It is a slow-growing, fine-textured, dense turf grass. I actually have some zoysia in my yard and this fall I overseeded it with fescue and it is doing great! I just mowed the lawn very close, aerated it with those spiky shoes, seeded it with the fescue, and 7 days later fertilized it. Maintenance is similar to that of Bermuda sod; however, Zoysia requires less mowing during the growing season than the other types. On the other hand, if you mow the zoysia low enough to expose the soil, the zoysiagrass is very likely to have substantial winter-kill from cold weather. ZOYSIA: AND THE GREEN GRASS WILL GROW YEAR-ROUND. St. Augustine vs. Zoysia: The Basics It’s so interspersed within the zoysia sod that it just looks like new zoysia to me but I don’t know how it hasn’t gone dormant yet. By Merle Henkenius. They don't really do zoysia plugs anymore but you could definitely make your own. We have the irrigation set to go off twice a day for 20 minutes - once in the early morning (starting at 5:30am) and then in the afternoon (we went with 4pm as that's the current drought restriction). So, which would be the better choice for this area and the conditions I described? The good thing about fescue is it lives much better in shade! Fescues are not drought … Cost is a consideration since replacing the top 4 inches with topsoil would almost cost what I am already paying for the sod removal and replacement. We've had fescue grass die on us two years in a row due to heat / summer drought. This “kill and replace” strategy is for lawns troubled by the kind of grassy weeds you can’t kill without killing your good grass and for lawns you are fighting a constant battle with lawn diseases. Different climates and local landscape conditions often favor one type of lawn over another. Large areas of our yard are partially shady. We went with the tifgrand over the zoysia for a few reasons - price and durability (recovers faster than zoysia). Can you recommend which grass is considered the best? How's it doing in your shadier spots? If you can hold out and are really concerned you could try a few of them in different parts of your yard and see how they do. As FS said, zoysia is the best thing going these days, grew fescue from seed and it would never fully thicken, killed, tilled, fertilized, layd and rolled my zoysia, little more expensive but well worth it checked out my lawn. It is a slow-growing, fine-textured, dense turf grass. ), but the cost is pretty high for either option (doing it ourselves). The cost of each variety depends on where you live in our service area. Zoysia can better withstand drier and saltier soil than fescue, making it usable in harsher climates or unworked soil. Zoysia Sod does re-seed its self They all have a root system that grows down into the soil looking for water. I just recently installed an irrigation system, so I’m primed to make a turfgrass change while my lawn is still cris-crossed with filled trenches. If you do sod right now, don't forget to get a water exemption from your local water company. Finally, the tips of tall fescue grass leaves are pointed, not keeled; as is the case in many other species of lawn grasses. When at its best, Zoysia looks nothing short of spectacular. Fescue naturally turns brown (dormant) whenever ambient temps are above 86 degrees F because it cannot photosynthesize at very high temps; it's a self-defense mechanism. Is it TARR or just bad idea of Winter Rye? just dont use kentucky-31 pentoked tall fescue! Lawn care guides, pictures, and discussions. Zoysia Gr Is It A Good Thing Or Not Mike S Backyard Nursery. - Gardener's Guide there's also kinds that work well in the shade as I have many mature hardwoods - 29 pallets later and still smiling We redid our fescue backyard 2 years ago after having our septic field replaced (the yard was already dug up so might as well start fresh). Irrigation: Extremely drought tolerant. Zoysia Sod needs 5 hours of sunlight to survive 3. With the price difference between specialty Bermuda and good zoysia being relatively small, I'd definitely go with the zoysia. Fescue grows quickly, but requires more water and more frequent mowing in the fall and spring. Their Marvel II is essentially unpatented / didn't quite make the mark, Zeon Zoysia. I have knowledge on trees & some shrubs, but not much when it comes to grass. there's also kinds that work well in the shade as I have many mature hardwoods - 29 pallets later and still smiling I do have an irrigation system. No plugging, which will take extremely long time to fill in. I've given up on our fescue lawn too. Atlantan here. Zoysia prefers a shorter mowing height of 3/4 to 2 inches. From all of my reading I do agree that any Bermuda (even the better varieties) don't do well in the shade vs fescue and zoysia. Related Articles:Overseeding Centipede Grass With Fescue/Zoysia - 6 StepsAre Grass Clippings Good For Your Chickens?Ornamental Grass Looks Dead - 6 Causes (With Cures)Best 5 Grass Whips For Garden Reviews + FAQ7 Reasons For Pink Muhly Grass Not BloomingCan You Put A Raised Garden Bed On Grass? Any input would be greatly appreciated. