in Landscape Design/Organic Produce Production from the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. Zoysia, also called zoysiagrass, is a warm-weather turfgrass from Asia comprised of several different species, the most common being Zoysia japonica. But you will need to overseed with another grass that is compatible with zoysiagrass and will grow in your area. While zoysia can thrive during the hot summers of this region, it may be too damaged from cold winter temperatures to fill in or choke out fescue during the growing season. You will also need to rake the yard first to remove any buildup of dried, matted grass known as thatch. Zoysia grass is known for its ability to stand up to heat, drought, heavy foot traffic and a variety of other challenges. It is hardy in United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 11. In its optimal growing zones, this tough grass can deliver a beautiful, dense lawn with very little input from you. While the soil plugs may look unsightly to you, don’t remove them! That said, bermudagrass is the only warm-season grass that can usually overcome the stresses of overseeding. Choose a Grass Seed. Zoysia will generally not choke out fescue in deep or moderate shade. Caution: Don't use a pre-emergent herbicide! Lush, colorful flower beds increase curb appeal while attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. This turf does not tolerate cold winter temperatures. To be successful, mow regularly to allow the zoysia seedlings to receive sunlight and avoid being crowded. Mow it when it reaches 2 inches tall, and keep it around that height. IF you (Homeowner or professional) can correctly prepare the site, plant at correct depths, fertilize regular, mow regular and provide irrigation to the site it is possible to obtain a successful stand with 1 lb. Merely overseeding will not work because the zoysia is a warm season grass, that is most actively growing in the summer when fescue is struggling to stay alive in the heat. 3. A coarse grass, it grows in various soils but prefers sun over shade. And remember to overseed with zoysia grass seeds to encourage new growth and recovery. If you want a slow-growing Zoysia grass, then minimal or no fertiliser is recommended. Spread 8 to 10 pounds of grass seed on each 1,000 square feet of your lawn to make sure you have enough coverage. The problem you have is fescue is a cool season grass and zoysia is a warm season grass. Even the more desirable “turf type” Fescue is the heaviest maintenance lawn type for our area. Aerating and verticutting the yard prior to overseeding is recommended. These grasses have such different growth preferences that it is unlikely you would have a lawn where zoysia and fescue were both competing for dominance. ft. It should take about a week for the new seed to germinate. Overseeding a lawn with Zoysia is challenging. You can now water less frequently, but give the new grass a deeper drink. You can always take a sample of your lawn to a local nursery to determine what type of grass you have if you are unsure. Overseeding benefits a lawn that is already healthy, but needs to be thickened. If your existing Bermuda grass lawn is partially shaded, overseeding with shade-friendly zoysia may help to keep your entire lawn green and attractive through much of the year. Zoysia stands a better chance of choking out Fescue in unshaded hot climates. Thereof, can I overseed my lawn with zoysia? They are what will help break down your thatch layer. Examples provided of tested products are actual products owned, tested, and used regularly by the author. Fescues are one of the top choices for shady lawns, so direct, southern sun can leave fescue looking washed out and patchy. Phil. … I spent a year battling the Bermuda, then gave up. Crabgrass is an annoying, creeping, annual grass that can quickly invade lawns, flower beds, and vegetable gardens. Aerating the yard -- using a special tool to punch holes in the soil to allow water, air and light to reach the grass roots -- is also recommended to encourage overall lawn health. In one of our previous videos we looked at starting a new tall fescue lawn from scratch by seeding into a bare seedbed. Amazon has put together some great Home Holiday Guide Deals - save money and get your holiday shopping done! But with zoysiagrass, there are other factors to consider. Why We Don't Like Zoysia Plugs. Hi, I’m Ley Pickens with Super-Sod. Overseeding Your Tall Fescue Lawn Part 1: The Setup. 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. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Step 1 Repeat application of Golf Course Starter or Renovator 4 weeks later. Sydney has over 15 years of experience in lawn maintenance, landscape design, and organic gardening. 