I saw an ad for Amazoy (Zoysia) grass in the last Parade magazine, and was wondering if anyone can attest to its claims so far as not requiring much watering of cutting, and its ability to stay green in hot/cold extremes. I am considering this in the northern CA region.
Minimize your lawn by putting in perennial beds consisting of ornamental grasses, perennials and some surprises. "Gardening with Grasses" by Piet Oudolf is a good starting point.
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Your best recommendation for grasses in your area will be from your County Agricultural Extension Agent. Find him in the local government section of your phone book. The County agent probably has done considerable testing of various grasses -- most likely including Zoysia and other wundergrass.
I would take those advertising claims very cautiously. Parade isn't one of the worlds most well-known lawn-and-garden magazines.
I mentioned it to the landscaper once and he said it's essentially crabgrass. Which doesn't tell you if it needs water or stays green, but should give you an idea of its agressiveness...
I heard that it grows fine, but it goes dormant and turns brown for part of the season every year and most folks don't like that.
Janice
Crabgrass is an annual. Zoysia is a perennial.
Zoysia grass (Zoysia species) is often touted as a miracle grass, and while many of the claims of its virtues are true, there are also drawbacks. Three species available: Japanese lawn grass ( Z. japonica ), Manila grass ( Z. matrella ), and Korean grass ( Z. tenuifolia ). Korean grass is more a ground cover than lawn grass. It's wiry but fine-textured and creates interesting mounds as it grows. Only Japanese lawngrass is available as seed. While tough and resilient once established, it is notorious for its poor germination, short green season, and long dormant season. The newest varieties 'Zen 300' and 'Zenith', improve upon all three traits. Hulled and treated seed germinate in 2 weeks and can make a lawn in 2 months. The color of Japanese lawngrass is similar to bluegrass, but blades are much stiffer. Vegetative selections of Japanese lawngrass include 'Meyer' and 'El Toro'. Manila grass has stiff and flat leaves with a fine texture and deep green color. It makes a high quality lawn in tropical areas, but is planted from sprigs, plugs, or sod only. Other zoysias to plant in the same way include 'Cashmere', 'De Anza', 'Emerald', and 'Victoria'.
This came from:
In some areas, folks dye it green during this time.
Zoysia will spread, and it will form one of the thickest, densest lawns you ever want to see. Very nice for sitting and lying on, like a plush carpet. Keeps out most weeds, once established, it grows so densely.
ymmv..... Linda H.
Your landscaper is an idiot. Crabgrass is an annual and is propagated by seed. Zoysia is perennial and is vegetatively propagated and is in no way realted, even remotely, to crabgrass.
Have you considered astroturf or painted ashpalt. They hold up better.
:)Ablang wrote: :)> I saw an ad for Amazoy (Zoysia) grass in the last Parade magazine, :)> and was wondering if anyone can attest to its claims so far as not :)> requiring much watering of cutting, and its ability to stay green in :)> hot/cold extremes. I am considering this in the northern CA region. :) :)I mentioned it to the landscaper once and he said it's essentially :)crabgrass. Which doesn't tell you if it needs water or stays green, but :) should give you an idea of its agressiveness...
Zoysia was in widespread use in the New Jersey suburbs (Zone 6) thirty and forty years ago. It was planted as plugs and spread from the plugs into older lawn grasses, eventually replacing most of the old lawn. It was stiffer than fescues, definitely not comfortable for bare feet or as a play surface. It did need watering, but even with that, it turned brown in August and remained brown until the middle of May. I see only rare patches of it these days; I believe most homeowners dug it up and replaced it with more ordinary lawn grasses which do stay green all year.
I remember zoysia being very trendy in the 1960s. My parents replaced their lawn with it by inserting plugs. Eventually it spread into a very dense lawn. They were in zone 6. The lawn was ugly about 6 months out of the year because it went dormant. While weeds weren't a problem, it had insect problems (grubs I believe) and patches of it died. As I recall, it was hard to mow. Eventually they had it removed and replaced with a conventional fescue mix. It might be OK in warm areas, but I don't think it makes sense where it get cold enough for it to go dormant.
I am in a life and death struggle with what I have been told is a Kikuyu grass invasion here in Los Angeles county. I treated it with Roundup and then after arduous dethatching reseeded it with annual rye to await the hot months. The stuff actually poisons the ground where it is densest and the seeds won't take. Now I see it resprouting from the roots, something I was told to expect. When it takes off again I plan to apply Roundup again but just don't know where I am going in this battle.\
I would recommend contacting your county cooperative extension office for help.
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