Zoysia grass

[jonathan creason]

Has anybody out there tried zoysia before in their yard?  I've been mulling this over for several years now, but $$$ has always been an issue.  I'm getting sick and tired of dealing with crabgrass, barnyard grass, and goose grass every year in my yard.  I'll get a decent stand of fescue and blue grass, then things turn hot and dry and they die back and the weeds flourish.  It chokes my mower, looks like crap, and is a general PITA. 

Anyway, do any of you have any advice on this grass, or maybe something else that can help my situation?

[skyarrow]

there is a grass farm close by that sells it here and i have seen it in some of our costumer's yards and it looks like its a realy hardy grass   

[JustinNC]

Call into Rock 92 and ask Kelly. He was thinking of putting it in.

[jonathan creason]

Call into Rock 92 and ask Kelly. He was thinking of putting it in.

Don't you mean "having somebody put it in"? 

I really don't want to deal with the cost, but trying to control the weeds is nickel and diming me to death.

[nugget]

Pave the whole yard and paint it green. Then you will never have to mow again.

[HoBow]

I told my wife I was going to put that nice fake grass in the yard and take the blade off the mower and get out there and "mow" every other week. The people that knew it was fake would think I'm crazy but everyone else would think I have a beautiful yard

[mullet]

 Aren't weeds green, too?

[Pat B]

The best way to control weeds is a lawn is to have a healthy lawn that is cut no shorter than 4". This will shade out the weed seeds to prevent them from germinating. I deal with this every day in the landscape work I do. One crabgrass plant can produce many thousands of seeds. Every time you turn over soil the seeds are exposed to sunlight and they germinate. Crabgrass seeds can be buried for 50 years or more and once exposed to sunlight they will germinate.
  If you apply a "weed and feed" fertilizer in the spring before the weed seeds have a chance to germinate it should control them too but the healthy lawn is the answer.
  I hate lawns! For my home we put in just a small patch where the septic system is. As long as it is green it is OK with me. Even having moss in the lawn is OK because it stays green all summer long.
  Zoysia grass can be troublesome too. It turns brown when the weather gets cold and weeds will grow in it as well as any other lawn grass.

[jonathan creason]

I'm not a huge fan of lawns either, Pat.  I took out a huge chunk of my back yard and put in a natural area/flower bed.  If it wasn't for having somewhere for my kids to play, and potential resale value I'd take more.   I try to keep my grass as tall as possible, mow on the highest setting and all.  I'm on municipal water, though, so I don't want to pay to irrigate all summer long.

I've been told about the early dormancy of zoysia too.  The guy I talked to told me if I wanted a decent looking yard I'd pretty much have to overseed with annual rye every fall, which is probably more trouble than it's worth.

[Marc St Louis]

The only thing that bothers me is Ragweed, besides that everything else can grow and grow ad grow.  Personally I'd just as soon have a garden as a lawn, you can eat what grows out of your garden but hard to survive on grass

[mullet]

 A Lawn is one of the most expensive and least beneficial Agriculture product grown in the U.S.

[WillAdams]

If you're near Harrisonburg, PA I'll let you have 2 ~10+ x 10+ ft. squares of Zoysia grass sod --- if you'll come help dig it up we can load it on my truck and I'll deliver it if need be. Free.

The stuff is invasive and is coming in from our neighbour's yard.

Not compatible w/ my attempt at zero-impact, low maintenance yard w/ as many native / useful species and which I can cut w/ a reel mower.

William