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Actually it is the reverse, zoysia will stay even (neither gain nor loose) with Bermuda under high fertilization rates - but zoysia actually only needs 25percent of the nitrogen levels Bermuda needs. If you fertilize it at the lower recommended levels it will trounce the Bermuda over time. I seeded with zenith after killing my fescue - and much prefer zoysia over the Bermuda I had in Texas.
I went with zenith zoysia seed which I knew up front was really a 3 year project - during which time had Bermuda been in place I would have had a problem since it would have spread much faster then zenith seed. But I saved 15k...
There is no way Bermuda is gonna touch an established zoysia lawn I suspect.
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Originally Posted by wheelsup
Also keep in mind if you have common bermuda in your yard it will overtake zoysia anyway just like fescue. But worse because any chemicals you can use to kill the bermuda in a fescue lawn will kill the zoysia as well.
Last edited by peterdnight; 08-23-2010 at 07:46 PM..
Actually it is the reverse, zoysia will stay even (neither gain nor loose) with Bermuda under high fertilization rates - but zoysia actually only needs 25percent of the nitrogen levels Bermuda needs. If you fertilize it at the lower recommended levels it will trounce the Bermuda over time. I seeded with zenith after killing my fescue - and much prefer zoysia over the Bermuda I had in Texas.
I went with zenith zoysia seed which I knew up front was really a 3 year project - during which time had Bermuda been in place I would have had a problem since it would have spread much faster then zenith seed. But I saved 15k...
There is no way Bermuda is gonna touch an established zoysia lawn I suspect.
I hope you are right. I like Zenith, like you said it is slow growing to get established. I wish it could be overseeded in the fall, as I would put the time and effort into it.
Having not seen it first hand though I am skeptical, Bermuda grows much taller than Zenith and can get above it with ease, then spread.
Having not seen it first hand though I am skeptical, Bermuda grows much taller than Zenith and can get above it with ease, then spread.
I doubted the posts I had read on this as well, esp. a couple of years ago when I had first put the zoysia seed down. The first season was a bad growing season and I had a ton of bare spots. By the end of season two I was extremely optimistic. As we near the end of season 3 - I am a true believer. 2 neighbors have Bermuda, 1 with fescue. I knew going in I would need to put down thick edging to control zoysia spreading into the beds - iended up using border magic and am thankful now. Although slow to spread - zoysia is extremely aggressive, choking out weeds without chemicals.
As for my zoysia yard. I sodded the first week of May this year. Before sodding I sprayed roundup to try to kill the mixture of crab grass and common bermuda. About a month after sodding the yard the crab grass and common bermuda was starting to re-take the yard through the cracks in the sod. About six weeks later (2 1/2 months after sodding) the zoysia choked out all the crab grass and bermuda.
I believe zoysia will choke out about everything (including bermuda).
As for my zoysia yard. I sodded the first week of May this year. Before sodding I sprayed roundup to try to kill the mixture of crab grass and common bermuda. About a month after sodding the yard the crab grass and common bermuda was starting to re-take the yard through the cracks in the sod. About six weeks later (2 1/2 months after sodding) the zoysia choked out all the crab grass and bermuda.
I believe zoysia will choke out about everything (including bermuda).
Well that is good to know! I have to eat crow, my ornamec/turflon ester while knocking back the bermuda isn't killing it all. It shoots off side growths. This stuff is ridiculous.
I've decided "if you can't beat them join them". I am searching for a fairly inexpensive but nicer looking common seeded bermuda. I believe I will seed LaPrima blend next spring when it starts to get really hot. When it starts to go dormant I will overseed with rye, as you can do that with bermuda.
My neighbors have a mix of common bermuda and centipede, basically the worst looking grasses you can ever have. So I have to keep that in mind. If my bermuda mix can't keep out the common and centipede I will go with Zoysia and call it a day. I just don't like how you can't overseed in the winter with Zoysia because it is so thick.
Well that is good to know! I have to eat crow, my ornamec/turflon ester while knocking back the bermuda isn't killing it all. It shoots off side growths. This stuff is ridiculous.
That's what I've been posting! I've been fighting common bermuda for 3 years and have switched to using strictly glyphosate (round-up). Although the glyphosate holds it back longer it will still come back due to the fact there is nothing that will travel through the system to reach bermuda's roots that are 3 feet deep.
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I've decided "if you can't beat them join them". I am searching for a fairly inexpensive but nicer looking common seeded bermuda. I believe I will seed LaPrima blend next spring when it starts to get really hot. When it starts to go dormant I will overseed with rye, as you can do that with bermuda.
I, too, have decided that fescue is just not working in my current yard. My last house had a beautiful fescue yard that was easy to maintain and didn't hardly suffer during a drought. I've had soil samples analyzed every year and my last house and my current house and the soil is fine. I'm not sure why fescue struggles at my current house but I'm tired of fighting it. Why am I trying to kill something that won't die just to try and sustain life in a grass that doesn't want to live? This spring I will be switching to a mix of an improved variety and common bermuda. Hybrid bermuda isn't available by seed since a hybrid doesn't produce seed heads.
Just an FYI, from what I have learned about the different types of bermuda is an improved variety will eventually become common bermuda after several years so don't waste too much money on seed. It's recommended to blend several types of bermuda for the best appearance and if a disease attacks one type you won't lose your entire yard. I've also learned to overseed in the fall with perennial rye instead of annual rye. The perennial, although most will not come back even though it has the perennial name, gives off a better appearance versus an annual rye.
Based on what I read here, I think I'm going to try to get rid of my crabgrass 3/4 acre lawn and plant zenith zoysia seed. If I till the crabgrass under, will I have problems with it coming back? Also my dirt is pretty poor (I'm from the midwest and used to black dirt!), so do I need to condition it or use topsoil of some sort? I appreciate any advice, I have never taken care of a lawn before so I'm kind of in the dark here...
Zoysia will take forever to grow from seed, basically an entire season, and you have to keep it wet the entire time. If you don't have an irrigation system I wouldn't think about it.
Also it needs light, you have to kill all the vegetation and keep it knocked down for the Zoysia to sprout and grow. It's not like fescue, rye, or bermuda where you overseed and a month later you have a beautiful lawn.
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Zoysia will outcompete bermuda
