zoysia grass lawn

chiczimo – posted 03 February 2001 08:01

I am considering buying some zoysia grass plugs through the mail from a company called zoysia farm nurseries in MD. Does anyone out there have any experience dealing with this company and its product? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

reneem – posted 04 February 2001 10:17

2nd that ?. I was thinking the same thing just this morning. I’m located in Central Florida to be more specific and wondering if anybody could give some feed back on this product.

seed – posted 05 February 2001 05:10

The short answer is to be cautious and to accept a significant possibility of failure.

While I do not know of Zoysia Farm Nurseries, zoysia plugs can perform well under some circumstances, if you can wait 1-2 years for establishment

chiczimo – posted 09 February 2001 04:18

Thank you ….would you also say that amazoy will not do well in the Columbia, S.C. area either?

seed – posted 09 February 2001 18:14

Sorry, I’ve never grown Amazoy in South Carolina, and I wouldn’t be able to say if it would grow there. Phil

Kankakee IL resident – posted 24 February 2001 22:15

I am interested in finding out if Zoysia grass would be a good choice for my area. I live aprox. 60 miles south of Chicago. I read on Zoysias.com that it can grow as far north as Chicago, but I was wondering how well. My father has Meyer Z52 in southern Indiana and it works well, but it is significantly colder in Kankakee. I also read about a version called Zennith which can be planted by seed. Is that similar to Z52 in that it spreads.

Greenkeeper – posted 26 February 2001 20:43

quote:Originally posted by chiczimo:I am considering buying some zoysia grass plugs through the mail from a company called zoysia farm nurseries in MD. Does anyone out there have any experience dealing with this company and its product? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Just a thought why not try buying Zoysia stolons this would have to be far easier than planting plugs.The turf farm would have to be close to were you live unless the farm can pack the stolons so they dont dry out.Have seen a golf course planted with stolons in Singapore.

pinkpigs – posted 04 March 2001 16:34

I live in Spartanburg SC and did not have much luck with this product. I gave up on it and ordered some emerald zoysia from some sod farm on the other side of Columbia. It looks great. I think I paid $400 for a palet 2 years ago. Most of that was for having it shipped here. I think the grass itself was about $190.00. Hope this helps.

quote:Originally posted by chiczimo:Thank you ….would you also say that amazoy will not do well in the Columbia, S.C. area either?

just say no – posted 09 May 2001 23:32

Just had run in with Zoysia Farms in MD — Customer service is practically non-existent and ads are very misleading. Sod is shipped dormant i.e. BROWN and won’t turn green until new growth (about 4 weeks to 45 days!) and then will turn brown again with cool weather. Won’t turn green in spring until temperatures are averaging 70 degrees consistently. Guarantee is ONLY to replace product if it doesn’t GROW in 45 days…no moolah returned no matter what. Think hard and do a lot of research before you consider this company or this grass.

Greengrass – posted 12 May 2001 06:49

Zoysia grass, unfortunately will grow as far north as you are. I recently moved to the Quad Cities and purchased a home while snow was still on the ground. To my disgust, once the snow melted and the blue/rye grasses started becoming green, I was left with about four patches of brown zoysia grass that is just recently greening up. I burned one patch of the zoysia and so far the results look positive for me. I see no new zoysia and the blue grass is really going. The 3 things that bother me about zoysia: One is the uncontrollable spread of the grass. Your neighbors better be OK with it. Another is that it is green about two months of the year, the rest of the time it is brown. Lastly, it is like pushing your lawn mower through molasses. I know there are positive as well, but these negatives are more than enough for me. riginally posted by Kankakee IL resident:I am interested in finding out if Zoysia grass would be a good choice for my area. I live aprox. 60 miles south of Chicago. I read on Zoysias.com that it can grow as far north as Chicago, but I was wondering how well. My father has Meyer Z52 in southern Indiana and it works well, but it is significantly colder in Kankakee. I also read about a version called Zennith which can be planted by seed. Is that similar to Z52 in that it spreads.[/QUOTE]

young – posted 05 June 2001 16:51

I live in a city called Marina in Monterey County, CA (about 100 mi south of San Francisco). The city is near the ocean and kind of foggy and cool with sandy soil. I have about 6000 sq ft yard in my house with lots of weeds.I heard about Zoysia grass and have been doing extensive research on the web. I came up with “seed” versions of Zoysia; “zenith” & “companion” from zoysias.com or seedland.com as well as “sod” versions from other companies.Some say sod version is necessary for successful establishment while some say (improved) seed version is good enough. I prefer faster germination and establishment, but am also concerned about the cost. So, seed version looks good to me.Can somebody help me choose what product from what company? I can’t figure out whose claim is trustworthy. Thanks.

[This message has been edited by young (edited 05 June 2001).]