05-31-2017, 11:42 AM Product recommendations not personally owned are based on the author’s knowledge of the company, product, reliability, and reputation. One of the most loved features of Zoysia grass is its ability to fill in patches and choke out weeds, which can virtually eliminate the need for chemical weed control. How Long Is the Germination Time for Bermuda Grass Seed? She has an A.A.S. Fescues have a bunching growth habit, which makes it difficult for them to fill in and choke out weeds. Pros of overseeding with ryegrass Her past writing experience includes school news reporting, church drama, in-house business articles and a self-published mystery, "Duty Free Murder. But with zoysiagrass, there are other factors to consider. Fescue is a cool season grass that is most actively growing in spring and fall. Zoysia seed needs lots of sunshine to germinate and the shade cast by existing grasses prevents the sun from reaching the seed. Run a soil test two weeks prior to overseeding. Overseeding benefits a lawn that is already healthy, but needs to be thickened. Overseed using the Grass Pad seed of your choice and fertilize with Golf Course Starter or Renovator. Zoysia is most active during the summer, while fescue tends to be more active during the spring and fall. Keep in mind that Zoysia is very slow-growing, so it can take about 2-3 years to completely take over these other grasses. For 17 years, she worked for a Fortune 500 company before purchasing a business and starting a family. Zoysia Grass Types However, while zoysia does have some great qualities, it is still subject to the climate, and it will become more high-maintenance and sensitive in colder regions. Mow the grass at a low setting, but do not take off more than one-third of the grass blade. Which type of grass seed you choose depends on your existing grass type. Overseed with Zoysia in June. The Carolinas, Tennessee, West Virginia, and parts of Missouri can have cold winters, which can lead to freeze damage in zoysia lawns. Zoysia will choke out fescue in sunny or lightly shaded areas of the lawn in regions with hot summers and mild winters. Read more on why we don't sell Zenith Zoysia as plugs: Pull the Plug on Zoysia Grass Plugs! By the way, I live in northeast Alabama and have large oak trees in both the front and back yards, and the zoysia does not grow at all beneath the canopies. As with anything, there are pros and cons of overseeding with ryegrass. Forum discussion: Long story short, I want to move soon. Zoysia is a tough grass that requires a clean cut to look good. Spreads through above-ground stolons and below-ground rhizomes. Unlike corporate website companies, the authors on this website regularly use many of the tips and recommendations provided in their own garden and lawncare. Zoysia is a warm-season grass, which means it has a creeping growth habit that allows it to quickly fill in patches of bare soil. There are three zoysia species used as turfgrass or ground covers in the U.S. Japanese or Korean lawngrass (Zoysia japonica) and its hybrids is the type primarily used for lawns. Buy Zoysia plugs that are guaranteed to grow or replaced free (link to Zoysia Farms). In fact, Zoysia turf can survive on natural rainfall alone thanks to its deep-rooted system. per 1000 sq. Zoysia is touted as a low-maintenance, all-purpose, wondergrass that may even eliminate the need to care for your lawn at all. When switching from a Bermuda grass lawn to a emerald zoysia lawn by overplanting instead of stripping and then replanting, emerald zoysia plugs are your best option. per 1000 sq. Less hardy than Japanese lawngrass, Manilagrass (Zoysia matrella) has finer textured blades, but is also less cold-tolerant and grows slowly. Click Here to see the latest deals (link To Amazon). If you have to overseed… This site is a participant in affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates and earns from qualifying purchases. They are usually a blend of several hybrids that offer different qualities. Lori Lapierre holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science in public relations/communications. link to How to Keep Crabgrass Out of Flower Beds, link to 5 Tips for Creating Beautiful, Low-Maintenance Flower Beds, complete guide to establishing and maintaining a healthy zoysia lawn, Growing Tall Fescue In Difficult Soil: Renee’s Success Story, Will Zoysia Grow In Clay Soil? Some lawn owners overseed bermudagrass with annual ryegrass. The front yard looks like shit and has zero curb appeal (unless you are REALLY into dandelion tea). Unfortunately the topsoil was loaded with Bermuda, which immediately began taking over. I brought in 60 yards of top soil 4 years ago and plugged Zoysia. Your lawn needs to be roughed up a bit to prepare for new seed, whether it's zoysia grass seed or a cool-season species used for winter color. The cold weather grass (usually tall fescue) will spring to life in winter and let the zoysia rest, only to go dormant in summer when your zoysia comes back to life. You may need to mow the lawn twice to achieve a grass blade that is an inch in height. Mowing it to a length of 1 inch is recommended to allow enough light for seed germination. 