# Bermuda VS Zoysia...Why?



## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

For you bermuda guys out there, why did you go with bermuda over zoysia? I hear people often saying that zoysia is their favorite, but they still have bermuda or fescue. Also, zoysia is more shade and temperature tolerant. So, what are the benefits of bermuda?


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

cost, for me.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Bermuda. Better recovery from injury. More disease and nematode tolerance. Easier to mow. I will add that Zoysia seems to live with problems and looks passable from a distance when rough cut. Up close it is a different deal. Zoysia is like trees. I like it in someone else's yard.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

I have Z52 and I LOVE IT, but it needs a lot of work to be a great lawn again. I'm thinking a full reno next year but I don't want to wait 3 years for my lawn to fill in from plugging....hence why I'm asking the question.


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## lambert (Sep 12, 2018)

If you only have 2000 sq feet (per your profile) you can just sod with any grass you like -- no need to wait for any thing to fill in.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

lambert said:


> If you only have 2000 sq feet (per your profile) you can just sod with any grass you like -- no need to wait for any thing to fill in.


Yes the only area I'm concerned about is the front, which is only about 2000 ft.². I gave up on the back years ago because of dogs , and the fenced in part is all mulch...it'll be that way for at least another 3 years.

As far as sod goes, that would be my preferred plan of attack but I'm cheap about certain things and I'd rather put that money into equipment. I like machinery  I'm not 100% against it, just not what I'm thinking at the moment.


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## ktgrok (May 25, 2019)

Greendoc said:


> Bermuda. Better recovery from injury. More disease and nematode tolerance. Easier to mow. I will add that Zoysia seems to live with problems and looks passable from a distance when rough cut. Up close it is a different deal. Zoysia is like trees. I like it in someone else's yard.


This. 
If I were retired with an empty nest and nothing to do but dote on my lawn, but never actually used the lawn, I'd have zoysia I think.

But I have dogs, kids, etc plus I get behind on mowing, or I mess up and over apply herbicide, etc and Bermuda will bounce back in a week no matter what I do to it. Zoysia will get hit and then take months to rebound. I am not patient enough for that, and I'm sure I'd find a new way to mess it up by the time it bounced back from the first injury.

As a beginner, Bermuda gives me the peace of mind that no matter what I mess up, it will come back and quickly.


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## ktgrok (May 25, 2019)

Gilley11 said:


> I have Z52 and I LOVE IT, but it needs a lot of work to be a great lawn again. I'm thinking a full reno next year but I don't want to wait 3 years for my lawn to fill in from plugging....hence why I'm asking the question.


If you re cheap but also impatient you could seed bermuda - fast and cheap.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

ktgrok said:


> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> > Bermuda. Better recovery from injury. More disease and nematode tolerance. Easier to mow. I will add that Zoysia seems to live with problems and looks passable from a distance when rough cut. Up close it is a different deal. Zoysia is like trees. I like it in someone else's yard.
> ...


Zoysia is stressful even for a pro that is maintaining to a level where it looks good up close.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

You guys are putting up a hard argument to make the switch.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

I had 2000 sq ft of Zoysia at a house I inherited from my father. It all got RoundUp and will continue to get RoundUp until it is all gone. It will be replaced with TIfgrand


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## agrassman (May 26, 2019)

We added zoysia to part of the backyard where the shade wasn't allowing Bermuda to grow. We love it and the kids love it more. It is super soft and so nice. Going to level it in the spring and got a reel mower to mow lower in 2020. Haven't had to do a lot of work on it overall the first year.


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## Jrich (Jul 9, 2018)

agrassman said:


> We added zoysia to part of the backyard where the shade wasn't allowing Bermuda to grow. We love it and the kids love it more. It is super soft and so nice. Going to level it in the spring and got a reel mower to mow lower in 2020. Haven't had to do a lot of work on it overall the first year.


After switching to reel mowing (0.5" HOC) exclusively this year, the zoysia (empire) did not do as well in shady areas as it was when I was rotary mowing.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

It burns my toast everytime Zoysia is sold to consumers as a shade tolerant grass. Yes, it _can_ be used in shade. However, that is with strict attention to soil drainage, rationing of water, disease prevention and real changes in how often it is mowed. I deal with a variety of Zoysia similar to Empire growing where it gets limited sun due to trees. It is not mowed low and it is not mowed often. Furthermore, it is always checked for diseases. Water is also limited to this area. The overall appearance of the area under this management regime is nothing I would be proud of. It is green, yes, but nothing like the rest of the lawn that is mowed at 0.5.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Gilley ....it's considerably cheaper, so what's a builder going to default to? Many have never seen it, etc

I kept Bermuda on the beauty strip, for consistency with neighbors, no irrigation ...but upgraded it to tifgrand. It's as hard as an artificial surface but looks good for Bermuda


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

jayhawk said:


> I kept Bermuda on the beauty strip, for consistency with neighbors, no irrigation ...but upgraded it to tifgrand. It's as hard as an artificial surface but looks good for Bermuda


What do you mean by, "It's as hard as an artificial surface but looks good for Bermuda."