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. There's a fair amount of shade & sun - the sunniest spots getting 8-10 hours of sun per say, the shadiest getting around 3-4 hours of sun. thrives in … Its finer blades form a dense tangle ground cover. It looks GREAT and I would highly recommend it. The Zoysia matrella varieties include Cavalier, Diamond, Royal, Y-2, Zeon and Zorro. Fescue. See link for imagezoysia sod. Apply post-emergent herbicides as needed to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds. In proper soil preparation applications, Fescue will germinate and stabilize soil quickly. If crabgrass and goosegrass are present, make a note to apply a pre-emergent herbicide next spring. I'd love to hear your thoughts about what might work for us & your experience with Zoysia. I definitely like the idea of the color though - much closer to fescue (my wife likes the deeper green color). You sure can.. Definitely will look into it. Fescue vs. Zoysia Fescue or Zoysia Comparison Zoysia vs Fescue. We got six pallets, 504sqft, for $1372 delivered. Chris and Dr. Lelia Kelly help us learn what areas work best for either fescue or zoysia grass. Hey Snipeslayer (ha, fun name) - anyway, we ended up going with Marvel II from NGTurf. As it happens, this variety of bermuda has a spongier feel underfoot than your typical builder grade bermuda and the color is a really nice dark green so we've really been happy with it. Replace fescue with Zoysia – wild onion. This is my first post to the group, so hopefully this isn't too much of a repost. Zoysia has been referred to as the Premier sod. Q: I need some advice. Zoysia Zoysia grass has a medium to fine texture and a dense growth pattern. My personal epinion would be to overseed the crap out of your yard with a good turf type tall fescue for your neck of the woods. We dethatched the yard (it turned out about 1/2 of the grass was, indeed, dead) & overseeded that Fall. You may have an areas of fescue that doesn't look good now, but if you replace it with zoysia and you are in a cooler season zone your lawn will look dead all winter. You have to keep it mowed though. Will sand-grown Empire Zoysia grow in my sandy soil, or do I need to add something first? Large areas of our yard are partially shady. We have been overseeding every Fall with more fescue. Then have the problems with shady areas. Good luck with that fescue this summer! Replacing Fescue Grass with Zoysia. I've thought about doing plugs or even 1/2 pieces of sod in the yard of Zoysia and letting it overgrow the fescue over time. What about Kentucky Bluegrass? It should come out somewhat cheaper than the zoysia sod. i too live in dallas and the tall (turf type) fescue has worked very well for me. Bermuda grass is a warm-season grass that thrives in the heat of midsummer. However, the Zoysia sounded better because of its low maintenance and high drought, weed, and shade resistance. Looks great! Zoysiagrass is a warm-season grass, while fescues, such as the very popular tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), are cool-season grasses. Even the more desirable “turf type” Fescue is the heaviest maintenance lawn type for our area. Thank you!! Water to supplement rainfall shortages only. bluegrass. Zenith Zoysia sod is a great fit for both homes and commercial spaces. Compared to fescue, zoysia is relatively high maintenance. This helps you will have success with a … Zoysia Sod is installed seasonally – Now is a great time 2. I think with the new irrigation system, I should be able to get away with it. I was told to reseed every spring and fall otherwise it doesn’t last. Do you have a good recommendation for a professional for fertilizing & pre-emergent? If so, seeding with the tall fescue would be easier than zoysia, since its easily germinated if kept moist. I have 2 dogs that will be using the yard. We got the tubing and orbitz sprinklers from Home Depot - about $200-$250 all-in, including the two $50 timers. Zoysia Tenuifolia. I am also thinking about the Bermuda because the fescue is dead as usual this time of the year. But, I'm not really sure this would be significantly cheaper than just re-sodding the entire yard at once (when costs come in for weed control during the transition, etc). 1. While Zoysia’s water needs are similar to a Red Fescue, a quality that earns it a place on many a lawn-alternative list, it fails to free its owners from intense lawn maintenance schedules and … Because Zoysia is a spreading grass, it is known to overtake other grasses and weeds in all types of soil conditions. It also does not mind shade too much, requires only four hours of sun and can adequately replace Fescue in your yard. The five main types of sod are Tall Fescue, Centipede, St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Zoysia. Side note: pikes has zeon zoysia patches that you can get for $3.50 for 2ftx16in. For the fastest results, spray the zoysia with a nonselective herbicide formulated with glyphosate, which kills zoysia and all other plants. From all of my reading I do agree that any Bermuda (even the better varieties) don't do well in the shade vs fescue and zoysia. Fescue does well in the south, needing a little extra water in … The aesthetic factor is more compelling in the decision process than you might think. Q: We are investigating the replacement of our bermuda grass with zoysia or a more shade-tolerant bermuda. The winters are normally damp and cool, and the temperature may only dip in the upper teens once or twice during the season. I can’t afford to sod with Zoysia. 