A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Will Zoyza choke out all the weeds in my lawn?

Im thinking about putting zoyza plugs in my pathetic lawn

I dont know what the stuff is called, but I have this really REALLY invasive weed. Started out as a small circle, and had pretty yellow dandelion-like flowers, so I didnt kill it.....well long story short I have an entire lawn of it now!

THANKS!!

yes, over time, the zoysia will choke out the weeds. and just about kind of flower, too!

it's been known to grow UNDER border things like bricks or concrete seperators and move into the flowerbeds.

also, it goes into hybernation in the winter and turns an ugly and dry brown. it's the last thing to green up in the spring. it will go into hybernation during a drought in the summer, too.

once you put it in, it will be nearly impossible to get rid of.

think carefully before you put the zoysia plugs in.

LOL, sounds like the stuff I already have there!

Zoysia is not the answer. It is truly a warm-season variety. Even the most aggressive varieties of turfgrass will have difficulty competing with established invasive weeds. You need to identify the weed you're having problems with first. They key to controlling weeds without chemicals is to hand pull them to control seed dispersion and to mow the turf at the highest setting that your mower has.

I get out real early (like first time just yesterday ) and mow my lawn even though my grass is still dormant. The weeds are ALREADY coming on strong so I mow twice a week so they don't have time to put on seeds. You will still have some weeds but this will stress them and when your grass finally breaks dormancy, it will have less competition. Once my grass comes up of course, I'm able to cut back on the mowing

Good advice, Joclyn! Zoysia and Bermuda grass are horrible to get rid of and they do go down under any type of barriers you try to use. I have some Bermuda grass which came over from my neighbor's yard and it gets into all my landscaped beds. It is a constant battle!

Looks like it might be hawkweed. There's too much to hand pull. I wonder if I could till it out.

Zoysia should grow quite well in your zone, as long as it is planted in the sun. It actually does well up to 3a, and thrives Up here in Cheese Land, but be careful! Zoysia is a very invasive grass which will choke out just about anything. It spreads like wildfire, and can itself become a unwanted weed very quickly. In your area, it will be the last grass to green up in the spring, and the 1st to turn brown in the fall, which will make it stick out like a sore thumb. Once established it is very hard to get rid of, and tends to even be resistant to Round Up.
The best control for weeds is a good well established turf grass, but unfortunately the same stuff that the turf grass likes is also what the weeds tend to thrive on. Your best bet is to use an over the top broad leaf weed killer during the spring and early summer, and re seed the area in the early fall. By seeding then the weeds will not have a chance to over take the lawn.