Lawns - Zoysia
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  (January) Is there a practical way to get rid of Bermuda grass in a Zoysia lawn?

  Unfortunately, there is nothing that will damage the Bermuda without also damaging the zoysia. You may hear of a product called Atrazine, which some claim will kill the Bermuda without hurting the zoysia, but we have not had good results. It can burn actively growing Bermuda, but outright killing it is another story. You should simply try caring for the lawn in ways that encourage the zoysia more--higher mowing, only 2 applications of fertilizer per year, etc. Also, if there is any shade in your yard, the zoysia will be more dominant there.

  (March) I am in my fifth year at this present location with a lawn of Zoysia grass that was sodded when we moved into the new house. For the first year or so there was no other grass present but the last couple of years has seen a gradual increase in Bermuda until now I have large areas of this grass that has completely dominated the original sod. The runners from the Bermuda begin by growing on top of the Zoysia and then taking root and finally taking over. I have placed heavy fertilizer on the yard each spring and possibly have used too much. Would this cause the overgrowth of the Bermuda? Other than this I can think of nothing that would have caused the problem. Can you offer a suggestion? Is there any thing that I can do to stop and/or reverse this process. If I need to till the entire lawn, how do I make certain it won't happen again?

  Bermuda grass and zoysia often grow intermingled, especially if there is plenty of sunlight. There is no product that will kill one without damaging the other, so the key is to try to provide conditions more conducive to zoysia growth. Cut back on the amount of nitrogen fertilizer. Bermuda responds the best to nitrogen of all the grasses. Mow at a higher rate. Bermuda does better if it is kept relatively low. Zoysia will also tolerate more shade than Bermuda, so a tree here and there might also help. Do not till the entire lawn to get rid of Bermuda--that would simply propagate it. If the problem is really bad, and you can't stand it any longer, wait for total green-up of the lawn, spray with a gylphosate (Round-up) product and then re-sod with zoysia. Personally, I would live with the combination.

  I overdid it with some weed and feed this spring. Now I have large patches of lawn that are dead. I found some zoysia seed and would like to establish it now. What are your recommendations to do this?

  The use of zoysia seed has been relatively recent, and we haven’t seen overwhelming results. Zoysia seed, traditionally has not had high viability ratings, and even when it does germinate, it is slow to establish from seed. You are also well past the optimum planting times, even for something like bermuda which establishes quickly from seed. You will also have a difficult time keeping enough moisture on hand to get the seeds to germinate with the heat we’ve been having. I personally wouldn’t spend the time or money on this now. What about either spot sodding or plugging in some sod in the bad areas and allowing for gradual spread? You could try the seed next spring, or keep on plugging.

  There are two lawns advertised frequently in the supplements to the newspaper. They are "Staygreen" and Amazoy zoysia. What do you think of these lawns, and are they worth my time and money to plant?

  The old rule, " if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is", would apply here. "Staygreen" ads never completely tell you what type of grass it is. It simply states it is a special formula of evergreen turfgrasses. In the fine print, it states that it thrives wherever bluegrass grows (which is not Arkansas). My guess is it is a mix of cool season grasses such as ryegrass, bluegrass and possibly fescue. The Amazoy zoysia is Meyer Z-52 zoysia, the most common zoysia grown in Arkansas. You can buy it at all of our sod farms, probably a great deal cheaper than these ads. Some of their claims are far-fetched--it won’t thrive without water, or in extremely poor soil. I have had many people tell me the plugs they receive are not in great condition. Buying here at home is a better option.

  My zoysia grass has started doing something odd. Half of a leaf blade will turn almost white, while the other half is still green. This is occurring in only a small section of my yard, but I am unsure what it is, and if I should do something about it? Will this spread?

  The problem is caused by a tiny insect called an aeriophid mite. It prefers zoysia grass and feeds at the base of the plant under the leaf sheath. When the leaf emerges it has a yellow "racing stripe" down one side of the leaf On occasions, the leaf will not emerge from the sheath correctly and it will have a buggy whip appearance. The infestations is most generally noted in shaded areas, although in heavy infestations it can be found in the sun. Initially the grass appears long and straggly almost giving one the feeling that it is a weed not zoysia. Although there are no chemicals registered for this specific pest, diazinon applied at 4 pounds active ingredient/acre (or 1.5 oz active/1000sf) in two applications about 10 days apart will control the problem.

  I have a problem with my zoysia lawn. About three years ago, streaks of grass began to die. Now it is getting worse. The spots are bigger and the area that is dying has spread. I haven’t done anything to cause it or to help stop it. All I do is fertilize along with the rest of the yard. What should I do?

  From the pictures you sent it is getting bad. Some of the shots look similar to damage from brown patch ( a disease) while others look almost like some type of chemical of fertilizer burn (and wash). Take a sample of your lawn–in a transition zone, to your local county extension office. You need to take a good square in an area where grass is dying and living. They can send this off to our disease diagnostic lab, and see what can be found. I would imagine you want to do something before this gets any worse. I would also recommend some soil samples–from bad areas, and good areas, to compare. With proper diagnosis, hopefully the damage can be corrected.

  I have a question concerning zoysia grass and the current drought. When will it finally go dormant, after the first frost or before ? How often should I keep watering it? Does the same hold true for my flowers and shrubs?

  Zoysia grass is not as drought tolerant as Bermuda grass. It shouldn't go dormant until after the first killing frost. Watering should continue even in the winter, if dry weather continues. The need for water, is not as great, however, as the weather turns cooler. Cut back on volume, but do still water. The same holds true for shrubs and flowers. If natural rainfall does not occur, water.

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