[This message has been edited by young (edited 05 June 2001).]

sod buster – posted 09 June 2001 04:25

Call Penn Seed/Super Sod in Lake City, GA(?) and hydro seed the yard. It is sooo much cheaper and from what I have seen it works well. My quotes I received are $2,800 to $3,600 for just the sod for my front yard and Zenith Zoysia hydroseeding is $800 with a full yard in one growing season. The thing about hydroseeding though is you have to buy the whole tankful which covers 10,000 to 11,000 square feet. You can increase the application rate easily. I also bought more seed to put in the pump tank to get it really thick. Just my research as I am in the same situation in Altanta.

greengal – posted 18 June 2001 21:29

STOP……DON’T ORDER GRASS FROM THE ZOYSIA FARM IN OWING MILLS MARYLAND. I did last spring of 2000…and it was sent to me dormant and all dried up and brown…like straw from some barn! I spent 6 long hours on my own planting 1350 plugs…to end up with NOTHING. I even called the farm several times while planting making sure I wasa doing it correctly…it was so dry and hardly had any dirt attached…it fell apart in my hands…you have to cut it into small squares yourself I felt as if I was planting a bail of dried up hay. This past spring I sodded my whole front yard with zoysia…from local sod farm…andit is awesome! I have also called up to that farm in MD and they said they will send me 1350 more plugs….no refund of my money. They are misleading and just out for the money…sad

launwith – posted 25 May 2002 14:39

Thanks to all of you who replied to this posting, I was looking into the zoysia but not anymore! You saved me a lot of grief, thank you!

Seeing Red – posted 14 June 2002 21:32

Follow Greengal and Just Say No advice. Wish I had found this website before I wasted my money on plugs from Zoysia Farms.

hbosely – posted 23 June 2002 23:22

[QUOTE]Originally posted by seed:The short answer is to be cautious and to accept a significant possibility of failure.

While I do not know of Zoysia Farm Nurseries, zoysia plugs can perform well under some circumstances, if you can wait 1-2 years for establishment

jerryjer – posted 26 August 2002 13:59

I live in NYC and I planted zoysia plugs ordered from zoysia farms. I ordered 750 at first and then ordered another 1500 2 weeks later. The first shipment I got about 10 plugs that grew but they did replace the 750 plugs. Still with all the shipments I probably have about 200 plugs growing. I am about to call them again about the second shipment. With the replacement plugs they sent I went out and bought a tulip plugger and cut the plugs to about 3″ x 3″ and they seem to all be growing. I think cutting them to the 1″ x 1″ that they send them at is the problem.

[This message has been edited by jerryjer (edited 26 August 2002).]

AaronB – posted 07 March 2003 15:21

I’ve been doing some research on zoysia because I’m very interested in trying it. I live in Missouri which is smack in the middle of the transition zones. We can grow cool season grasses year round, but our summers are tough on them and we can grow the warm season grasses as well, but they go dormant in our winters. Here is one site that seems like it has some pretty good information:

George777 – posted 07 March 2003 20:54

Zoysia does well in the right climate. It is a c-4 plant and it loves hot weather. I think It does best in the south. Here in Alabama that turf is awesome if maintained right. I would not try to put a plant that is not abdapted to your zone in the landscape. Check with your local county extension office and see what they say.

Victor – posted 12 March 2003 16:38

quote:Originally posted by reneem:2nd that ?. I was thinking the same thing just this morning. I’m located in Central Florida to be more specific and wondering if anybody could give some feed back on this product.

40 years ago as a kid I ordered 200 plugs of I think it was Meyer Zoyzia and planted it in my mothers lawn. I went back to Long Island in New York a couple of years ago and now the whole neighborhood has Zoyzia. It spread to any soil that was not physically disconnected from our property by a road or sidewalk.

TJ – posted 13 March 2003 10:42

Would this be good in the Cleveland, Ohio area? Wondering if anyone knows anybody that tried the Zoysia Farm mail order grass in Ohio. Did it work, I was thinking about it for my lawn.

Roll Tide Will – posted 27 March 2003 18:54

Don’t we all wish that companies were required to tell the truth in their advertisements? Not just a hint of the truth, but the whole truth without any doublespeak, or hidden meanings.

We have considered many types of grass for our yard. Cost is an issue, as I am retired. The upside to being retired is that I have the time to work with the yard.

Unfortunately, our yard has several different types of grass. It appears as if over the years the various residents have thrown seed or even sodded different areas. There are areas of Bermuda, rye, Zoysia, etc. The most interesting thing is that there was a huge bare area in the front yard. It took us about a month, but after basically turning the top of the ground over using a shovel, then plugging grass from other parts of the yard, we now have a mostly green front yard. It does appear a little strange when the yard is at its greenest. The many shades of green make things interesting.

We’ve jokingly threatened to plug monkey grass throughout the entire yard. At least then I know the grass will always be green, and nothing can kill it. amazoy rip-off – posted 02 April 2003 19:38

I did order the “amazoy” from the ad in a magazine and it was a total rip-off. I ordered the 625 plugs with 125 free and all I got was four 2ft x 1ft pieces of sod, not plugs. To put it into perspective I could have had a pallet of zoysia delivered to my home for $165.00. I tried to plug it the way they recommended, but it was way too hard. They say the plugs should be 1 inch x 1 inch. I’m not sure if they even know what a one inch piece of grass looks like. Do yourself a favor and do not buy this scam.

Lync12 – posted 05 April 2003 09:10

I ordered from Zoysia Farms MD in February. Haven’t received the plugs.

