grass selection

stevej101 – posted 05 September 2005 12:23

i live in southern new jersey. i have a 5k sq foot front lawn and a 10k sq foot back lawn and i dont have a sprinkler system. i am considering zoysia plugs for the front.is there any one from southern NJ or Delaware that can pass along any insight on their experience with zoysia or any other low maintainence grasses ?

cohiba – posted 05 September 2005 15:51

Steve,

Zoysia is great. From May through October. The rest of the year it is brown and doesn’t take traffic very well. If you are having a lawn to LOOK AT: you are in good shape. If there are kids involved: look elsewhere. If you do plan to do the zoysia thing be forewarned: you will never get rid of it. Also, plan on buying twice as many as they recommend, zoysia in Southern NJ takes years (yes years) before it is fully established. Turf type tall fescues are drought tolerant but not as nice as Zoysia. Kentucky Bluegrass is best but needs water. Don’t do Ryegrasses unless you are using it as a nurse grass for another variety, RE: Gray leaf spot devastates it in Aug. and Sept.

I live in Gloucester County……………..

QWERTY – posted 05 September 2005 17:58

bermuda is worse than zoysia as far as being invasive! You can control zoysia’s slow creeping by putting down borders 4-6 inches deep for your flower beds. I’d much rather have zoysia because they look better. You can try Companion or Zenith seeds as you can establish a turf by the fall (assuming you planted seeds in may or early june). Go to www.zoysia.com for more information. I’m currently experimenting with Zenith and its been a month but they look nice compared to bermuda or St Augustine that I have. Ive heard that companion germinates significantly faster and establishes more quickly but i havent found anyone that did side by side comparision so who knows? Zenith is slightly more dense but Companion is slightly darker green. Companion might be a good choice in your location because they were breed to be more open so cool weather grasses like tall fescue or p. rye can be planted. You should have round year green lawn.

kyleinmarietta – posted 05 September 2005 18:20

Is zoysia a good choice that far north? I’d think its growing season would be pretty short up there.

Why not drive around, identify a few lawns you like, take pictures (close up pictures too, for identification of species) then go to your local garden center and get their help in figuring out what it is you like.

QWERTY – posted 05 September 2005 19:34

That’s why I suggested Fall Fescue to be mixed with Companion zoysia to get round year green lawn!

cohiba – posted 06 September 2005 05:42

Steve,

Don’t mix grasses of different growth habits. Looks like $#@t.

Good Luck………………