire yard again until I know without a doubt that I have perfected the dilution and application.

mrmumbels – posted 17 June 2010 18:28

I just did the fusilade II + Turflon Ester mix and it killed the bermuda dead with just a slight yellowing if any on some of the zoysia.

Free Man – posted 22 June 2010 16:04

Yes, it will yellow off your Empire Zoysia for a couple of weeks and you should not apply it until it has fully rooted, not stressed or under any kind of drought.

jb1020 – posted 27 July 2010 07:53

Alright, I’ll give a little update for those interested.

I ended up with a total of 35 pieces of empire. I started putting it in various sections. I decided against that and put it all in 2 spots ( i was able to get it before it took root). It all looks really nice, except for where the damn dogs urinate. I decided to concentrate all of my plugs in my front yard, which is centipede. I figured the empire would crowd it out faster than the bermuda in the back.

I have half of the front yard plugged now, plugs looking really healthy.

What would you guys do now? I dont think I need to put MSMA out, just because the plugs haven’t really started to spread.

Would you put out any fertilizer? my only concern with that is it will obviously fertilize the centipede too.

thanks for any help, im open to suggestions.

Alex_in_FL – posted 20 August 2010 21:02

If you chose to fertilize using something with very little nitrogen (a low first number). The reason is that zoysia needs less nitrogen than most other grasses.