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If someone thinks fescue is a lot of work to keep looking good they will hate bermuda. IMO. It takes a lot of nitrogen applied over the summer and mowing that can approach every few days to keep looking good and not "untended". But at least it won't die over the summer like fescue does.
I spent 30+ years doing the annual fescue fall dance with reseeding, etc. From what I have seen with the bermuda I switched to, it is not much more work, if any. Fescue gets fertilized 3 times per year (Feb, Sept & Nov). The bermuda I have needs it once a month during the hot months, so maybe once or twice more. When fescue is at its peak, it needs mowing about every four or five days. It is usually so heavy, you have to use a grass catcher that fills up quickly.
For me, the decision comes down to when do you want brown grass - in the summer (fescue) or winter (bermuda/zoysia/centipede, etc) ? I will say that a nice green fescue lawn looks fantasic next to blooming azaleas and dogwoods. You do not get that with the warm season grasses.
Fescue can do just fine if it gets some shade. Put it in the blazing sun all day, and it doesn't stand a chance.
Have fescue in the front which does well. I re-seed in the fall, but it's really not a big deal. Have someone come out an aerate, and I follow up with the spreader full of seed.
We sodded the back yard last fall with fescue, as it's pretty shady. Will let you know in a couple months if we made a multi-thousand dollar mistake :-D
Fescue can do just fine if it gets some shade. Put it in the blazing sun all day, and it doesn't stand a chance.
Have fescue in the front which does well. I re-seed in the fall, but it's really not a big deal. Have someone come out an aerate, and I follow up with the spreader full of seed.
We sodded the back yard last fall with fescue, as it's pretty shady. Will let you know in a couple months if we made a multi-thousand dollar mistake :-D
I've made that "mistake" a few times. Too much work. Switched to Zoysia and never looked back.
I spent 30+ years doing the annual fescue fall dance with reseeding, etc. From what I have seen with the bermuda I switched to, it is not much more work, if any. Fescue gets fertilized 3 times per year (Feb, Sept & Nov). The bermuda I have needs it once a month during the hot months, so maybe once or twice more. When fescue is at its peak, it needs mowing about every four or five days. It is usually so heavy, you have to use a grass catcher that fills up quickly.
For me, the decision comes down to when do you want brown grass - in the summer (fescue) or winter (bermuda/zoysia/centipede, etc) ? I will say that a nice green fescue lawn looks fantasic next to blooming azaleas and dogwoods. You do not get that with the warm season grasses.
I agree that is a pretty fair assessment. However a well manicured reel mowed hybrid bermuda looks fantastic over the summer from the curb. It just needs to be mowed every few days. Some crazies do it daily.
Given the choice I would prefer zoysia over bermuda partly due to appearance and partly due to lower mx (it grows a lot slower).
Centipede IMO is one of the ugliest grasses BUT it comes in thick, grows slowly meaning less mowing, and requires almost no fertilization. It would be great for rental homes.
I installed Empire Zoysia about 10 years ago (before it was rebranded to Empire "Turf"). We picked it specifically because of the blade - I don't like the look of fine bladed grasses. I grew up with a yard of pristine Kentucky blue grass, and while I can't have a lawn that looks that way here, this warm season grass looked the most like it, to me. The color definitely isn't the same (much lighter green), but it does appear more like a clumping grass than say a bermuda or Emerald zoysia. I do have problems in shady areas where it thins out - but none where I get 4 or so hours of sun, and where I get 8+ hours of sun it's like a shag carpet. In the battle royal between my neighbors tif bermuda and the Empire, it's not even close. Empire spreads vigorously and is much denser.
I live in southern Wake just below the clay/loam dividing line so my soil is more sandy instead of concrete like clay. Not having clay is as awesome as you might imagine, except for growing grass. I spent many hours and countless dollars trying to get the perfect fescue lawn, but it just wouldn't work beyond May. The loam just doesn't hold enough water for the hot sunny days. Switching to a proper warm season grass was long overdue.
We have a sunny back yard (at least 6 hours of sun in the areas with the least), which is why we're switching to warm season grass out there. I fought so hard for years with common bermuda encroaching into the fescue, that I just can't see paying to have it installed. I have a personal hate/hate relationship with it. I never liked the blonde/brown color of warm grasses in the off season, but that is now outweighed by the effort we've put into the fescue. And it just doesn't bother me like it used to. Many of my neighbors have zoysia and I just don't see them spending anywhere near the time and effort on their lawns as we do. That's pretty appealing.
I'd settled on Zenith until the installer we chose quoted it as $1k more than Empire. Elsewhere, I read Empire looks similar to fescue, which seems consistent with your comment, @mbmitche. We do need durable, so a coarser blade is probably good. I'm a little discouraged to hear it's a lighter green, but that's not critical.
I really appreciate all the input. Tried to increase everyone's Reputation, but apparently, some of you are extra helpful. I have to spread the Reputations around before I can Rep you again!
We have a sunny back yard (at least 6 hours of sun in the areas with the least), which is why we're switching to warm season grass out there. I fought so hard for years with common bermuda encroaching into the fescue, that I just can't see paying to have it installed. I have a personal hate/hate relationship with it. I never liked the blonde/brown color of warm grasses in the off season, but that is now outweighed by the effort we've put into the fescue. And it just doesn't bother me like it used to. Many of my neighbors have zoysia and I just don't see them spending anywhere near the time and effort on their lawns as we do. That's pretty appealing.
I'd settled on Zenith until the installer we chose quoted it as $1k more than Empire. Elsewhere, I read Empire looks similar to fescue, which seems consistent with your comment, @mbmitche. We do need durable, so a coarser blade is probably good. I'm a little discouraged to hear it's a lighter green, but that's not critical.
I really appreciate all the input. Tried to increase everyone's Reputation, but apparently, some of you are extra helpful. I have to spread the Reputations around before I can Rep you again!
With common bermuda coming in a thicker grass will help choke it out. One thing to consider, the thicker zoysia have a big thatch problem that should be rectified every year or two otherwise you tend to get issues over time. There is a machine called a dethatcher made specially for this.
We are having zoysia sod installed in a few weeks. The installer's recommendation and best price is on Empire. From what I'd read, it sounds like a good fit for our needs (wider blade, holds up to some traffic and can be cut with a rotary mower, among other things). I did just come across something that says it's not very cold tolerant. Not sure what that means exactly, so thought I'd ask here if any locals have it and are satisfied with it?
Im about to seed zoysia in my backyard here in a couple of weeks. Too shady for Bermuda, from my understanding zoysia does well in both shady and sunny areas. As far as it being more cold tolerant than Bermuda? Don't really know but I doubt it to be honest. Neighbors have Zoysia and their lawn was as brown as mine was this winter.
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I never liked the blonde/brown color of warm grasses in the off season, but that is now outweighed by the effort we've put into the fescue. And it just doesn't bother me like it used to. Many of my neighbors have zoysia and I just don't see them spending anywhere near the time and effort on their lawns as we do. That's pretty appealing.