How long did it take before you received the them? With the listed info, my order doesn’t sound very promising.

]

mrC – posted 09 April 2003 08:57

To Lync12 and anybody considering to purchase this grassIm from the central valley in California.About 2 years ago, I ordered the 625 plug pkg, in mid February, I didn’t receive it until end of April. And like everybody else in this forum, it arrived dried, mostly brown and almost dead. The instructions said to immediately soak it down and let it recover for about 24 hours. Well I did that and then planted them in an area cleared of any grass or weeds just for the occasion. I figured keeping them all together instead of plugging them an inch apart would better its survival rate. Well long story short, they never survived, and that area was overrun by bermuda grass and weeds within a month. I was going to order another pkg set this morning since I’m starting a new lawn this year, but fortunately, I found this forum and have read most of the comments and have come to the conclusion that its not a good of a deal as it really sounds. The dream of a super low maintenance lawn is just that….a dream.

babydoll – posted 09 April 2003 13:34

quote:Originally posted by chiczimo:I am considering buying some zoysia grass plugs through the mail from a company called zoysia farm nurseries in MD. Does anyone out there have any experience dealing with this company and its product? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Can anyone give me the address or number to the mail order company for the zoysia farm in MD- There were ads in the Sunday paper, but I have misplaced it and for the past two weeks thee has been none. Any help would be appreciated.

happytoro5 – posted 12 April 2003 13:41

Thank You all for your input on Zoysia Farm Nurseries out of MD, you just saved me some money by not ordering zoysia plugs. Can anyone advice me as to what type of grass to grow in colo. during drought conditions? Bluegrass is out of the question since it requires a lot of water and we are restricted to watering 2 days a week. Any input would be appreciated.

Brand – posted 14 April 2003 14:12

I live in New Mexico (Albuquerque) and am considering Zoysia because of it’s resistance to drought. We basically have sand for soil, I am guessing I will need to put in a few inches of topsoil. Does anyone know how it would do here? We have a lot of sun and the days are warm but the nights can get pretty cold. Also, If I got the 3×3″ plugs can they be planted right next to each other? I am putting in a new lawn. Thanks!

Kevster – posted 14 April 2003 20:46

quote:Originally posted by happytoro5:Thank You all for your input on Zoysia Farm Nurseries out of MD, you just saved me some money by not ordering zoysia plugs. Can anyone advice me as to what type of grass to grow in colo. during drought conditions? Bluegrass is out of the question since it requires a lot of water and we are restricted to watering 2 days a week. Any input would be appreciated.

Throw in the fact that Empire Zoysia does better than Meyer and this is a no brainer – do not buy the 1×1 plugs from here – you are much better off with 3×3 Empire zoysia.

whanna – posted 18 April 2003 18:36

I have been gradully doing my yard in Meyer Zoysia over the years and getting it from Maryland. I love the grass and it does well in Delaware. However, I reasonly placed my order for this year with a request for it to be delivered during a two week time slot,which I thought was reasonable. They returned my check and said that was impossible since they deliver when they can.Looking for a place in New Jersey.

Kyle – posted 22 April 2003 21:14

2 years ago we ordered almost 2000 plugs from Amazoy and plugged thing into a fairly good sized square in our back yard. It was the best thing we have done. That block of yard has the best grass in our back yard, virtually weed free, and doesn’t need as much mowing. They spread wonderfully. At first when there were shipped half brown/green I was sceptical, but they turned out great! I would recommend them. Plugging is hard and tedious, but it is well worth it in the end.

fltnite – posted 09 May 2003 17:18

quote:Originally posted by reneem:2nd that ?. I was thinking the same thing just this morning. I’m located in Central Florida to be more specific and wondering if anybody could give some feed back on this product.

If you are considering Zoysia grass, Duda farms in Rockledge has sod available. go to sodsolutions.com and you will find the link to the Duda site. Good Luck!!!

Lex – posted 25 May 2003 05:58

Bethel Farms in central Florida also has zoysia (empire and empress). They have been helpful with follow up questions. Bethel, however, does not sell direct to home owners. Good luck all.

frogment – posted 05 June 2003 09:23

I recently purchased 2400 plugs from Zoysia Farm Nurseries. The grass came in 15″x10″ sod sections, each sod section had the 1″x1″ perforations. The condition of the sod was moist and green for the most part, tending torward dry and brown near the very edges.I had difficulty cutting the sod up into the suggested 1″x1″. The planting of 2400 pieces was hard labor, I recommend buying smaller quantities unless there is more than 1 person doing the planting. I also recommend cutting into 2″x2″ or whatever fits into the hole made by the enclosed plugger.This reduces the labor and has an excellent yield.

Anyway the results are good. I have planted these plugs into the worst areas of my lawn, horrible soil/road salt contaminated areas and these plugs are coming along quite nicely after 4 weeks. They are the only thing that has been able to survive in these locations. At first they didn’t appear that they would make it (mostly browned out) but I persisted in the 3 week daily waterings and they are now showing green leaves and spreading roots.

Looking forward to a plush low maintainance lawn. So what if it turns brown in winter, it was dead all year round before.

