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To zoysia or not to zoysia

15 years ago

Hi All,

I've got a large (2+ acre) field (full sun) for a front yard and want to make it into a place where my kids can play barefoot. I got this advice from a landscaper:

"your best bet is Zenon Zoysia which is a hybrid grass. It's soft, slow growing, takes full sun, but can also handle shade"

I've Googled it and couldn't find any hybrid called 'Zenon.'

What I'm looking for is a low growing, soft, thick grass. I'd like to be able to seed it since plugs and sod would be too expensive.

By the way, I'm in Chapel Hill... and the way things have been going, I think drought resistance might be a good idea.

Thanks for your help.

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Comments (7)

heimert
15 years ago
Do you want in to have any green between October and April?
texas_weed
15 years ago
OK lets get you on track first. Any Zoysia worth having is a hybrid only available from sod or plugs. Zenon is a hybrid similar to Emerald, and is extremely expensive.

There are some common seeded Zoysia varieties available to the public. Two I know of are Zenith and Compadre. Any seeded Zoysia is extremely difficult to germinate and unless you have irrigation system is impossible.

OK it is way too late in the year to seed any warm season turf in your area. For now sod, plugs, or sprigs are your only option right now.

Now with that said if you want something really soft, that will stay green longer than Zoysia, there are a few varieties of common Bermuda grass available to you at about 1/3 the cost of Zoysia seeds. Not to mention a heck of a lot easier to germinate. But that would be a project for next year around the end of May or early June. Trick is you have to order now for next year.
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texas_weed
15 years ago
Sorry about that had a brain fart. Do you mean Zeon Zoysia? Never heard of Zenon! Sorry just re-typed what I saw and had to think about it for a minute before I realized what I had done.

Zeon matches your discription as it is like Emerald. They are both from the same strain.
bwmilam_tn
15 years ago
Is it possible to overseed Zoysia for green grass in the winter? I know people do that with bermuda, but can it be done with zoysia?
heimert
15 years ago
I had a zoysia lawn that I overseeded (and seeded new parts) with fescue. The part that was all fescue was greenish. The part that was overseeded had a bit of green but very dense brown. I would recommend making the choice of what you want and sticking with it.
auteck
15 years ago
Very difficult at best. Zoysia is VERY dense and does not let the seeds germinate and the ones that do don't stand much of a chance to mature because they get too much shade from the Zoysia canopy.

If you want a dense grass grown by seed in full sun, then Kentucky Bluegrass or Perennial Ryegrass could be an option for you. You didn't mention Fescue, the best adapted grass in your town, I take that you don't like it. I'm in Cary, just east of you, and I don't grow fescue either.

Zoysia makes one of the best looking turfs out there, the best warm season grass for sure in my opinion, but it's going to be expensive to sod 2+ acres of it. Zenith zoysia makes a turf very similar to Meyers Zoysia, the best adapted warm season grass in NC. But germination without irrigation is going to be very difficult at best.
lou_spicewood_tx
15 years ago
I've grown zenith zoysia from seeds and it seemed easy but I can't imagine doing 2 acres. That is too much in my opinion. Half acre of grass and rest to nature like forest is probably the best in the long run.

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