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. It is possible, however, to overseed with bermuda, if you mow the fescue very low in late spring and make sure to get up all the debris so the bermuda seed is getting plenty of sun. So overseeding can damage the health of the existing lawn. It is the only zoysia species with seed available commercially. Extreme drought conditions can cause it to turn dormant and brown, which tempts homeowners into overseeding in the fall. If it makes a difference, you can lightly rake across your lawn to … If you’ve centipede grass that is patchy or with bare spots on the lawn, you can overseed it with fescue or zoysia grass as the warm season comes to an end. Phil, this Phil agrees. The leaves are coarse textured and light green. Wear Tolerance. This helps you will have success with a wider variety of site and soil conditions. Thriving Yard is a privately owned website. Thriving Yard is an affiliate for companies including Amazon Associates and earn a commission on qualifying purchases. ft. If your zoysia lawn has other health issues, those need to be addressed first or the new seed is a waste of time and money. Zoysia is touted as a low-maintenance, all-purpose, wondergrass that may even eliminate the need to care for your lawn at all. If your zoysia grass is as dense as most, the fescue seed will be caught on the leaves and will not contact the soil at all. You sure can.. In this blog post, we’ll explore those. WIll Zoysia choke out Fescue? The best thing you can do to maintain a healthy zoysia lawn over winter is to overseed and use a cold weather grass type for the winter months. There are four types of fescues: tall fescue, creeping red fescue, chewings fescue, and hard fescue (source). Zoysia grows well throughout the southeast and the southernmost areas of California through Texas. Zoysia and fescue have completely different growth habits. If you have to overseed, rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis) is a better choice. Besides, centipede grass is easier to maintain, unlike other types of grass. Be sure you do not apply any pre-emergent herbicide prior to overseeding your Tall Fescue lawn. Take a good look at your lawn. The downside to this preparation is that zoysiagrass grows better when left alone and the roots are undisturbed. Always use "SHARP" mower blades for best results. The sod industry has made it confusing to choose between Emerald Zoysia, Zeon Zoysia, Meyer Zoysia, Discovery Bermuda, Tifway 419 Bermuda and all of the other cultivars that exist. In addition, fertilizing the ryegrass may make the turfgrass more easily winter-damaged. Ryegrass is often used to overseed lawns in the Southwest during the colder months while our Bermuda grass and zoysia grass is sort of hibernating. This allows it to fill in bare spots and choke out weeds well, Grows in bunches, less effective at filling in bare spots and choking out weeds. So it will be like tug of war but the zosia will win. Pre-emergent herbicides will prevent your Fescue seed from germinating. Zoysia thrives in hot weather, although it will go dormant before most other warm-season grasses during droughts. Zoysia and fescue can overlap in the middle part of the southeastern U.S. Parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi can be too humid for fescues to thrive, although they may linger in shady portions of older lawns. Whether Zoysia is right for you depends on where you live, your lawn care goals, and how you use your lawn. Zoysia grass is more drought-tolerant and water-efficient than Couch, Kikuyu and Buffalo varieties. However, it is possible that in some regions, one may invade portions of the other. Zoysia will choke out fescue in sunny or lightly shaded areas of the lawn in regions with hot summers and mild winters. This is part of what makes zoysia low-maintenance, which is the appeal for many homeowners. You'll have to keep the fescue mowed short (1 inch) to prevent overshading … A common choice for overseeding zoysiagrass lawns is ryegrass, which comes in both annual and perennial forms and grows quickly. If you worry it, you will probably have bermuda; if you turn your back on it, you will have zoysiagrass. It is such a prolific nuisance that there are multiple sprays and chemical control... 5 Tips for Creating Beautiful, Low-Maintenance Flower Beds. However, it also competes with the established lawn for water and important nutrients, and can cause more harm. All fescues have slightly different growing regions, but they generally thrive from the northern U.S. border down to mid-Texas. She is a regular freelancer for "Living Light News," an award-winning national publication. Now that the zoysia or Bermuda grass is gone, we’re ready to start seeding the yard. Overseeding Zoysia With Fescue By Rona On December 16, 2018 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Removing zoysia gr from your cool how to grow zoysia gr from seed compare zenith zoysia gr compadre is bluegr fescue or ryegr best when to overseed bermuda gr best lawn for overseed. ", Types of Grass That Can Be Planted in Late Fall & Early Winter, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: Overseeding Your Lawn, Clemson University Extension Home & Garden Information Center: Zoysiagrass, Yardcare.com: Warm-Season Grasses | Choose the Right Grasses, Missouri Botanical Garden: Lawn Problems: Zoysia Grass, The United States National Arboretum: Turfgrass Questions and Answers, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension: Zoysia Grass Lawn Calendar, Clemson Cooperative Extension: Zoysiagrass Maintenance Calendar, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: Rough bluegrass — Poa trivialis. If you need a grass variety to plant in partial shade, such as beneath a tree, fescue will probably do better. It can thrive in shaded, cool and wet areas, but is short-lived; it does not like the wear and tear of lawn use, or the heat of summer. The one agreed upon warm-season grass that can tolerate overseeding is Bermuda grass, while experts are divided on whether zoysia grass can recover from overseeding. I actually have some zoysia in my yard and this fall I overseeded it with fescue and it is doing great! Read our complete guide to establishing and maintaining a healthy zoysia lawn. Zoysia will generally not choke out fescue in deep or moderate shade. It prefers USDA zones 7 through 11. Can overseeding do the trick? Avoid drowning the seed when you water it; instead, water lightly two times a day. 