By the way, my father planted some zoysia plugs 20 years ago and his lawn has become just as advertised, plush, durable grass with minimal lawncutting and watering required.

seed – posted 06 June 2003 07:18

frogment, can you please give us some particulars about your planting site? State or country? Soil sandy, loamy, or something else? Shade or sun?

Thanks for sharing your experiences,Phil

frogment – posted 06 June 2003 12:10

Seed, here are some particulars on my location.

My lawn is in northeast Massachusetts. The planting locations are varied as I have planted the plugs strictly in areas of the lawn that have not responded to my fruitless attempts at growing grass for the past six years.

The first qualifier is that the builder of the house never put down a proper layer of loam for starters. The ground is essentially ledge topped off with a layer of hard, rocky, nutrient-free dirt.

The areas that I have planted zoysia included both constant sunlight and partial sunlight (approximately 3 hours of sunlight per day. Since I was never big on waterring the lawn as you would expect the constant sun areas were always the most troublesome in the dry Massachusetts summers.

In addition to intense sunlight some of the areas also suffer from winter salt/sand from close proximity to the road as well as being on a slope.

The general comment I would make is that the plugs are prospering regardless of the particular deleterious environemtal effects that they are subject to. If I were to take a guess at why some of them did not make it it was because they were not in very good condition when I planted them… there were some dried out areas near the sod edges which looked like longshots to succeed but I planted them anyway.

I would estimate that 90% of the plugs have taken root, its been 4 weeks since they were planted and they sat around my house for 2 days before I got them into the ground.

So I am satisfied with the results and intend to purchase some more plugs now that I have seen good results on this first batch

mom23blessings – posted 13 June 2003 08:17

We ordered zoyia plugs from this company. When are in a dispute with them now. Actually through our credit card company. They are charging them back and handling it. They are not what they say they are and they have not grown at all!! I would highly recommend NOT using this company based on my personal experience!

spOOk – posted 17 August 2003 19:31

I have tried plugs from various order houses with hit and miss quality. Finally gave up and made a home-made 3″ x 3″ plugger (about 1 hour) and bought local zoysia sod via palet. Placed the sod out on the lawn with sprinkler and kicked out entire palet in aprox. 2 hours. Used the same plugger for the lawn holes, with being exact fit and size planting was quite rapid. The leaves never did go brown!!. Just FYI – email me if you would like info or picks on plugger.

spOOk – posted 17 August 2003 19:32

hehe – guess email address would help

rs***@ho*****.com

volbuck – posted 22 October 2003 09:04

I live in TN and purchased the amazoy from the MD nursery this spring. When I received the grass like many others have said it was half green and half brown and just pieces of sod. It had to be cut into the plugs. I started planting according to their directions but as I proceeded I decided to do things a little different. I began to cut the plugs into larger pieces. It is also important to water the sod prior to cutting it. The grass turned brown and I thought it was dead. After about six weeks, they started to grow green sprouts. As of right now the places I have plugged (I plugged in existing grass, weeds, ect.) are difficult to see but in areas that are relatively bare are easily seen. The plugs that I have cut larger around 2 x 2 have done much better. Those plugs are probably around 4 x 4. This grass grows very slow which is one of the most desireable traits once it is established. Conversely it is a disadvantage to getting the yard established. I don’t think my mower cut a single blade of the amazoy. Most of its growth has been outward. Many of the plugs have several runners sprouting from them. I will be interested to see what happens next year. I am planning on just buying some sod from a local store or farm and cutting it into plugs myself this spring. I want to get my yard established as fast as possible. Buying sod yourself and cutting it into plugs is much cheaper than ordering the plugs. My soil is TN red clay. I hope this helps.

twotonkat – posted 28 November 2003 10:49

I live in Loganville, GA (about 40 miles E of Atlanta) and have a coarse gravelly soil. I initally planted fescue to get quick coverage but do not like it due to constant maintenance and reseeding twice a year. I purchased a large quantity of plugs from Zoysia Farm Nurseries about 6 years ago. We have just come out of a 5 year drought. I watered the plugs regularly the first two summers and occasionally since just to keep them alive. Some of the area is heavily shaded by thirsty Oaks. To my surprise, many of the plugs have survived in the dry areas and are slowly spreading even in the shade. In the sunny areas, the fescue and weeds are gone and a thick sod covers the ground. I agree with others that say larger plugs would work better and cutting them apart is a pain. For me the work was worth it and I had no problems with ZFN.

Alex_in_FL (Lex) – posted 08 December 2003 16:25

Zoysia update:

Empress zoysia is looking good. Grass is thick and neighbors that enter my back yard and see it are bad jealous. So thin and fun to walk in with bare feet. Few weeds except some nutsedge I did not get killed off before putting the zoysia down. But I am gaining control of it slowly.

In one area the floratam and zoysia are battling it out but zoysia will win this summer when I spray it with 2,4D or similar.

The empress is spreading fine and faster than expected. It is Dec here in Florida but no sign of going dormant yet. Color is getting slightly green/tan but still reasonably green. Probably would be much greener if I watered it more.

