zoysia plugs

[cb]

Anyone had any experience redoing their lawn with zoysia plugs? I've never done this and saw an add in the newspaper for this type of grass. I live in zone 7. Haven't had much luck with grass, as I have had a nasty grub problem and also I think some fungus. My lawn is filled with old crabgrass, too, and it has some places where the drainage isn't all that great. The add made it sound like zoysia was hardy enough for anything, but I'm not sure if it'd work where I am b/c of these problems that I don't have too much money to correct. (I do attempt to correct the grub and crabgrass each year.) I thought I'd ask opinions about planting with plugs, and whether or not it's as easy as it sounds.

[Lar]

Don't buy the grass from a magazine ad, but from a local supplier. That way you know for sure the grass you are buying is a type that is suited for your area. Fifteen years ago or so, in N Texas, zoysia was popular for a couple of years, but I rarely come across it in a lawn anymore and a few lawns that I had seen planted with it, that I still am around seem to have gone back to St Augustine or bermuda.

Lar

[Jangchub]

this and saw an add in the newspaper for this type of grass. I live in zone 7. Haven't had much luck with grass, as I have had a nasty grub problem and also I think some fungus. My lawn is filled with old crabgrass, too, and it has some places where the drainage isn't all that great. The add made it sound like zoysia was hardy enough for anything, but I'm not sure if it'd work where I am b/c of these problems that I don't have too much money to correct. (I do attempt to correct the grub and crabgrass each year.) I thought I'd ask opinions about planting with plugs, and whether or not it's as easy as it sounds.

It can take years for it to mesh, it is very difficult to mow, and will still be subject to grubs and/or diseases.

Your soil needs to be fixed before you'll have success with turf.

There is plenty of information online about how to prepare the soil for sod. Sod is not very expensive. It's instant. In the low/wet spots of your lawn, grass will not thrive well so I suggest you plant something which likes wet feet. Search for those online. Maybe bog sage which has a beautiful true blue flower. Many options.

[cb]

[Wendy Goldberg]

Instead of sending plugs (which are separate, little plants), they sent a piece of zoysia sod, about 1/2" thick. It looked like a doormat. It was scribed, on the back, with 1/2" x 1/2" lines, marked slightly, into the clay. The instructions said to cut along the lines, and that would be the plugs. So, I was supposed to cut 20 lines across, and 25 lines down, to get 500 plugs.

The problem was that the mat was impossible to cut. I tried the best knife that I had (a large, serrated bread knife). It was like trying to cut iron wires. I finally gave up.

It definitely wasn't as easy as they made it sound. It was impossible!

I stuck the sod mat somewhere on my lawn, trying to get at least one patch of zoysia, but it died.

My neighbor, in DE, had a zoysia lawn. He actually did get it to thrive, during the summer. However, during the winter, it turned straw yellow. Unlike bluegrass lawns, which stay green in winter (although they don't grow actively), it stuck out like an ugly eyesore, in the neighborhood :-(. Since DE has a similar climate to VA, it would probably do the same, in your lawn.

I am not an expert on grasses, but my advice is: try to find a zoysia lawn in your area. See if you want to live with it, for 4 months of winter. If the dead look doesn't bother you, be sure you buy real plugs (not cut your own), from a local supplier.

Wendy "cb" wrote in message news:erhjok$st$ [e-mail]... Anyone had any experience redoing their lawn with zoysia plugs? I've never done this and saw an add in the newspaper for this type of grass. I live in zone 7. Haven't had much luck with grass, as I have had a nasty grub problem and also I think some fungus. My lawn is filled with old crabgrass, too, and it has some places where the drainage isn't all that great. The add made it sound like zoysia was hardy enough for anything, but I'm not sure if it'd work where I am b/c of these problems that I don't have too much money to correct. (I do attempt to correct the grub and crabgrass each year.) I thought I'd ask opinions about planting with plugs, and whether or not it's as easy as it sounds.