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## lambert (Sep 12, 2018)

Gilley11 said:


> jayhawk said:
> 
> 
> > I kept Bermuda on the beauty strip, for consistency with neighbors, no irrigation ...but upgraded it to tifgrand. It's as hard as an artificial surface but looks good for Bermuda
> ...


Speaking for myself, none of the warm season grasses look all that good compared to bluegrass and tall fescue, so maybe he meant bermuda looks good considering it's a warm season grass.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Tifgrand is the only cultivar I am a fan of. Not a fan of most other warm season grasses.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

Greendoc said:


> Tifgrand is the only cultivar I am a fan of. Not a fan of most other warm season grasses.


Why is Tifgrand your favorite?


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Gilley11 said:


> jayhawk said:
> 
> 
> > I kept Bermuda on the beauty strip, for consistency with neighbors, no irrigation ...but upgraded it to tifgrand. It's as hard as an artificial surface but looks good for Bermuda
> ...


Zoysia matrella imo most curb appeal, at various heights. (Yeah bluegrass and prg too). Most Bermudas, will frustrate or require a lot of work in the summer when the growth point inches up (lot of posts in a thread about that). 
In contrast, zoysia isn't delicate in that manner and much softer on the hoof....AND shade tolerant.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

I was just quoted $420/pallet of Zeon. Each pallet covers 500 sq ft. Damn Zoysia is expensive.


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## ZeonJNix (Dec 13, 2019)

I did my whole yard Zeon this past summer. I bought 16 pallets and paid $330/pallet. How many pallets are you getting? If just a couple then your price is relatively accurate.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

If going to sod my whole yard, then 5 pallets would do it with extra. If plugging, maybe 2 pallets.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Find an actual grower vs third party. @ZeonJNix pics (mic drop)...how brown are your neighbors vs your zeon at this moment?


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## ZeonJNix (Dec 13, 2019)

jayhawk said:


> Find an actual grower vs third party. @ZeonJNix pics (mic drop)...how brown are your neighbors vs your zeon at this moment?


Haha. Well we are all brown now, but mine still looks better. If you walk in it you can still see green where you can't in the neighbors common Bermuda.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Gilley11 said:


> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> > Tifgrand is the only cultivar I am a fan of. Not a fan of most other warm season grasses.
> ...


Relative ease of maintenance. Ability to retain good color on very low nutrient level. Good resistance to diseases and nematodes. Ability to tolerate a low cut. Slower growth rate vs Common or Tifway 419.


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## Ortho-Doc (Feb 3, 2019)

Be sure to get a quote from Carolina Fresh Farms down here in a Rock Hill. Great people and very reasonable pricing. Ask for David whose the store manager.



Gilley11 said:


> I was just quoted $420/pallet of Zeon. Each pallet covers 500 sq ft. Damn Zoysia is expensive.


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## SC Grass Loon (Jun 7, 2019)

Ortho-Doc said:


> Be sure to get a quote from Carolina Fresh Farms down here in a Rock Hill. Great people and very reasonable pricing. Ask for David whose the store manager.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I would second that and add modern turf in Rembert/Columbia, SC as another possibility for Zoysia.


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

Is that $420/pallet an installed price?? In the atlanta region zeon zoysia is regularly $250-300/pallet, dep on quantity ordered. I can't imagine you'd be too far off from our price.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

corneliani said:


> Is that $420/pallet an installed price?? In the atlanta region zeon zoysia is regularly $250-300/pallet, dep on quantity ordered. I can't imagine you'd be too far off from our price.


Nope, and doesn't even include their delivery fee.


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## Brodgers88 (Feb 26, 2017)

SC Grass Loon said:


> Ortho-Doc said:
> 
> 
> > I would second that and add modern turf in Rembert/Columbia, SC as another possibility for Zoysia.
> ...


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## Brodgers88 (Feb 26, 2017)

SC Grass Loon said:


> I would second that and add modern turf in Rembert/Columbia, SC as another possibility for Zoysia.


Yes definitely check with Modern Turf, we don't produce zeon but we do have zorro which is a fine bladed zoysia matrella similar to zeon. The zorro is a great looking turf grass and stripes extremely well and had some shade tolerance.


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## lambert (Sep 12, 2018)

Gilley11 said:


> I was just quoted $420/pallet of Zeon. Each pallet covers 500 sq ft. Damn Zoysia is expensive.


Wow! I can get zoysia for $150-175 per pallet here. Same for bermuda and St. Augustine. Centipede can be had for around $100.00


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

Yeah. I need to find another local sod supplier in the Charlotte area.


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## Rammy1546 (Jan 3, 2020)

What do you guys think would be best as far as shade tolerance between those three grasses? The shade tolerant Bermuda Tifgrand vs Zorro vs Zeon?

Also what about wear tolerance?


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

All things equal, my experience is that zeon (likely Zorro) will tolerate shade the best.

If I'm running a 700 lb, nobby tire exmark zero turn rotary .....animal kennel or sports. +++Bermuda


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## Rammy1546 (Jan 3, 2020)

Thanks for the info!


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