Zoysia or St. Augustine

[TonysMom]

Before you yell at me for posting a new thread, I don't see a way to search on this site and I see no category for Landscaping.j

I wondered if some of you would share with me what kind of grass you have and why.

[Doro22]

We had the Zoysia removed and put in St. Augustine because we think it is more aesthetically pleasing. We are from S. Fl where all we ever saw was St Augustine. It has wider blades and they are shiny and thick. Just drive around and see the differences, and then make your decision.

[mtdjed]

All the homes in our section of Caroline are Zoysia. Wonder how friendly our neighbors would be if you purposely introduced St Augustine?

[Velvet]

I have St A at the back and Z at front. Not used to either of these grasses. So far I don’t have a problem with either one. St A is more pleasant to walk on and has larger blades.

[tvbound]

One thing we will definitely miss when we move, is our old large lawn of Kentucky Bluegrass. Especially after it has been freshly cross-cut mowed. While I understand the need for Zoysia or St. Augustine because of the extreme heat, we also really liked a lot of the beautiful xeriscapes in Arizona. As I understand by what I've read and researched about The Villages though, other than maybe courtyard villas (which we're not looking at), whole yard xeriscapes are discouraged?

[Doro22]

All the homes in our section of Caroline are Zoysia. Wonder how friendly our neighbors would be if you purposely introduced St Augustine?

Well...I cannot live my life wondering how friendly our neighbors would be. Hmm! As my dad used to say... “They don’t pay my bills.”

[fdpaq0580]

Well...I cannot live my life wondering how friendly our neighbors would be. Hmm! As my dad used to say... “They don’t pay my bills.”

I agree with you and with the statement "they don't pay my ."
But, they can complain to the ARC, so be sure you check what is allowed before investing in anything expensive that would also be costly to tear out and redo.

[Bogie Shooter]

Before you yell at me for posting a new thread, I don't see a way to search on this site and I see no category for Landscaping.j

I wondered if some of you would share with me what kind of grass you have and why.

At the top of the page in the green bar is the search function. Search forums or users.

[Rwirish]

Wow, check first. You live in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.

[Ruggiero56]

Definitely Zoysia. If you fertilize it and water it, it’ll be lush and soft to walk on. Looks great too. Unless you’re used to S Florida’s St Augustine, I wouldn’t plant it. It’s rough and course to walk on compared to Zoysia.

[2mnydogs]

Wow, check first. You live in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.

Actually, the grass that will be in your yard will be whatever the developer puts in. They are using St.Augustine in the newer areas. This is what we have and are pleased with it.

Friendliest? Not really sure about that. You need to stay out of the troll sphere. Live with what the developer provides or you will find yourself rowing against the tide.

[LoisR]

Go with St. A. That's what TV is using for all property in Feney. More durable, more water tolerant, faster growing than Z. I'm allowing it to take over my Z grass.

[Paporter]

Before you yell at me for posting a new thread, I don't see a way to search on this site and I see no category for Landscaping.j

I wondered if some of you would share with me what kind of grass you have and why.
I’m from Tampa and always had St.Augustine grass. We have Zoysia grass now and I’d give anything to get rid of it for St.Augustine. St.Aug stays green year round, while zoysia goes dormant in cold weather and dies. Just go North of 466a in the winter and you’ll see the difference. St.Aug., retains water better than zoysia and looks & feels better. St.Aug., helps with drainage issues, which is much needed for the sides of the house.

[davem4616]

I have whatever grass the developer put in....don't know which and really don't care

I do know that my landscaper uses different mowing equipment to mow each type, as he said that he didn't want to transfer possible disease, fungus, etc. that grows on one variety to the other

to me it's just grass....as long as it's green I could care less

[wirenail444]

I understand that the Villages used st. Augustine above rt. 466 and zoysia below 466. I have been told that the Villages has gone back to st. Aug in the new areas below 44. Zoysia is better looking but very temperamental, slow growing, and needs lots of water. St. Aug is robust and hard to kill. Go with st. Aug.

[Pedrocarrasco01@yahoo.com]

Before you yell at me for posting a new thread, I don't see a way to search on this site and I see no category for Landscaping.j

I wondered if some of you would share with me what kind of grass you have and why.
St Augustine is more resistant to drought and it runs and fills areas, Bahia is pretty both of these are much better than Zoysia and require less watering, once established, I personally like St Augustine!!!!!!!!!

[Scorpyo]

I wondered if some of you would share with me what kind of grass you have and why.
I don’t know exactly what type of grass it is but the guy I buy it from says it’s the bomb (whatever that means). He sells it on a corner in Leesberg. Why do I buy it? Why not? Hope that helps. Lol

[willbush]

I replace Zoysia with St. Augustine myself adding many squares throughout the yard 5 to 10 squares at a time from Home Depot & Lowes and my neighbors love it;'best looking yard on the street and now they want to do the same

[Bridget Staunton]

If you have St Augustine and your neighbor has Zoysia, St Augustine will take over

[sborlove]

Do NOT DO Zoysia.....It is the worse and you can tell I'm telling the truth since TV went back to St. Augustine in the expansion area.

