This is when we need a professional, to give us help in this problem!!! Surely The Villages must know about this problem too. I wonder if St Augistine is better? (not really) Is there not any northern grasses that would work good here? Or maybe western? You would think in this day and age, they would have a remedy!! Send the Greenskeeper!!

Zoysia is by far better,, esp. when it is maintained correct. takes a lot less water, and bug and weather tolerant.
Most places now require Zoysia or something requiring less water maint. Have a friend in harbor hills.. He did a yard makeover with a pool. When replacing the grass,,, they had to replace with Zoysia... Per HOA or Harbor Hills he told me.

Give this guy a call, he is the Sumter County Extension Agent. Office at the annex Morse & CR466.
Jim Davis
Florida Yards & Neighborhoods
(352) 689-4668 (Villages Annex

Will edging help?
 

I'm new to the villages...just closed two weeks ago. We're on a golf course lot with two sides of our lot bordering bermuda grass from the course. This issue of bermuda invading the zoysia is new to me...because zoysia is new for me. Is it possible to install metal edging to shield my recently sodded zoysia lawn from the encroaching bermuda?...or will bermuda runners go over, under, or over and under the metal border?

Our lawn is new enough that it's not yet a problem, but I suspect it's only a matter of time.

Thanks for any advice! :smiley:

It might help, but when bermuda grows to seed, it blows into your yard. If you look at zoysia grass, it has one blade, like kentucky blue or rye. With Bermuda, it has off shoots from one shoot, that shoots out 3-4 directions. Hard to explain. Maybe Mikeod can take another picture, (I'm not a computer whiz) by pulling one shoot and taking a picture of that? I just can't explain it. I did see the bermuda in Mikeod's picture.

I read it needs lots of sun, so it was suggested to cut the lawn as tall as you can to shade it.?????

Also if you pull it out be care where you throw it away.

Mikeod: If you could take ONE shoot of Bermuda and take a picture like you did other picture, maybe others will get idea how Bermuda shoots look? (As I stated, I'm not computer savvy) My explanation of a shoot, is it sort of grows like a feather, but not as full. Also right now in yard, you can see the seeds shooting out, because they are taller then the other grass. But, do appreciate your other picture of grass you posted. Thanks

Here's a picture of bermuda (L) with Zoysia (R). The marked difference in the texture can easily be seen.

Thanks Mikeod!!! Thats perfect. That shows how the bermuda has off shoots, so everyone can see. They seem to be harder to pull out of ground also.

Yes. The roots go down fast and deep. Even when you feel you've pulled it out, if there is any part of the root or stolon left, it will sprout again. In CA, you had to either chemically kill the whole area, or put a cover over it to block out the sun to kill it. Even then, if a neighbor had it, those seed stalks would reseed your area. The best way I found to keep it out was to sod with hybrid Bermuda. That seemed to keep out the common Bermuda. But you still had to kill the entire area and then wait to make sure no Bermuda resurfaced before laying the new sod. It was sometimes easier to get a bobcat and dig out the lawn, then put in fresh soil and sod.