Is Zoysia a type of Bermuda grass?

It's similiar in growth habit, but different genus/species.

Zoysia grass is a durable turf. It is low growing and therefore doesn’t require frequent mowing. Once established, it is drought tolerant and disease resistant.

The most important thing to understand about zoysia is that it is a warm season grass. It will green up in May when soil temperatures warm, and it will turn a soft beige color after the first killing frost.

Most of the turf grasses in our area are fescues-a cool season grass. What this difference means from a practical standpoint is that when most of your neighbors’ lawns are green, yours will be brown and visa versa. I personally think that diversity is a good thing, but you should also be aware of a couple of other issues.

Once established, Zoysia can be quite aggressive. It may want to spread into your neighbors yard and into landscaped beds if there are no barriers or physical boundaries between a zoysia turf and a fescue turf.

If you should happen to get an infestation of winter weeds in your zoysia turf, like wild onions or garlic or chickweed, it will be REALLY obvious –like green spikes in a beige mat. Whereas with fescue and winter weeds-at least it’s all green!

Zoysia can take up to three growing seasons to get established from plugs, unless spaced very closely. There is a zoysia sod farm here locally, contact Brice Gordon for more information at Gordon Zoysia 452-2724.