Empire Zoysia in New Orleans
Asian Cajun – posted 17 May 2005 09:10
Hi There, I’m live in New Orleans,Louisiana and planning to sod my new home with Empire Zoysia in a few weeks. I notice there are some bugs(don’t really know what kind) in my soil right now that I need to get rid of before I lay down the sod. My questions is what can I do to prepare my lawn for the best grass in the south. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Cajun
mwhite125 – posted 18 May 2005 19:11
I live in Dallas, and sodded with empire, I got it when it was semi-dormant but looks really green right now, this grass loves hot and humid weather so it should do great there. If I were you I would get a soil test done by your local county extension, to determine what recommended fertlizer youll need. As far as the bugs go, I would scoop some up and find a pest control guy driving around or goto your local nursery. Just remember to place the peices of sod as close as possible to each other, because this grass does grow really sow and the gaps will let weeds grow like crazy..Good luck.
Asian Cajun – posted 23 May 2005 05:42
Thanks for your reply and help. My next door neighbor just sodded his lawn with empire zoysia last week. He had a pallet left over and we sodded it between his and my home about 7 feet wide by 50 feet long. Been watering every morning and late afternoon and its coming along great, should I try to remove some of the dead blade to promote faster growth? He told me to chillout with the watering because it might cause fungus and mildew. Empire Zoysia is extemely rare in the New Orleans area, I actually live on the WestBank in Marrero near the swamp. The only place you can find empire zoysia is about an hours away at Simpson Sod in Covington. There cost was $150 a pallet with cover 450 sq/ft. I will keep you guys posted on my empire zoysia lawn in the near future. Thanks for everything again. Asian
Asian Cajun – posted 21 June 2005 11:35
Hi again, I just lay down 8 pallets of dem empire zoysia last weekend, got dem from Simpson Sod for $145 a pallet. My arm and hands is hurting like a mosquito on a crawfish craw but anyway, I level my land the best I can with dem water barrel filling roller and fertidize dem with 13-13-13 before I lay down the sod. Couldn’t catch dem darn sneaky bugs thought. I been watering it at 4:00 am every morning and the grass looking mighty fine now. I just rolled dem sod this morning to smooth out some of the high spot and give it a good sod to soil contact. Any advice from some turf master on maintaining this grass is greatly appreciate. Thanks Again. PS. this is my first lawn near the swamp in New Orleans.
Asian Cajun – posted 06 July 2005 09:01
DEM ZOYSIA BEEN DOWN AND BOUT 2 WEEKS AND IS GREENING UP LOOKING GOOD YEAH! SOD SEEMS TO TAKING ROOTS AND GOT DEM SEED HEAD START POPING UP WITH A PURPLE LOOKING STEM. HOPEFUL, MY LAWN WOULD BE COVER WITH PURPLE AND GOLD GRASS SO MY YARD WOULD LOOK LIKE DEM LSU TIGERS FOOTBALL FIELD. BURMUDA AND CRABGRASS POPPING UP BUT BEEN TRYING TO YANK DEM OUT BY HAND BESTEST I CAN HOW NO. STILL HAVE BUGS TROUBLE WITH MOLE CRICKET, REGULAR BLACK LOOKING CRICKET, WORMS, SPIDERS, FROGS, TURTLES, AND DEM GOD DAMN DOG POO POO IN MY YARD. I JUST GRAB DEM POO WITH MY BARE HAND AND TOSS DEM IN THE SWAMP FOR DA GATOR TO EAT DO. CMON NOW, CALLING OCCUPANTS OF EXTRAORDINARY TURFMASTER FOR ASSISTANT ON DEM DARN PESKY BUGS. THANKS AND HOW YOU BEE.
ASIAN
Asian Cajun – posted 13 August 2005 07:11
Howdy me again, dem empire zoysia been down er bout 2 months now and is still looking good YEAH! Finally won de battle with dem crabgrass, been yanking dem out by hand everyday for dee last 2 months NO. As far as dem damn burmuda grass WEED goes, still fighting it everyday by pulling it also, dey er so agressivacation. De sod company where I got dem say dey will take over dat zoysia. Don’t know if I should still pull dem er wait til next year to see if de zoysia will take over de burmuda WEED. As far as dem darn pesky bug goes, I just spray de yard with some of dee Bug B Gone dat has dem water hose connectional to it, hopefully it will kill dem dead. Well, got to go now, I guess if nobody ain’t reply to my post dat dis will be de dead end for me NO, seem like talking to myself and my dem force bee with thee YEAH! Asian
kyleinmarietta – posted 13 August 2005 13:45
Find some acclaim. It’ll do the deed on the bermuda and the crabgrass in your zoysia.
Tungsten33333 – posted 13 August 2005 21:50
Your grammar skill gives me headaches…
Asian Cajun – posted 27 August 2005 05:09
Hi Kylie, thanks for your feedback. The only place I can find Acclaim her in New Orleans is at LESCO. They said they only sell to commercial and not resdental people. They can order it for $1200 for a 2-1/2 gallon of dem sucker, sound redickerlous. Anyhow, I called the sod company about the burmuda and they told me to use Acclaim too. They said dat they would give me 10 pieces of sod to replace the sod that was contaminated with burmuda. Look like I have to put on some work gloves again. Thanks Again.
QWERTY – posted 27 August 2005 08:33
How high do you cut your empire grasses?
