Is it TARR or just bad idea of Winter Rye? Someof the newer varieties are supposedly even faster than El Toro to cover, but I’ve never beenable to verify that. Frankly there’s no way to know which variety is right for your area unless you can find it already growing locally. There is a push in the transition zone for people to use more zoysia grass, but zoysia is usually installed either as sod or through sprigging or plugging and not as seed. I have found it very difficult to compare varieties online because every website espews the value of the variety they sell. I live in Raleigh NC on a mostly full-sun acre. Because Zoysia grass seed can take a long time to germinate and establish itself, a cost-effective alternative to laying sod is to order and plant Zoysia grass plugs. Keep in mind that Zoysia is very slow-growing, so it can take about 2-3 years to completely take over these other grasses. With some "friendly" advice from the cool season board, I had some of the best results on the board on my front yard fescue renovation last year. However, since you are in North Carolina and I am in Texas, you may have a totally different experience with plugged Zoysia. Help choosing which Zoysiagrass and how to grow Zoysia grass from seed or plugs. If you are planting the plugs in a regular lawn, fescue, rye, Kentucky bluegrass, etc. I want zoysia – this much I know. Copyright © 2020 Phil Busey Agronomy Consulting Inc. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). 2. Fescues are not drought … I would research your local area to find someone that has successfully plugged Zoysia and then go take a look to make sure. It forms a dense sod from aboveground and underground runners. Apply 10-20-10 at a rate of 10 pounds per 1000/Kft2, Water in and enjoy. Share on facebook. But while most warm-season grasses can't handle a winter chill, zoysia can survive cold weather, even in extreme areas like Massachusetts—and Michigan, where callers to our show have described decades-old zoysia lawns. Zoysia Grass Problems. $642 plugs vs. $223.95 Zenith Zoysia seed (shipping costs not included in this estimate) Zenith Zoysia grass seed is a game changer! It's particularly hardy and grows voluntarily on lawns with other types of grass. Next question is what type of Zoysia. I have a bermudagrass lawn, but I prefer zoysiagrass. So bottom line is try a tray or two of plugs of each variety and see which does well in your climate and soil. Now a plush Zoysia lawn can be yours with seeded Zenith Zoysia. Spray fescue during the spring before zoysia comes out of dormancy. It is not easy to kill fescue in Zoysia, and I hear it is even tougher to kill bermuda in Zoysia. Thanks! I’m super excited to be resolving my dry dead lawn full of weeds problem. The Best Time to Plant Zoysia Grass Seed. (mostly that’s true)I plugged El Toro in on 2Ft centers in late Aprilby October I had complete coverage. So the back yard is P77 bermuda now and it’s fine but I won’t be seeding the front yard. Apply fertilizer after spring green-up according to the University of Maryland Extension lawn fertilizer schedule. This is a peren-nial bunch-type grass that grows rapidly and requires frequent mowing in the spring and fall. But my local ag folks say go with El Toro for speed of growth reasons considering I’m trying to cover 15,000 square feet with plugs, and that’s hard to argue. Paspalum grass for lawn | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener, Identification and History of Bitterblue St. Augustine – Turfgrass Producers of Florida, Identification and History of Bitterblue St. Augustinegrass. [This message has been edited by Alex_in_FL (edited 20 October 2007).]. Paspalum grass for lawn | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener, Identification and History of Bitterblue St. Augustine – Turfgrass Producers of Florida, Identification and History of Bitterblue St. Augustinegrass. I have tried plugging Jamur, which is supposed to spread about as fast as El Toro (but with a finer texture similar to Meyer). They come shipped in trays and measure 1.75" x 1.75" x 2" inches deep. Copyright © 2020 Phil Busey Agronomy Consulting Inc. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). This is contrast with cool season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, rye and fescue that do best when temperatures are closer to the 55-80°F range. When I have time I transplant more plugs into bare areas. In another area, I just laid Meyer zoysia right on top of some existing fescue, and it took root with no problem, however you will have some grass growing between the seams. I have a radial arm saw with a steel cut-off blade that will make quick work of cutting big sod squares into small ones. I also don’t like all the nitrogen my bermuda requires – $200 of fertilizer every year is steep, and that’s just the back yard. Zoysia Grass – Has anyone heard of Zoysia Imperial and what is it like? After a minimum of 48 hours your site is ready to plug. One objection is that it greens up later in the spring than bluegrass or tall fescue and turns brown in the fall after a hard frost. Zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica L.) Suggested seeding rate: 1 to 2 lbs. My husband got some serious lawn envy when we went to visit my parents last spring. Invasive – Zoysia grass is a very invasive grass. Planting zoysia grass plugs will take longer to covert to a … South Florida Turfgrass Field Day and Expo. The major problem with Zoysia is the stuff is just excruciating slow to spread and fill in. [2] X Research source Most mowers can cut lawn down to 1 inch (2.5 cm). Again I’m not afraid of work but I do worry about the pallet of grass drying out before I can finish if it takes me 3 weeks. Note: you can deal with undesirable weeds by putting down a good pre-emergent before or after you finish plugging. you can plant right within these types of grasses. Still lookeda bit lumpy but it was completely green! Plugging will mean that you will be fighting non-desirable grasses and weeds in between the plugs for many months or years depending on how far you space the plugs. It’s pretty thin, and the soil isn’t very good. From what I understand, I just need to dig a small hole where I want the plug, put the plug in it and water it in. Alex_in_FL – posted 20 October 2007 12:32, – irrigate the area the day before planting- cut the sod into about 12 to 15 pieces (about 2 or 3 times the size of regular plugs from the store).