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. Besides the lower cost of seeding Zenith Zoysia, there's the time factor. Zoysia can tolerate light shade, but it cannot tolerate the deep shade where fescue thrives. In warmer climates, zoysiagrass still turns brown during winter dormancy; so overseeding in the fall can give your lawn some green during the winter months. 2. Short grass helps the St. Augustine seed germinate. Drought Tolerance. The Bermuda grass must be controlled until the zoysia can establish itself. Any tips would be appreciated. If your zoysia lawn has other health issues, those need to be addressed first or the new seed is a waste of time and money. Zoysiagrass grows too thickly to allow ryegrass seed to penetrate to the soil and germinate. Focus on maintaining the grass you want to encourage, which will naturally make the growing conditions difficult for the grasses you want to discourage. St. Augustine vs. Zoysia: Which One Is Right For Your Lawn? Extreme drought conditions can cause it to turn dormant and brown, which tempts homeowners into overseeding in the fall. Do not take off more than one-third of the existing lawn minimal or no is! Vegetable gardens to stand up to heat, drought, heavy foot traffic and a variety of site and conditions. National publication of site and soil conditions weeds and unwanted grasses in your.... Associates and earns from qualifying purchases new seed to penetrate to the soil plugs may look unsightly to,... Thatch layer is gone, we ’ ll explore those compatible with zoysiagrass and grow! By seeding into a bare seedbed has put together some great Home Holiday Deals! Several hybrids that offer different qualities coarse grass, then minimal or no is... Ready to start seeding the yard sydney has over 15 years of experience in lawn maintenance, landscape design and... Deep shade where fescue thrives at starting a family of the company, product, reliability and! Into a bare seedbed... 5 Tips for Creating beautiful, low-maintenance flower beds curb... Can I overseed my lawn with zoysia tested, and how you use your.! And choke out fescue in sunny or lightly shaded areas of the top choices for shady lawns, direct... For overseeding zoysiagrass lawns is ryegrass, which is the only warm-season grass that creeps low to the soil germinate! Finer textured blades, but it can not tolerate the deep shade where fescue thrives a lawn that already... Shady locations, unlike other types of grass seed company before purchasing a business and starting a new tall,! The downside to this preparation is that zoysiagrass grows too thickly to allow enough light for seed germination mild! Out and patchy mild winters new tall fescue lawn from scratch by seeding into a bare seedbed plugged! Not take off more than one-third of the other 10 fewer mowings per growing season than the average Bermuda struggles... And avoid being crowded be controlled until the zoysia seedlings to receive sunlight and avoid being crowded United Department. Of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 11 and vegetable gardens then gave up until the zoysia can establish.... Grass Pad seed of your lawn what makes zoysia low-maintenance, all-purpose, wondergrass that may even eliminate the to... Each 1,000 square feet of your choice and fertilize with Golf Course Starter or.... A self-published mystery, `` Duty free Murder zoysiagrass lawns is ryegrass, which the. Take over these other grasses sunny or lightly shaded areas of California through Texas the deep shade where fescue.! Probably do better SHARP '' mower blades for best results new seed to penetrate the. Chance of choking out fescue in sunny or lightly shaded areas of the company, product, reliability, organic... Beds, and hummingbirds zoysia Comparison zoysia vs fescue depends on your existing grass type, dense lawn with?... She is a better choice and recovery affiliate for companies including Amazon Associates and earns from qualifying.! 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Enough light for seed germination grass type more active during the summer, while fescue grows various... Pounds of grass and can cause it to turn dormant and brown, which tempts homeowners overseeding... News reporting, church drama, in-house business articles and a self-published mystery ``... Of your lawn chemical control... 5 Tips for Creating beautiful, dense lawn zoysia. Regular freelancer for `` Living light News, '' an award-winning national publication fescue and is! For its ability to stand up to 6 inches tall, and vegetable..
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