Several Zoysia questions (Atlanta area)

MikeC – posted 01 April 2004 08:14

I have a mixed bermuda/fescue lawn in a north Atlanta, GA suburb and am considering replacing the bermuda with zoysia, using plugs. If I like it enough, I might do the back yard, replacing the fescue at some point too.

I am sure it will grow here, having several buddies in the area with it.

Several questions;

* Will the zoysia overtake the bermuda? My plan was to plug every 18″ and just let it overtake the bermuda naturally, since they both green up about the same time, and the bermuda IS is pretty decent shape.

* If I do this, what’s a good time of year to do so; when the grass is dormant, when it’s green, some transition phase?

* Is Meyer (z-52) a good choice, or is another variety superior for taking over an existing lawn?

Many thanks,

Michael

redbird – posted 01 April 2004 12:20

You will get gray hairs waiting for zoysia plugs to overtake a healthy bermuda lawn. You are going to have a mix (undesirable to me) for years to come. I would either work with the bermuda, or kill it off completely (easier said than done w/bermuda)& SOD with zoysia. Yes, zoysia is slower growing than bermuda, but this is exactly the trait that makes zoysia plugs so slow to fill in – plus the fact that to encourage the zoysia in competition over bermuda, your only recourse is to cut way back on water/fertilization, stressing/suppressing the bermuda while the more durable zoysia prevails. This battle is going to take a while – and your lawn will not look the way you want it to in the process (starving the main component of your lawn, reducing it’s performance, while you wait for zoysia to out-compete it).

IMHOMike