When you’ve lived in the same house for almost 50 years, you get to know what your lawn will and won’t do. I thought, 'surely there must be a better alternative to St. MrSolo – posted 09 June 2010 10:45.  Mail checks ($20) payable to Brenda Beust Smith to Lazy Gardener’s Guide on CD, 14011 Greenranch Dr., Houston, TX 77039.  (email: lazygardener@sbcglobal.net) Standard lawn grass species are cool-season grasses that thrive during the cool, moist weather of spring and fall. Click to see full answer Besides, will Zoysia grass choke out Bermuda? If they turn completely brown, it’s gone for good.”. Come to think of it, you seldom see kids playing on St. Augustine lawn - maybe because of it's uncomfortable feel.7. Wanting to learn from the many years of experience of this senior lawn expert, I asked, "What would your top recommendation be for a beautiful and reliable lawn?" 'One morning, on my daily walk past the entrance of Bloomingdale Golfers Club on Natures Way, the greenskeeper happened to be trimming some trees there. St. Augustine does go dormant in the summer.  It’s got more sense than we do.  What you see  green there is Bermuda. Believe me, Palisades Zoysia looks 100% better than St. Aug. 'Agro-Turf', Tampa, FL - Tim Ward (who gave me excellent service) - 813.633.3094 W  813.781.1888 C - Email.2. to let their St. Augustine grass die if they will replace it with more drought-hardy varieties such as buffalo or Bermuda. 2. Due to its deep massive root system EMPIRE Zoysia can survive on one third of the water that St. Augustine does, which is a major plus, because Tampa municipality has frequently restricted watering - è currently it's once a week.3. For zoysia grass to overtake and smother St. Augustine grass, the soil must become drier to favor the zoysia's slower growth and cause the St. Augustine to wither. . I currently have 3 different variations of zoysia. Mixing zoysia. Everyone else’s lawn was dead too. They'll have to do high volume weeding, fight off invading lawns, re-plant sections of lawn, etc. If you don’t, when we have our spring and fall monsoons, the St. Augustine will quickly overpower these other grasses (and anything else in its way except for trees). It looks a bit odd at the moment since the Zoysia looks like a dark green golf course grass and the San Augustine is thick blades and a brighter green. Stop watering for 3 months in the dry heat of summer. 'SMR Turf & Trees', Bradenton, FL - Clive - 941.708.0772 - www.smrturf.com - Email.Go to SodSolutions.com for your local S. USA supplier. Other Important Information. Low maintenance lawn - nicknamed "EZ" lawn. For more information on the topic, go to edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lho11. We say EMPIRE Turf is "Drought Tough". De Anza Zoysia   12. The benefit of Zoysia grass over St. Augustine is only under severe drought conditions. 1. è High maintenance - grows to �7" by the seventh day and only looks really good for a day or two after it's been cut, because it can't be mowed lower than 3".2. I had to stop the kids playing ball on my old St. Augustine lawn, because it quickly wore thin and bared under traffic. I have both. Even though it costs more, I would not plant anything else, because I like high quality / low maintenance lawn - you get what you pay for. Tim Ward from 'Agro-Turf' in Tampa only charged our community 2c more per SqFt (usually 10c more per SqFt), which translated to �$120 more for our 6,000 SqFt of lawn.Is this extra $120 a good investment?There is an old South African saying that reads, "Cheap buying ends up being expensive buying", because initially saving $120 on St. Augustine, but down the road having to re-plant with EMPIRE Zoysia is bad economics (besides having to do the back breaking job all over again - which usually ends up being unsightly, as replanted sod over an existing lawn stands too high above the sidewalk).The dollar implication of this double buying (as of August '02) is�1. One major benefit to planting zoysia rather than St. Augustine is that zoysia has viable seed options, which is by far the cheapest way to establish a new lawn. With 12 garden designs for butterflies, hummingbirds, sun, shade, herbs, antique roses, tropicals . Zoysia Vs. Centipede Grass. If you are tired of the standard St. Augustine lawns in our area, Zoysia grass provides an attractive alternative. It grows slower, needing only to be cut every 7-14 days. While I have had good success with the St. Augustine that is down now, my 4 dogs tear it up with the running and training I do with them. 1. 2. On my past daily walks in S. Valrico, I noticed 8 out of 10 St. Augustine lawns were overrun by Bermuda, Bahai, ghastly Crabgrass, and a multitude of weeds. Another point to consider is that an enhancing lawn does have a positive effect on the re-sale value of one's home. Your local supplier of EMPIRE Zoysia can be located at SodSolutions.com.Come and see the difference in appearance and touch for yourself at my home - I welcome you to contact me for my honest experience with EMPIRE Zoysia vs St. Augustine... Smiley J  Tel: 813.600.3292 - 15322 VireoGlen Lane, Lithia, FL, 33547We are constantly being asked what kind of lawn we have and where did we get it - evidence that many locals are dissatisfied with the long term results of St. Augustine and would love a more reliable lawn to enhance their home.ç Compare EMPIRE Zoysia's smooth carpet to the coarse scraggy look of St. Augustine at the foot of the picture on the left and also in the close up below ê. Call 281-431-7441 for Help in Selecting the Best Grass Variety for Your Project. Once the St Augustine is dead, then start watering once per week, mowing twice per week, and fertilizing with high nitrogen synthetic once per month. You can also establish zoysia from sprigs, plugs, or sod. Unless it is regularly well watered St. Augustine develops dead patches and is quickly overrun by weeds, other grasses, horrible Crabgrass - it struggles in our Florida heat under severe watering restrictions.3. Both grasses are great at choking out weeds such as dandelions, crabgrass, and even quackgrass. Victoria Zoysia.Only the first 4 Vireo Ridge home owners who put their names down before the end of September '02 deadline were granted permission to plant EMPIRE Zoysia lawn by Newland Communities as a Fishhawk Ranch experimentation project. è LawnFertilizers.com is an interesting web-site that explains how to fertilize correctly.What do those 3 numbers on every fertilizer bag mean? The landscape guy recommended Zoysia in the well shaded sections of the yard and said it is better shade tolerant than St. Augustine. 