Asian Cajun – posted 04 September 2005 10:26
I try to cut my grass as high as possible with a push bagged rotary mower by Troy Bilt every week. If I leave it for 2 weeks and cut it, I damaged the grass and make it look yellow. My grass been down and about 3 months now so its not fully established yet. Hofefully next year I can cut it a little lower and not as frequent. Oh, everytime I cut the grass, I try to cut it in different direction, north to south then west to east and diagonal so it will not leave any tire tracks. Thankfully, my empire zoysia survived through Hurricane Katrina, didn’t get flooded but I will be in Dallas for the next few months, I cannot go back to new orleans yet. Guess the next time time I cut it the grass will be about a foot high. Hope this helps. Later, Cajun
QWERTY – posted 04 September 2005 21:05
Ahh. Sorry to hear about new orleans. I used to go there quite often when I lived in Baton Rouge years ago. Hard to believe it’s gonna take that long before everybody can get back!
Asian Cajun – posted 03 October 2005 18:49
Just got back to the my house and cut my grass after a month long away from New Orleans, this place looks like it been NUKE! My next door neighbor Mr. Dwayne Boudreaux cutted my grass 2 weeks after the storm (he is such a good neighbor) and I just cut the grass this weekend. Now, the grass is very brown and yellow in alot of areas but overall its fine, not as green and lush as I wanted to be but Mr. Boudreaux say that due to Hurricane Katrina and Hurrican Rita, the rain brought some of the saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico causing it to look dead. It don’t know its true or not but who knows. Anyhow, I was going to fertizing my grass for the first time before the long cold winter. I need help on choosing the right fertizer I buy at Home Depot or Lowes. Any help for this poor Cajun is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
cohiba – posted 04 October 2005 12:41
Glad to hear your back in your home. I guess you were one of the fortunate ones??Hope all is better now and that it keeps getting better from here on out.
I would be worried slightly about the salt water intrusion. I would like to see a test done to see exactly what’s there. If it is salt you can and should aerate, add gypsum and water with fresh water to flush the salt from the soil. Letting it leach deeper into and through the rootzone and hopefully out.
I would also consider a fertilizer with high potash amounts, maybe even consider a 0-0-50 for later in the fall, early December. Apply two pounds of material per 1000 sq.ft.
As for the regular fertilizer I would consider a starter fertilizer, The roots have got to be shallow after being water logged so long.
NOTE: Make sure you keep up one the watering too. As things dry out the roots are bound to be stunted enough that they cannot support the top growth.
Good Luck and Take Care………….
Asian Cajun – posted 29 October 2005 05:54
Grass been down and about for 5 months now and it ain’t looking good NO. It haven’t rain here for the last 2 months since Hurricane Rita. October is a record low for rain fall here in the swamp. Been watering as much as I can and just ferterlize it with 1/2 of bag of 13-13-13 left over from first laying the sod down (hope I don’t burn it). Called LSU Agricultural center and they told us we have to remove the thatches(dead leaves) as much as possible to promote faster growth. Just use dem metal rack and get working all around the yard. Thanks and Later Homey!
Asian Cajun – posted 10 June 2006 06:18
Hurricane Katrina, Rita, Tbe Long Cold Winter and Drought has not been too kind on my zoysia the last 4 score and 7 months to today. Mother Nature seems to unleash her anger without any sorrow for her children. April and May is a record low rain fall in history in New Orleans but the really bad news is that it hurrrican season once again. I just pray it will rain again so my grass can have a little hope. Every lawn in the entire neighborhood looks dead, some completely. Can’t ask for any help unless you can make it rain.
KBilly – posted 10 June 2006 22:51
Hey… it rained half the entire day on the Sunday before Memorial Day in Old Metairie and Kenner and Uptown when we we there 2 weeks ago.
And zoysia can go into dormancy for months.
Relax.
TexanOne – posted 23 August 2006 01:49
Asian Cajun – any update to report about Empire Zoysia? I just bought some to try out
Asian Cajun – posted 08 September 2006 05:29
My Empire Zoysia is ain’t looking good NO. Have few brown patches everywhere, I think I might of damage it by fertizing too much and a month later, use dem bug killer thang. Most of the brown patch are at the low spot in my yard but trying to level it back de bestest I can YEAH! Oh well, see what de happen next year er round.
TexanOne – posted 09 September 2006 00:18
Im beginning to believe that Zoysia any Zoysia, with Empire included, is a bunch of advertising hype from some pretty smooth-taking marketing folks. I have a concrete-separated area side yard that has a mix of El Toro and Palisades with light tree shade all day. The Zoysia is beautiful but it takes A LOT of water to keep it that way exactly twice the water that St Augustine takes to look good.
Please keep me posted on how your Empire is doing Asiancajun
Asian Cajun – posted 15 June 2007 12:29
Moi grass been down about for 2 years now and its looking okay yes in dee. Da bestest thang about dis grass is I don’t have to cut it for 2 months YEAH. Believe me or not but dat is true 2 the bone yeah. If anyone of the extraordinary turfmaster will test and you will see. I think the most important thang is to wait. Wait for a few week and see the grass grow. Once it reach a certain height it will grow slowly. The worst thang you can do is cut it with a little more effort. Beat the heat down here.
I almost forgot Do Not over water. Floratan /Seville all strains of St. Augustine are suseptible to fungus from over…
I am from the north and it has taken me five yrs to learn and undertand seville lawns. No 1…
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