Note to all. If you get bill bugs then remember it is a 2 year fight (I forgot). You have to kill the bugs, the grubs, and then when eggs hatch kill grubs and bugs again. So if you had bill bugs, spray that area again to ensure control. I had a short rematch and will have to spray again this spring.

~SKW~ – posted 04 March 2004 17:24

Thankyou so much for the advice. I was just looking into purchasing from that same company. I am so glad I came across this information first. Thanks again.

~SKW~

quote:Originally posted by greengal:STOP……DON’T ORDER GRASS FROM THE ZOYSIA FARM IN OWING MILLS MARYLAND. I did last spring of 2000…and it was sent to me dormant and all dried up and brown…like straw from some barn! I spent 6 long hours on my own planting 1350 plugs…to end up with NOTHING. I even called the farm several times while planting making sure I wasa doing it correctly…it was so dry and hardly had any dirt attached…it fell apart in my hands…you have to cut it into small squares yourself &ltmiss muffin – posted 05 March 2004 14:21

quote:Originally posted by Kyle:2 years ago we ordered almost 2000 plugs from Amazoy and plugged thing into a fairly good sized square in our back yard. It was the best thing we have done. That block of yard has the best grass in our back yard, virtually weed free, and doesn’t need as much mowing. They spread wonderfully. At first when there were shipped half brown/green I was sceptical, but they turned out great! I would recommend them. Plugging is hard and tedious, but it is well worth it in the end.

Kyle – Where do you live? That seems to be key in the posted messages. Also what kind of soil do you have?

angel123 – posted 14 March 2004 13:38

We are interested in zoysia plugs but how is it for northern Ohio and sandy soil? Do you have to get rid of the moles first?We just can’t seem to grow grass even though we seed and all that other things that go with taking care of your lawn.It seems like every year when our grass starts to look green the moles take over. HELP! Any suggestions?

mpveepee – posted 15 March 2004 13:49

I have ordered from them in the past on numerous occasions and have had very good experiences with them. They are reasonably priced, quick to ship, and offer a great product

gardenhobby – posted 08 May 2004 14:01

I live in Utah and am looking for a drought resistant lawn solution. I was looking into Zoysia Grass, but no one that I have talked to in my area knows if we have the right climate. We are in Zone 5 so winters can get moderatly cold with snow. Our average last frost date is mid May. If I choose Zoysia will it stay brown untill mid May? Or is there a varity that greens up faster? Also are all varities invasive? I would like to keep my flower beds flowers. If Zoysia is not the answer is there any grass that is drought tolerant, but not overly invasive?

ted – posted 08 May 2004 18:41

you’re too cold for zoysia- not green enough, long enough. proper mowing and smart watering, and nutrient management via soil tests will save on your watering needs, for sure.

MOBILEAL – posted 13 May 2004 08:32

Mobile Alabama, Plugged 2000 plugs of amazoy from md. Followed instructions they sent exactly. planted in existing lawn. Planted June 2003. Planted a few extra squares in large plugs in August. The smaller plugs are still hard to see but the larger ones are still alive. Soil is mixture of dark soil and some sand. The jury is still out for me. I have some bare spots I was thinking about plugging in some more. I will keep you posted.

fallon222 – posted 13 May 2004 10:39

In regards to getting zoysia sod in Jersey, I found one place in Southern Jersey. $2 a sq ft. Let me know if you are still intrested, lol. Seems a bit outrageous to me…

edosan – posted 13 July 2004 12:58

quote:Originally posted by fallon222:In regards to getting zoysia sod in Jersey, I found one place in Southern Jersey. $2 a sq ft. Let me know if you are still intrested, lol. Seems a bit outrageous to me…

Fallon22 .. where in New Jersey??

Ed

NewLawnInFXBG – posted 17 July 2004 18:31

I have just moved to Fredericksburg, VA. The home builder gave me what they call a “starter lawn”…crappy seed covered with hay, all of which blew into little isolated piles in the April winds. Add to this they never put the topsoil back, so my lot was “prime Virginia red clay” to start off with. The seed came up in patches where it blew to. After a lot of reseeding with the seed (from a local store of course) recommended by the builder, I have about 60% crab grass (maybe it’s actually centipede grass), with patches of thin grass from the seed that has since gone dormant for the summer, despite frequent watering. The seed I plant grows, but not fast enough or thick enough to beat the weeds. We’ve had a fair amount of rain here, but the summer sun is HOT, and bakes the ground pretty quickly even after a good watering the night before.

I’ve been thinking a lot about zoysia. After reading some of the horror stories hear about plugs, I’ll probably re-seed with zoysia next spring. My question is: can anyone in central VA or Wash DC area give me their experience with zoysia…especially if your soil is all clay like mine.

Thanks!

tsnofvdr – posted 10 August 2004 12:59

NewLawnInFXBG:

I to live in the fredericksburg area and i have the same problem. Im looking to lay zoysia sod or plugs next spring. I have read most of the comments on the site and was hoping someone could tell me were i could get the best sod or plugs.

quote:Originally posted by NewLawnInFXBG:I have just moved to Fredericksburg, VA. The home builder gave me what they call a “starter lawn”…crappy seed covered with hay, all of which blew into little isolated piles in the April winds. Add to this they never put the topsoil back, so my lot was “prime Virginia red clay” to start off with. The seed came up in patches where it blew to. After a lot of reseeding with the seed (from a local store of course) recommended by the builder, I have about 60% crab grass (maybe it’s actually centipede grass), with patches of thin grass from the seed that has since gone dormant for the summer, despite frequent watering. The seed I plant grows, but not fast enough or thick enough to beat the weeds. We’ve had a fair amount of rain here, but the summer sun is HOT, and bakes the ground pretty quickly even after a good watering the night before.

