In a transition zone...here in the Mid Atlantic and most of the Upper South, we're in USDA zones 6 or 7...our summers are a bit hotter, and sometimes drier, for KBG or even TTTF to be truly happy without extra water. However, our coldish winters and cool springs mean that warm season grasses either aren't cold hardy, or stay brown until June.

The zoysia discussion around here usually ends in "pick when you want your grass to be brown - from July-Sept (cool season) or from Nov-May (zoysia).

However, for a large property too big to irrigate, is it worthwhile for it's heat tolerance and ability to choke out weeds? Can someone in a similar climate (MD, VA, NJ, S. PA, even TN or somewhere) speak to how zoysia has performed?

When does it actually green up? I know of one lawn that I'm 99% sure is zoysia around here. While the TTTF and KBG lawns green up in Late March (well, not this year...too cold still), brown out in July, and then green in fall until the first really cold winter weather...the lawn in question, I remember it was green on Mother's Day last year but hadn't seen it before. But since it has been straw-brown since at least Thanksgiving last year, I think it's probably zoysia.