2016-05-11 . Hello, I live in NJ and I want to install Tall Fescue sod or Zoysia. Fescue grass is typically established from seed and some fescues such as red fescue require such little maintenance that they may not even need mowing! This area has moderately hot and humid summers with the occasional drought period thrown in for extra measure. From my googling just now, I see it still wants 4-5 hours of sun minimum (our shadiest spots are 3-3.5 hours max) ... so, that has me a tad concerned. This “kill and replace” strategy is for lawns troubled by the kind of grassy weeds you can’t kill without killing your good grass and for lawns you are fighting a constant battle with lawn diseases. If going with zoysia, I would get a sod cutter and remove all the grass you currently have and sod it with zoysia. We're on a steep hill for much of the lot, but it died on the flat areas as well. As FS said, zoysia is the best thing going these days, grew fescue from seed and it would never fully thicken, killed, tilled, fertilized, layd and rolled my zoysia, little more expensive but well worth it checked out my lawn. It did well over the winter, and then last Summer happened. At the moment, if we went with Zeon, we're still looking at $1920 for the sod alone at the minimum (too high of a cost for us). 100% Upvoted. I understand we probably do need to till and add in new top soil. ... Fescue. However, all the literature I have read on the Internet seem to point to Zoysia (the Zenith variety in particular) as the better choice for this area. Zoysia is preferred if you are establishing a new lawn in poor soil that can become compacted. Last summer, I think we went about 82 days without rain in the Georgia heat. Although the need to mow less makes fescue the tempting choice, the grass will need more preparation work as well as patching up when it gets damaged a second time. After settling in, beginning the process of getting the lawn in order. Both suited for central NC. No Comments. Re: Replacing Bermuda with Zoysia Post by Spammage » Mon Sep 03, 2018 4:48 pm @Texas_Bermuda I have zoysia, and it does great with six hours of sunlight, but will be … Post by ChadBroMowin » Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:50 pm. Legacy post . It makes the summer lawn look lush. South Atlanta resident here. Zoysia japonica varieties include Carrizo, Crowne, El Toro, Empire, GN-Z, Jamur, Meyer and Palisades. We're in Cobb county, and we got a 30 day exemption so that we can water it regularly. Gary (Zone 6B) 5 years ago. The sod cutter will insert a blade into the soil beneath the grass and cut away the grass in a layer just below the roots. Some lawn owners overseed bermudagrass with annual ryegrass. Grass – Replacing Bermuda. I was talking with a neighbor today, and he likes the Tall Fescue better as well because of the plushness of it along with the year-around color. What's the cheapest option for this? We are going to give you a few quick facts about Fescue sod to help you learn more before you purchase. Here in Oklahoma it is common to overseed the warm weather grasses with fescue so that you have a nice green grass over the winter.I actually have found that a verticutter is the best machine to use when overseeding and they can be rented at most larger equipment rental stores. 9:09. I take it you already have grass in your lawn except where the ditch witch went right? Bermuda is a warm season grass which needs to be planted when it is hot (late spring early summer). I'm looking for that and trying to shop around. My neighbor put it in a year before I did and I always admired his lawn. Give up the fescue and switch to a warm-season grass like Bermuda, Zoysia or Centipede. What cultivar of the tall fescue did you seed with? Note: warm-season… Pros have a lot of experience renovating lawns and can handle just about any problem that arises. Is there an option to do a section of your yard at a time? The cheapest I've found Zeon pallets in the Atlanta area, so far, is about $320 for a 504sqft pallet. http://www.fescue.com/info/plantation.htmlGood luck. Now my big question: where did you find the pallet of zoysia for $320? Zoysia Sod Cost. We weren't watering as much as we probably should have due to costs, and it died. If you live where cool season grasses are the norm and have Zoysia grass in your lawn and you want to get rid of it, here's a few tips that might help. I've tried one and was very very very sorely disappointed. I was planning on plugging in 'Meyer' zoysiagrass. South Florida Turfgrass Field Day and Expo. Will the zoysiagrass overtake We are approaching the best time of year to renovate cool-season grass lawns (like Bluegrass, Ryegrass and Fescue). Two years ago, it just got too hot, we think. With its quick-spreading growth habit, zoysia grass can oftentimes invade and choke out neighboring yards and gardens. I'd really recommend doing this if you have the time / money to do it. The timers go from one zone to the next, so it runs for a total of 160 minutes, with each zone getting 20 minutes of watering. Native to Asia, Zoysia grass is typically used as a ground cover or grass substitute in Japanese or Zen style gardens. 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