I’ve been thinking a lot about zoysia. After reading some of the horror stories hear about plugs, I’ll probably re-seed with zoysia next spring. My question is: can anyone in central VA or Wash DC area give me their experience with zoysia…especially if your soil is all clay like mine.

Thanks!

cy*******@ya***.com











– posted 14 August 2004 17:43

I live in Sacramento CA and have been concidering Zoysia grass plugs for my yard. I have been seeing alot of conflicting info and would appericiate some help.

At least 6 hrs of sun per day.Soil is a heavy loam.Summer daytime temps to 110Winter day temp 50 nights in low 40s

Thanks for any ifo you can give

Cyndi

ljduke – posted 30 August 2004 10:49

I live in southeast Michigan and planted zoysia plugs around May. Was a lot of work and never saw any spreading or much green. Called Zoysia Farms in MD and they sent all new replacements. I planted these in larger squares and they appear to be green but no new growth. Bottom line, we had a cool, wet spring and summer which may have contributed to the lack of growth. I found the company easy to deal with but unless I see something happen next year I will put off endorsing this product.

iwantzoysia – posted 04 September 2004 11:02

If you live in southern NJ, I reoommend Gem’s Zoysia Farm. I had to cut the sod myself into suqares, but I used bigger ones than recommended (2×2 and 3×3 plugs). The sod came mostly green. It has been over three weeks and the zoysia is completely green and seems to be expanding a little. hopefully it can spread before it goes dormant in the fall.

jpaulfoley – posted 15 September 2004 20:28

Ok, I ordered one tray of Zoysia grass to plant in Boston, from the place in MD. Yes it was all brown [dormant], but as I remember seeing in Long Island in April/May a house that had this golden brown lawn that had no bare spots at all it was perfect except it was golden and not green. Anyway, I planted this in 1″ plugs at least 5 years ago. I forgot about it. And have moved from my parents house 4 years ago. In April I went back an noticed the section I plugged [in a weird shape] was all golden brown. I went back this past week in September it was green, thick, low whearas regular grass is long, clumpy, and no kids are around to pay to mow. I may try to plant large plugs now. I guess it just takes a while to establish in Boston area.

KBinMD – posted 21 September 2004 20:20

I live approx 40 miles from ZFN. I have used their plugs in my previous house with very good results. Meyer Z. is the most cold tolerant, not the fastest spreading Z. I just planted their 300 plugs. I too cut them 2×2 or larger. I make the holes slightly larger and partially fill the holes with fertile soil/compost with a dose of starter firt. to get them started. I make sure to pack the soil around the plugs good. Water every day for the first 2/3 weeks lightly until established. AS for their mail order service I can not say. And even when I pick my plugs up, some of the sod is brown/dormant. They say they only ship in your growing season. Beats me. Good Luck!

to***********@ho*****.com











– posted 09 March 2005 13:38

Can this zoysia grass be grown in salt lake city? north western U.S.

JimHale – posted 25 March 2005 18:08

I bought amazoy plugs from Lowes Lumber company three years ago. I only bought enough for the center of my yard and now it has covered my entire yard. My wife loves to walk on it barefooted. We live in Middle Tennessee and have a lot of red clay dirt.It has virtually eliminated all of the weeds associated with this part of the country. I would recommended only one thing (patience).

Anne – posted 31 March 2005 19:37

quote:Originally posted by angel123:We are interested in zoysia plugs but how is it for northern Ohio and sandy soil? Do you have to get rid of the moles first?We just can’t seem to grow grass even though we seed and all that other things that go with taking care of your lawn.It seems like every year when our grass starts to look green the moles take over. HELP! Any suggestions?

Angel…I feel your pain.We lived in Madison Ohio, and every spring I could cry with the damage that the moles caused to our lawn.I tried every thing from ammonia,to herbals.I did invest in anexpensive treatment that takes two years, and provides a slow release to kill the bugs that the moles eat its at Lowes, Champions, Home Depot. Also my friends next door had two cats that were adepy at catching the little buggers.We moved to NC, and NO MOLES in our acre of garden, however bob cats, and the occassional mountain lion check us out, but that is another story, good luck

tomw – posted 01 April 2005 14:15

I plan on buying emperor or emerald zoysia locally and pluging it into my yard. Will it really grow through bermuda or should I kill the existing lawn first? I have read it will choke out the bermuda but have also heard it will leave patches of bermuda. Also, which variety would you say works best? i am in texas so hot summers/mild winters.

