Zoysia is not going to work up there unless you like dormant grass 8 months out of the year, and a good chance of being frozen out every winter.

A lot of people from up north have been posting here about how to get rid of their zoysia. Don't fall prey to "miracle turf" advertisments. You will regret it.

If you are looking for a very low maintenance turf, consider going to Dutch white clover. Check out this site for more info on clover.

I live in Tampa, Florida and my zoysia lawn hasn't come green yet. And we've been in the 80's for a little while now. With nightime lows in the 60's. The one thing I noticed with the zoysia is that it really doesn't grow much when it's not hot. Once it gets up near 90 here with hot nights it starts shooting up. I'd be scared to plant it if I were you.

Jeremy, so when does the Zoysia start to take off? I'm in Sarasota and I planted Emerald Zoysia in the front yard and they were green when I planted them a month ago but probably from lack of rain and water restrictions they turned to straw. That said though, I planted 3 plugs in the back yard before I decided to go with Celebration Bermuda. Even though the Bermuda in the back yard is green the Zoysia was green and is now straw brown. It gets the same water as the Bermuda so it's not like it is getting parched. Maybe in a month or so then before steady growth from the Zoysia?

If you post your E-Addy I can send you a picture of my dormant lawn.

Don't do it!!!!

Read my posting "Replacing Zoysia Lawn"

I live in Ocean County NJ (near the shore about half way up the state) and I HATE my backyard. I'm going to attmept to get rid of it late this summer.

When it's dormant from Sept - June, it not only look terrible, it makes a God awful mess. Straw gets everywhere....especially if you have a dog and 2 kids running around in it.

There are other better alternatives. I would explore them.

Can you guys send me your zoysia :) !

Here in Central Virginia my Zoysia (in the Front East facing yard) is still part green and part brown.. I have it in the sun 8 hours per day but generally it doesn't green up FULL TILT till the end of April guys. [The secret of golf courses is that they Spray paint the zoysia grass ALL WINTER LONG!!] The rest of my yard is part fescue and bluegrass near my border of oak and poplar tees. That area is just been fertilized and pre-emergent. Not going to try to grow grass till the Fall of this year.. Spring here is too short to try to grow grass. Normally we jump from Winter to Summer in 5 weeks and there is no guarantee on the rain amounts. Trying a mixture of fertilizers this year.. Going with Lesco 19-0-7 Dimension and Greenview (Lebanon) available at Southern States fertilizer on the fescue..One of my neighbors swears by the Greenview. The cost of the Scott's this year is SO HIGH its up to what Greenview cost is and it supposedly feeds for 12- 16 weeks not 8 weeks like Scott's. Going to go with the one without the fancy TV commercials this year.
GLTA

In some climates zoysia does not go fully dormant. needless to say delaware isn't likely one of them.

The plugs they sell through the mail are not the improved hybrids that have certain desirable characteristics. They are meyer more then likely or some other lower ranked variety. (or species!)

Im in Baltimore Md and I've got a neighbor down the street that seeded with Zenith zoysia a few years ago. I think it looks good. It is starting to turn now. It looks really good in the summer.

WEll that's great one whole season of color. Fan-tittley-tastic.

Zoysia is a very poor choice on the east cost north of Florida. It might do well during the summer months, but once winter sets in, hell breaks lose.

1.- Disease problems, particulary; Fairy Ring, Large Patch, and Spring Dead Spot.

2.- Dormant brown turf for 6 or more months (depending on location)

3.- Heavy Thatch is a problem as well.

4.- If damage occurs in hybrid zoysia lawns, you CAN'T overseed like you could with cool season grasses. All you can do is wait for the turf to heel/fill in - which takes forever with Zoysia.

It requires a knowledgeable person to care for Zoysia, most home owners aren't.

Zoysia, when it works, it makes a beautiful turf, so I'm not against the grass. Of the warm season grasses, I think is the best looking one. However, there are better grass choices for the Delaware area, Tall Fescue/Bluegrass mix/blend is # 1.

Hi:-don't listen to nay sayers. We have lived in Moorestown, NJ for 50+ years, and my mom convinced my dad to plant zoysia when his beloved Ky. blue just wouldn't grow. We fertilize in spring, and the only summer we tried to water was a disaster, the grass just gets a little paler as it goes dormant. I love the straw color, and when I do bag, it makes great mulch, improves the tilth-told my bro. "I'd rather have green grass in the summer than brown." It easily grows from underground stolons, and can be invasive at the edges, like flower beds. I have a huge amount that I would gladly give you if you would only help me dig it. It only grows to 8-9 inches, so don't cut it if you don't have height laws. Some years I only cut 5-7x a summer. I have also transplanted it to Ellendale De, and it is fantastic, basically neglected, rarely fertilized. It does best in FULL sun, but will tolerate some shade, just won't be as thick. I don't know variety, probably is Meyer as so old, I think Mom got it from Michigan. It feels like a luxurious carpet as you walk on it, virtually no weeds will grow, except onion, garlic, gone soon. My husband has cut ours twice already. send email phone whatever, you can come with shovel, knife, fork, and I will be eternally grateful. ann PS I hate the stuff, but roundup kills it easily. to plant, just make slit, drop in runner or rototill and put in sod--i have that much

Ok, here's your picture of Dormant Zoysia (the lawns around it are Bluegrasses and Fescues)

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I just moved to Northern VA. When we looked at the place in March it looked like a tanker of herbicide had crashed and killed all the lawns on this side of the road. I jokingly said something to the Realtor and she said it was Zoysia.

I was very curious because I recall reading the ads for Zoysia in the Sunday paper for many years. We moved in April 1st and it was mostly dormant. By the end of the second week in in May, when I went back to my old place to pick up the tractor it was green and over a foot tall.

I cut it and racked up the clippings. It is sort of brownish underneath (max cut on my mower deck is about 3 inches).

We've had lots of Sun (off and on) but it has been cool. The post mow brown is mostly gone, but it is hardly a deep green. I am wondering if I should get to bio material on it to get things going (the soil her is red clay).

I am thinking I'll put some Milorganite on it and see what happens.

In the front yard it is kind of thin, but there are trees there so I guess that is no surprise.

Cheers