Having a lush green lawn is not only appealing, but it’s also a great area to host outdoor events. Zoysia grass can give you a beautiful dense lawn, but it takes more time to grow than Bermuda which grows faster.
When well-nourished, what Bermuda presents in terms of aggressiveness, Zoysia counters it with persistence under diversity.
Zoysia is a slow-growing warm-season grass that is resistant to heat, drought, and heavy foot traffic. Depending on where you live, your lawn care goals, and how you use your lawn.
When switching from a Bermuda grass lawn to a Zoysia lawn, it’s better to overplant than strip and then replants.
Zoysia can’t overtake Bermuda since it’s an aggressive fast-growing lawn grass that will easily take over the slow-growing Zoysia. It’s also difficult to get rid of Bermuda as its small seeds are left behind even years after stripping it from your lawn. The seeds spread both above and below ground by rhizomes and shoots.
Zoysia vs Bermuda : Who Will Win?
Zoysia is a tough grass that can give you a beautiful dense green lawn. This versatile lawn grass is tolerant of cold and some light shade and prefers the sun with very little water and maintenance required.
Since Zoysia is a slow-growing grass it’s difficult to grow from seed without controlled optimal conditions so it’s better planted by sod, plugs, or sprigs.
Bermuda on the other hand is an aggressive warm-season lawn grass that can invade other lawn grasses, especially Zoysia and tall fescue. Managing Bermuda when it invades your lawn can be difficult because it has tenacious roots that require deep removal.
Bermudagrass control
Its resilience and tolerance to drought, heat, and heavy foot traffic makes it ideal to take over low-nutrient and difficult to maintain areas. This also makes it difficult to control in areas where you’ve already planted a grass variety you don’t want to damage or overrun.
To completely control Bermuda, you need to remove the deep rhizomes and surface stolons or kill them. The most effective way would be to use both herbicide and cultural methods.
How fast does Zoysia grass spread?
Zoysia is a popular lawn grass that does well in warm climates and is a great choice if you want to impress your neighbors and visitors.
It spreads naturally filling in all the bare spots on your lawn, however, it tends to take longer to get established than other grass types. Planting Zoysia on your lawn is a slow process when using seed which will need a good starter fertilizer with weed preventer.
The speed at which your Zoysia grass will get established and spread will depend on the Zoysia variety you choose and the climate in your area. For it to thrive you’ll also need to maintain it properly.
Fastest growing lawn grasses
Grass-type | Growing period |
Bermuda grass | Germinates in 7-10 days |
Centipede grass | 14-21 days |
Buffalo grass | 2 weeks to 30 days |
Kentucky bluegrass | 2-4 weeks |
Annual and perennial ryegrass | Both germinate in 7-10 days |
Tall fescue | 10-14 days |
Conclusion
Both Zoysia and Bermuda are warm-season lawn grasses that get established by above-ground stolons and underground rhizomes, the only difference is Bermuda grows aggressively faster than Zoysia so it can easily overtake Zoysia.
Also Read
Will Bermuda Grass take over Weeds
How to Kill Weeds in Dormant Bermuda
Will St. Augustine Take Over Bermuda Grass?
Does Bermuda Grass grow in Shade?
How to Make Bermuda Grass Grow Thicker
Can you mix Bermuda and Zoysia?
References
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/zoysiagrass-lawn-maintenance-calendar
https://turf.missouri.edu/stat/reports/pdf/aggbermudagrowin.pdf