[Windguy]

Lawns: Turf Types - Gardening Solutions - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/lawns/turf-types/)

[Windguy]

Do NOT DO Zoysia.....It is the worse and you can tell I'm telling the truth since TV went back to St. Augustine in the expansion area.

I don’t know, but there could be other reasons for switching other than quality. For instance, St. Aug could be cheaper. I’m not telling you that St. Aug isn’t better, just that your logic is flawed.

[dlspiess]

All I can say is that if you need to seed Zoysia you cannot buy it at the store. From what I have seen you need to order it online and it is expensive.

[daca55]

My house, a patio villa, had zoysia when I bought it. Like someone said it is very temperamental. Do I need a permit to replace zoysia with St Augustines turf? May just do the front lawn so it doesn’t affect neighbors lawn in the back,

[greenflash245]

my experience with zoysia is it requires a lot of water, regardless of what some might tell you. however, it is visually bug and disease free, which is not the case with st Augustine

[DecaturFargo]

Covenants dictate what you can and can't do. Woman put down astroturf without permission and is now eequired to remove it. Everything is groomed here. Read the covenants.

[Kerry Azz]

I have Sensimilla, but I’m not sharing it

[DecaturFargo]

Covenants dictate what you can and can't do. Woman put down astroturf without permission and is now required to remove it. Everything is groomed here. Read the covenants.

[nn0wheremann]

St Augustine grass will develop a very thick turf over time, and it becomes difficult to walk on. Also, if you or your lawn service fouls up and sprays something that damages that grass, well, there are no small errors with St A. Zoysia grass makes a better lawn, but it does yellow and goes dormant in cold weather. Either way, you need your neighbor’s approval if you plant something different than what they have. Both types of grass “creep”, and will try to take over.

[richs631]

IMO, SA is like walking on razor blades.

[lindaelane]

Contact the University of Florida Extension people. Solutions for Your Life - UF/IFAS Extension (https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/) They will tell you exactly what is right for your part of The Villages. We are so big north to south that a climate zone line runs right through The Villages. There are free plant clinics every Monday and Friday - currently online but usually in local buildings. Bring any question about gardening to the clinics.

[JimJohnson]

10 years in Duval and a constant b@ttle with the Zoysia. We are now one month in Chitty Chatty with St. Augustine and absolutely love the look.

[Scorpyo]

I really don't like posts that start with "Don't yell at me". You pretty much take away any enjoyment that I would have had. Anyway, thanks for the post and the responses. I have a Courtyard Villa. In a couple of years when my wife finally decides to retire we'll move here permanently and will probably buy something bigger and unfortunately with grass. After reading the responses I now know grass should be a consideration in what we buy. I picked my Villa specifically because it does not have one blade of grass. Stone both in front and back. Our home in GA has Bermuda in front and Fescue in back (because of the trees). All I know about grass is it's a pain in the back - literally.

[DeanFL]

I really don't like posts that start with "Don't yell at me". You pretty much take away any enjoyment that I would have had. Anyway, thanks for the post and the responses.
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Personally I certainly understand why he/she began that way. How many times have we see somewhat nasty replies on ToTV to a Threadstarter? Some folks are "Holier than Tho", or simply MUST respond with a snarky comment. It is what it is - ToTV is a microcosm of our society.
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[pooderpask]

Zoysia is an awful grass. St Augustine is green all year long.

[Irish Sissy]

We had the Zoysia removed and put in St. Augustine because we think it is more aesthetically pleasing. We are from S. Fl where all we ever saw was St Augustine. It has wider blades and they are shiny and thick. Just drive around and see the differences, and then make your decision.
St. AUGUSTINE

[New Englander]

:a20:I have Sensimilla, but I’m not sharing it

:a20::a20:

[big guy]

We live in The Village of Sunset Pointe" and we have St Augustine. It's a thirsty grass without too many problems. We chose the area we wanted to live in because of the type of grass. SOunds odd but we were renting in Caroliine at the time and they have Zoysia which seemed to be brown all the time. Gets hot, turns brown. Gets cold, turns brown. Dry spell, turns brown. I didn't want brown grass. As a matter of fact, while we were renting in Caroline, someone who backed up to Stillwater Trail had their lawn painted. There was a sign posted that said, "Lawn Painting by Jim -----. Call --- --- ----." We laughed because it sounded so foreign to us. I wasn't going to be painting my lawn.

