Shade & erosion

thom – posted 31 July 2007 14:01

Live in Memphis, TN. Have an area in my side yard that is heavily shaded by a large fig and a plum tree. In addition to being shady the area is on a mild slope (30deg) which is eroded by runoff from our driveway and a culvert at the street about 150′ away.

For a large fee a landscaper wants to put down palisades zoysia, monkey grass and a dry creek bead made of flat stone. My major questions are:

When is the best time to plant palisades zoysia ? Is there a better grass to plant in this location ? What form of grass should be put down, i.e. sod, seed, plugs, hydro seeds and where would I get the recommended grass ? What needs to be done to prep the area for the grass ?

TexanOne – posted 01 August 2007 00:32

Palisades Zoysia is an excellent choice. I have it in an enclosed 450 sq ft patio area along with El Toro Zoysia. I can’t tell much difference between the two varieties, but both have done very well for over 8 years.

Although it will cost a little more to use sod – go the sod route. Don’t attempt to seed Zoysia on a slope condition because you will be wasting your time. Zoysia is slow to fill in and cover and it will take several months just to get a decent cover with seed. Also, it is getting a late in the season to attempt seeding a Zoysia lawn in Memphis.

You can plant Zoysia sod anytime during the growing season – just keep it damp for a few weeks until the roots attach. From the landscaper’s suggestions, it sounds like he knows what he is talking about…

thom – posted 01 August 2007 06:45

Thanks for your input. As grass starts going dormant here in late Sept/early Oct. I’m concerned that by the time I prep to soil and get the sod it won’t have time to root before dormacy.

Do you think waiting until spring would be better ?What will I need to do to prep the soil ?

TexanOne – posted 02 August 2007 00:59

Although warm season grasses go dormant in the winter, roots continue to grow. I would think it would be ok to go ahead and put the sod down – provided you have at least 2 or 3 weeks of growing season left. The only reason Zoysia would die in your area during the winter would be from lack of water. Just make sure the sod is damp (not constantly wet) and it should be fine.

Another trick you can use is to cover the sod with about an inch of loose-leaf material. The leaves will insulate the sod and extend the time period of favorable growing conditions. By the time spring arrives, the sod should be fully established. Snow is also a very good insulator and provides needed water too.

I’m not sure what you need for soil preparation. Since your landscaper sounds like he knows what he is talking about, I would recommend you go with his suggestions. Soil preparation is all very site specific and can vary greatly – even from neighborhood to neighborhood.