lexus7831 – posted 10 April 2005 08:10

Do not use zoysia grass in Northern VA or anywhere north unless you are prepared to have a dead yellow lawn from Sept to late April. Do not use turf builder or any other fertilizer, it will cause any weed or hidden grass from the soil to pop up inbetween your zoysia. I hate this lawn, it is an embarrassment to the neighborhood! People drive by and wonder what is wrong with my lawn!!! This is meant for the south, and Virginia is not South enough.Residence is in Fredericksburg, VA

Yamahauler – posted 11 April 2005 07:27

Question: I understand that zoysia is nice to walk on when green. Is it still nice to walk on when golden, or does it start to feel like dry straw? One preparation step I’ve read on

magazine reader – posted 19 April 2005 00:04

quote:Originally posted by babydoll: Can anyone give me the address or number to the mail order company for the zoysia farm in MD- There were ads in the Sunday paper, but I have misplaced it and for the past two weeks thee has been none. Any help would be appreciated.

-REPLY-zoysia farm nurseries,dept.850–general offices & store-3617 old taneytown road.taneytown,md.21787—www.ZoysiaFarms.com/mag..im moving to north/central florida…let me know how things work out…thanks…magazine reader

jason – posted 19 April 2005 07:09

quote:Originally posted by tomw:I plan on buying emperor or emerald zoysia locally and pluging it into my yard. Will it really grow through bermuda or should I kill the existing lawn first? I have read it will choke out the bermuda but have also heard it will leave patches of bermuda. Also, which variety would you say works best? i am in texas so hot summers/mild winters.

I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and I will be plugging my yard with Amazoy soon. I would be interested to see what others think about plugging over Bermuda. My yard is very thin right now, but I’ll let everyone know how it goes.

larnc – posted 23 April 2005 22:19

My neighbor’s zoysia is invading my lawn. Does anyone know how to stop it?

RLines – posted 24 April 2005 22:03

quote:Originally posted by larnc:My neighbor’s zoysia is invading my lawn. Does anyone know how to stop it?

I find that hard to believe. You must have a very weak lawn. Zoysia can be impossible to get rid of once it is established, but taking over an existing lawn is ridiculous. It grows SOOOO slow. What kind of lawn do you have? If it is St. Augustine or Bermuda and healthy, then there is no reason why this should happen. Both of those grasses grow twice as fast as Zoysia.

dar – posted 01 May 2005 17:31

quote:Originally posted by larnc:My neighbor’s zoysia is invading my lawn. Does anyone know how to stop it?

Umm…according to their website under one of the tabbed areas it says to avoid having the stolons creep across to install a six inch border deep into the ground…I have no idea if this will work..it’s just what I read. Also, this is very interesting. I was considering doing the plugging now I’m not so sure..anyone try this is Pennsylvania??

jgreen61 – posted 06 May 2005 13:51

I bought some AMAZOY Zoysia plugs and didnt do my home work first , I have just ordered them (250 plugs) for a small patch next to my driveway. I do not want brown grass at any time durring the year so I should have looked before I leaped. But I do live in Central Ca. (Santa Nella, Ca) it very rarely gets below 40 degrees and gets over 100 in the summer, If we do get frost it is gone quickly and it is extremly rare. What are the chances I would have a green lawn year round? Is there any of you out there able to keep your AMAZOY Zoysia grass green year round? Please give my some feedback on this issue, I am new to this as I am first time home buyer and dont know much about lawns. Thanks

djb – posted 11 May 2005 09:56

You have got to be kidding, zoysia is notorious for invading neighboring lawns. I live in Northern Virginia and our fescues don’t stand a chance. Please consult your neighbor before planting zoysia or you will have a conflict in a few years.

quote:Originally posted by RLines: I find that hard to believe. You must have a very weak lawn. Zoysia can be impossible to get rid of once it is established, but taking over an existing lawn is ridiculous. It grows SOOOO slow. What kind of lawn do you have? If it is St. Augustine or Bermuda and healthy, then there is no reason why this should happen. Both of those grasses grow twice as fast as Zoysia.

Rlines – posted 11 May 2005 20:43

I have St. Augustine in My Front Yard, Palisades Zoysia in My Back Yard, and Common Bermuda in the easement next to me. I have seen first hand how the growth rates are. Zoysia is slower than both. My point was that Zoysia (ONCE ESTABLISHED) is a very aggressive grass in that it has stolons underground and is VERY thick. I think it is the classic hare and the turtle story. the turtle is going to win out by slow and steady growth. It’s not going to happen overnight though. Eventually, maybe over years, the Zoysia will take over.

quote:Originally posted by djb:You have got to be kidding, zoysia is notorious for invading neighboring lawns. I live in Northern Virginia and our fescues don’t stand a chance. Please consult your neighbor before planting zoysia or you will have a conflict in a few years.

co**@ch*****.net











– posted 29 May 2005 16:12

Need Help: Have emeraly zoysia in lawn. Was very pretty last year thick and green. This year it looks as if it is dead – (S.C) thin and brown. My yard does have shade but it has done well in previous years. How do I make it thick and green again for this summer??

Cary, NC – posted 05 June 2005 11:53

Are you in South Carolina? If so, what’s your location?

Emerald Zoysia does OK under shade, but prefers full sun. Depending on your location, you might want to try Creeping Red Fescue. It can live with 2-3 hours of sun light, while Emerald Zoysia requires at least 6 hours or more.