1. è High maintenance - grows to ±7" by the seventh day and only looks really good for a day or two after it's been cut, because it can't be mowed lower than 3". EMPIRE Zoysia is susceptible to billbugs which are easy to detect and treat with Sevin from Wal-Mart. Of the two turfgrasses, St. Augustine grass is cheaper and easier to establish and maintain compared to zoysia, which is a little costlier with a much more frequent maintenance schedule. Companion Zoysia   3. Warm season grasses like Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine, Centipede & Paspalum. Cashmere Zoysia   9. Never cut more than 1/3 of the total length of the blade. St. Augustine is susceptible to chinch bugs, webworms & mole crickets, which are more difficult to detect and treat. Learn warm season grass identification and grass care. According to the University of Texas, this grass is native to the regions surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Either (i) they don't know about it or (ii) because it's more expensive - BUT I've found a reputable Tampa supplier called 'Agro-Turf', who offered to supply EMPIRE Zoysia for a discounted price of only 2c more per SqFt (usually 10c more). When using Blindside Herbicide WDG on warm season turfgrass such as St. Augustine, you will use 0.15 - 0.23 oz. This short video will explain the difference. Scroll to bottom of screen to find the “Comments.”. St. Augustine Grass vs Bermuda Grass – Differences. Because weeds grow so much faster than slow growing EMPIRE Zoysia, they stand out like a sore thumb, and are easy to locate and pull. It grows vertically and is more dense. EMPIRE Zoysia looks like a beautiful lush soft inviting carpet that will greatly enhance the beauty of one's home.8. Lot 28 - 15324 VireoGlen Ln, Vireo Ridge, Fishhawk Ranch3. There's an important rule that says if you have a choice between weeding and mowing, always choose mowing. Overall, zoysias are typically fine turfgrasses with a smooth feel. 1. Unless there is some reason due to slope and erosion, I would not include fescue with the zoysia. - Paul Grose, General Manager, è King Ranch, FL.è EMPIRE Zoysia is naturally resistant to the weed killing chemicals (i) Fusilade, (ii) MSMA and (iii) 2-4-D - making it relatively easy to control weeds. 4 posts • Page 1 of 1. I am noticing the Zoysia is doing great under our big shade trees but seems to be struggling in the full sun areas and turning a little brown. Browse previous blog posts by month and year of entry. St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), also known as St. Augustinegrass, is a warm-season grass adaptable to sandy soils. $840 for EMPIRE ZoysiaTotaling $1,560If you bought EMPIRE Zoysia alternative lawn in the first place you'd save $720 in the long run - not to mention the water and chemicals you'll save, which over time will exceed $120. Infection is triggered by rainfall, excessive irrigation, or extended periods of high humidity resulting in the leaves being continuously wet for 48 hours or more. It's called EMPIRE because of its dominance.6. These other 'specialized' fertilizers cost up to $30.00 a bag - it's crazy!!! Price aside, EMPIRE Zoysia has several advantages over St. Augustine - see the 'comparison table' below ê. Thea, Yes,it sounds like ring spot,a fungus.Apply a fungicide and be sure to fertilize later,in order to promote a healty root system. What does that mean in comparison with St. Augustine Grass? Call 281-431-7441 for more information about Emerald Zoysia versus St. Augustine grass. Our family moved to Florida in 1994.Being accustomed to lush lawns that really enhance ones home, I was most surprised that a coarse scraggy grass like St. Augustine was the popular choice for the majority of Tampa homes. Learn about Bermuda grass, zoysia grass, st augustine grass, and centipede grass. I have St. Augustine grass in my backyard. EMPIRE Zoysia prefers a mower that bags the clippings.2. She responded, "That's the lawn we've got to have in our next garden", which set me off to find out what kind of lawn it was. Month-by-month, when-to-do-what-in Greater Houston Area Gardens  — plant? St. Augustine is a coarse lawn, often with a scraggy appearance.8. We think the public are ready for a new and improved turfgrass, so we're excited about growing and marketing EMPIRE Zoysia." . Empress Zoysia   4. 26 November, 2020. We deliver high-quality grass grown at our family farm in Bay City, TX. Please don't confuse EMPIRE Zoysia with negative reports you may read about the many other types of Zoysia grasses that do well up North, but should never have been planted in Florida. Zenith Zoysia   2. St. Augustine & Zoysia Most likely to occur November to May when temperatures are below 80oF. Topic Author. N P K base - N=nitrogen, P=phosphorus, and K=potassium.N - Nitrogen promotes foliage and overall growth, also a healthy dark green lawn.P - Phosphorus promotes good deep root development.K - Potassium promotes diseases resistance plus the flowering and fruit development in plants.Recommended for EMPIRE Zoysia (in fact for all warm season grasses)�Starter = 18:24:6 - high phosphorous and nitrogen levels are ideal for new lawns to drive the roots down and green it up.Lawn Food = 27:4:6 - high slow release nitrogen gives a sustained Spring boost to produce a dark green lush lawn. Up until now, lawn fanatics have been really narrow-minded when it comes to mixing grasses. EMPIRE Zoysia has rapid injury recovery after drought.4. I insisted it WOULD be back. Uncategorized; no responses Bermuda grass is second in popularity, and Zoysia (a fairly recent addition to Texas grasses) is gaining ground. I rushed home to get my wife to show her the lush smooth soft carpet of fine broad leaf grass. 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