- soak the cut pieces in water for about 10 – 20 minutes before planting (I used a wheelbarrow). A healthy bed free of weeds is the best host for new grass. Is there a better time of year to plug? Any thoughts/guidance/suggestions on this overall approach? If I put in zoysia plugs, will they eventually take over, or is the bermuda hardier? Sounds very daunting. South Florida Turfgrass Field Day and Expo. The only success I have had with Zoysia is to completely sod the area in question – and there will still be issues with weeds and slow growth. Lastly, will it help to put some starter fertilizer on them after a week or two? Meyer and Emerald are both old varieties that have been supplanted. Sod I treated this way survived best, is spreading fastest, and seems to be doing extremely well. On plugging – my thought is to buy a pallet of zoysia sod and then cut it into 3″x3″ plugs myself. Planting Zoysia grass is optimal between mid-May to mid-June if establishing Zoysia grass seed. Then I used a bulb planter to cut plugs out of the sod and transplant them somewhere else. If you have “hard-to-kill” perennial weeds or invasive grass, such as Zoysia or Bermuda, wait one week and apply a second application of Round Up®. One site says emerald is the new el toro, another says el toro is the new meyer. bled-man, I wasn’t sure if you read this forum thread – it is a worthwhile read for what you are considering doing: https://turfgrass.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000005.html, saltcedar – posted 09 September 2007 11:05. Instead I grow El Toro which has spread as far as 3ft. I have read you should plant the plugs six inches apart — I have taken the lazy approach and planted maybe three feet apart. When to Overseed Zoysia. Sorry for all the questions, but I just want to make sure I do this right. Perhaps the most popular grass in the mountain and upper pied-mont areas of Georgia is tall fescue. My husband is a northerner and I’m from Georgia. Our yard has zillions of rocks ranging in size from pebbles to ham-sized mini-boulders so turning 4″ of soil is simply not reasonable – we were hauling off rocks for days. I’m leaning toward El Toro due to the fast spreading characteristic mostly, but I also want a good lawn. Zoysia is a warm season grass and does go dormant during the winter months in northern states. Seeding zoysia grass into existing lawns without first completely eradicating the existing grass is not recommended as it is hard for the smaller and slower growing Zoysia seedlings to survive competition from your existing grass. Use the lowest blade height setting on your lawn mower. As the plugs start to spread they will choke out these grasses. Step 1, Mow your lawn as low as possible. Plug In Zoysia Plugs Zoysia grass plugs must be planted in spring or early summer to have enough time to grow before the first frost of fall hits. Q: I need some advice. Tall fescue needs more water than the warm-season grasses to stay green during the summer. If the ground … Spray an herbicide early in the spring when the fescue comes out of dormancy. I would kill everything first before you lay the new sod down, and also kill the existing grass in the area that you plant plugs. Will the zoysiagrass overtake the bermudagrass easily? Though I’d read how Empire is terrific in Florida landscapes when I grow it here in Texas it struggles. The front yard is twice as big. The procedure you have outlined to plug the Zoysia seems sound, just make sure the plugs to do not dry out by keeping them moist (not wet) for two to three months. ft. in late May to late June; Suggested sprigging rate: 8 to 10 bushels per 1,000 sq. Thatchbuildup can occur. Am I missing anything? Need help…live in DFW sodded Palmetto S/A last year looked great…over seeded Winter Rye…mow yard looks awful. Give up the fescue and switch to a warm-season grass like Bermuda, Zoysia or Centipede. How To Encourage Zoysia To Choke Out Fescue Hot Climates. Fescue thrives with cold winters, and this combined with severe winter kill may give fescue a strong foothold in your zoysia lawn. Zoysia will stay dormant until temperatures are warmer, which leaves a safe zone of a few weeks where you can spray for weeds and unwanted cool-season grasses without damaging the zoysia turf. The basic fact about zoysia grass is that, unless it is grown in the right climate, it will cause more headaches than not. Hello everyone. I bought a few squares of Jamur and I just set them on some bare areas, watering as needed, until they took root. Q: I have a 25 year old bermuda lawn. You can try plugging Zoysia, but I have yet to find anyone that had any great success plugging or seeding Zoysia with long-term success. If you still have your heart set on plugging Zoysia instead of a solid sod installation, then get ready to purchase a lot herbicides to curb the undesirable growth in between. Zoysia is heat- and drought-resistant and also winter hardy. Good Luck! The lower the better!Step 2, Moisten the ground. Cut back on irrigation during the summer. I figure it’s 500 x 4 x 4 = 8,000 plugs. Planting plugs and sprigs are done earlier. Zenith® Zoysia is a great choice for home lawns throughout the country. I am going to plug some zoysia in my back yard this weekend and I wanted to make sure I know what I’m doing. If you still have your heart set on plugging Zoysia instead of a solid sod installation, then get ready to purchase a lot herbicides to curb the undesirable growth in between. 3. Clumping fescue is a grass that came to North America from Europe in the early 1800s. Need help: Weed control for ornamental perennial peanut (rhizomes type)? Zoysia, also called zoysiagrass, is a warm-weather turfgrass from Asia comprised of several different species, the most common being Zoysia japonica. Well, planting plugs is a lot of work, period but so is laying sod. – To repair damaged areas of an existing lawn: If you have a lawn with small areas of damage (caused by insects, disease, dog urine, etc. The back yard is princess 77 bermuda – I’m very happy with it now but was not happy with the effort required to get it going two years ago. In the end, and after countless hours of trying to get the plugs to fill in, I think you are going to wish you had gone ahead and just went the solid sod route. Unlike other warm season grasses such as bermuda, centipede, St. Augustine and bahiagrass, zoysia can survive in cooler conditions. Is nice and dense and chokes out as well as any other Zoysia other types of grasses plant Zoysia,. 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