El Toro, or Zenith Zoysia can take 3-4 hours for sun, and stay somewhat dense. No grass can grow under total shade.

lfeltz79 – posted 09 June 2005 06:26

Thank you all so much for your comments. I was just beginning to consider purchasing amazoy plugs from Zoysia farms in MD when I decided to search for more inormation on the web. After reading the testimonies, I am convinced that it would be a waste of money. I have a policy of not trusting companies that do not stand behind their products. I was foolishly assuming they were trustworthy because I received an ad in the Springhill Farm Nurseries order(a company that does back their product). Thanks again for sharing your experiences so that others may learn!

ilektronik – posted 09 June 2005 06:45

my lawn is all tall fescue. is it possible to simply overseed with zoysia?

Tungsten33333 – posted 17 June 2005 09:32

Nope. You will fail miserbly. It’s a lot of work… First you have to kill the existing lawn with round up, scalp it, rake up, ammend the soil (slightly acidic soil supposedly works better), i thunk spread starter fertilizer as well to promote quicker root growth then spread Zenith seeds and slightly rake them to no more than 1/4 inches deep. I suppose slightly spreading fine sand over them could work. You also will have to water 3-5 times a day just to keep the soil DAMP, not excessive wet for 3 weeks or so when they finally germinate.

Ryegrasses are alot easier to grow.. All I had to do was throw seeds down and do nothing else.

Putting down Zoysia sods sound a lot better but probably too expensive for you.

quest – posted 17 August 2005 12:25

I live it PA and someone near has zoysia grass and yes it’s (Hay)yellow in the winter BUT, in the summer they have the best lawn around! Thick … soft green grass; while we have bare spots from the heat & lack of rain in the summmer. I’ll live with the hay color … some of the time it’s covered with snow and I’m not out there that much anyway! BUt, please give me some grass for the good ole’ summer time!

quote:Originally posted by lexus7831:Do not use zoysia grass in Northern VA or anywhere north unless you are prepared to have a dead yellow lawn from Sept to late April. Do not use turf builder or any other fertilizer, it will cause any weed or hidden grass from the soil to pop up inbetween your zoysia. I hate this lawn, it is an embarrassment to the neighborhood! People drive by and wonder what is wrong with my lawn!!! This is meant for the south, and Virginia is not South enough.Residence is in Fredericksburg, VA

ljduke – posted 12 June 2006 13:27

I live in lower Mich. and planted Zoysia plugs two years ago. In my opinion, Zoysia just takes too long to spread. I started out planting the small plugs and eventually started planting larger ones. As of right now, the larger ones look OK but there is still too much space between them. When they are green the grass looks as advertised, plush, soft, nice color, etc. My only complaint is the waiting. They did say 3-5 years and I’ll give it another year or two before I scrap the whole thing and just plant seed.

Doug_E – posted 25 June 2006 19:10

When I think of the countless cash spent on Scott’s fertilizers, weed killers etc etc year after year, and for what? – a crabgrass display.

I’m doing Zoysia. So what the lawn is brown in the winter, I think it makes a nice contrast. All I know is that it has to be mowed less,(read: less gas to buy) so I have time to do other things.

Weeds are non -existant in the back where it was established before I bought the house. I can count on saving $$ every season.(Good ridance to Scott’s BS)

The more plugs you plant the faster it will fill in. It grows in the Northeast, but I am not sure as to what type.

kwdaye – posted 28 March 2009 01:52

I was wondering if you can mix different kinds of Zoysia grass? I have ordered Amazoy zoysia (600 plugs) and was doing more reading and would like to try other kinds. Can they be intermixed?

Kevin

Sweet Melissa – posted 11 June 2009 09:52

I can help you with all types of Zoysia Sod…straight from the farm to your home / job site.

Thanks!

Me*******************************@be*******.net

[This message has been edited by Sweet Melissa (edited 11 June 2009).]

golfjunky – posted 13 May 2012 13:40

I recently moved to Atlanta from West Palm Beach where St Augustine seemed to be the prominent grass. I laid sod once before but felt I made a lot of errors in the process and a lot of it ended up dying. I would recommend using Curb Appeal landscaping if you live in the Atlanta area, they guarantee their worksmanship, and will replace any peaces that die within the first month. Since I don’t have a sprinkler system and want to conserve water, they recommended me empire zoysia for its drought tolerance. Not sure their phone number off hand but here is the link to their website. If you can’t click on it here just copy and paste it in your browser: http://atlanta.ebayclassifieds.com/skilled-trades/atlanta/curb-appeal-landscaping-and-lawncare-sod-installation-770-891-2245/?ad=3132952

They also have a blog that keeps you updated on recent properties in the Atlanta area with addresses that have had recent sod installation along with before and after pictures with the dates installed. This way you can drive around and see these lawns. How they look is dependent on how the owner followed a regular watering and fertilization schedule: http://atlantacurbappeallandscaping.wordpress.com/pricing-for-sod-installation-based-on-square-footage/

pyro – posted 13 May 2012 18:18

thanks for bumping a three year old thread to advertise for your company!