[Grill Meister]

I have lived all over Florida....Miami, St. Pete, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Sarasota and TV, plus NC, SC and GA. I much prefer the Zoyzia. I think it looks much, much better than St. Augustine throughout all the seasons. Plus it requires no where near the maintenance of St. Augustine....SA is subject to chinch bugs and the thatch builds up and requires verti-mowing from time to time or it will be subjected to all sorts of fungus, etc.

[Arlington123]

If you are from the North go with Zoysia if you can. More like a northern grass. St Augustine is rough with wide blades and hard to walk on without shoes. Hard to cut if you use a push mower. Been here 15 years. First yard was St Augustine, I hated it. Drought tolerant..bull. I had to water It constantly to keep it alive, the same with Zoysia but watering can be cut down during dormancy. Constant bug infestations with St Augustine even with monthly service. Haven’t had a problem with Zoysia and bugs with monthly service. Zoysia will go dormant in a COLD winter but If you get a break from mowing.

Neighbor planted St Augustine but quickly removed it, didn’t like the texture. Some of it remained and took over Zoysia, since it grows faster. Got rid of it by replacing it..have to get it all. . St Augustine looks like a weed to me as a former Northerner. I don’t think you can introduce a different type grass in an established neighborhood. If you do, approved or otherwise look for your neighbors to object if they hate St Augustine like I do. It will take over Zoysia In your neighbors yard...good luck with that!

[NoMoSno]

Love Floratam St. Augestine.
Replaced all Zoysia.
Looks better, much easier maintenance.
Leave it cut at 4" height.

[Spike380]

Try Next Door-its online and includes all the neighborhoods nearby. They have recommendations and I've never been disappointed.

[sloanst]

We have zoysia and hate but we can't get a landscaper to change it. They say the lot is too small. Would much rather have St Augustine.

[Villagerjjm]

You can walk barefoot on Empire Zoysia grass with no discomfort. St. Augustine grass grows with thicker blades and needs to be mowed higher than Empire Zoysia. St. Augustine grass is uncomfortable to walk barefoot on. Empire Zoysia begins its dormancy according to the light levels of the season. If you get a hard freeze, Zoysia will go dormant (turn brown) and then start greening up again when the temperatures start turning warmer. Both St. Augustine and Empire Zoysia are excellent choices, but you really can not mix them together. There are different insects that feed on each one, different ranges of problems and different chemicals and fertilizers. Mix the two together and you have a lot of maintenance work to do.

[Mleeja]

Have you ever see a dog tip-toe across the grass? That is what our lab does in our St. Augustine grass. If the dog doesn’t like it, I don’t either.

I’ve always wondered what would happen if Kentucky Blue Grass was mixed with St. Augustine? In the winter months I think the blue grass would thrive.

[dadspet]

I don't think you actually have a choice. Its what the developer puts in. In Brownwood area we have Zoyza and it started off a little slow but now its thick, lush, green, and softer then St Ag.

[NoMoSno]

It all boils down to personal preference as they both have their pros and cons. There is a newer cultivar of St Augustine called Pro Vista that is round up tolerant. If you're going with St Aug, I would recommend using this as there are several weeds including bermuda grass that are uncontrollable in St Augustine and requires round up to kill them.
Where does one find this new Pro Vista cultivar?
Is it available locally?

[Happydaz]

Zoysia grass when properly grown is a beautiful green lawn. Sod Solutions, the company that holds the patent for Empire Zoysia (the variety that is planted here in the Villages) recommends the following: #1. Set mower cutting height at 1 to 2 inches. Higher mowing heights taller than 2 inches cause the grass to form a lot of thatch that attracts insects and fungus. #2. In the early spring you need to buzz cut your lawn to at least one setting lower than you mow normally. So if you mow all year at the highest recommended height of 2 inches you would buzz cut your lawn in March at 1 and 1/2 inches or less. This does not hurt the grass as the stolons of Zoysia are below ground level and the grass bounces back pretty fast. This can be hard on a mower so you can make partial passes doing a little each run. You need to bag up all this dead grass and remove it from the lawn. This early buzz cut goes a long way in keeping empire zoysia grass healthy.

I have followed these directions and my zoysia lawn has been growing very well. I mow my lawn at 2 inches. Commercial mowers balk at mowing zoysia low at 2 inches as they would need to mow every 5-7 days in summer to keep it at 2 inches. If you do mow each week at the top height of 2 inches the lawn takes on a carpet like look where the grass thickens up and looks flat without all the undulating look you get from higher mower heights. So bottom line is if you mow empire zoysia higher than 2 inches and don’t buzz cut it in the spring you are going to get a messy, uneven, diseased, insect infested lawn. The problem is no one is managing empire zoysia as it should be grown.

[NoMoSno]

I believe Lake Jem farms is a listed grower and installer of ProVista, you can reach them at 352-383-7196
Yes, they are.
Thanks for the info...:coolsmiley:
provista st augustine grass - Google Search (https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=provista+st+augustine+grass)