what grass did I see?
 

Hello,

I am from Pennsylvania. I recently moved. The home that I moved out
of had a lawn made up of the most amazing grass that I've ever seen.
It was fairly dark and incredibly thick. It also seemed to keep its
color during the hottest, driest months in the summer, long after the
grass in everyone else's yard had gone brown. I never knew what is
was, but never really cared. Now that I've moved, I'd like to plant
the same kind of grass in my new lawn. Does anyone have any idea what
kind of grass it might have been? I know it's a long shot, but a big
thank you to anyone who might know. I've never seen grass like this
anywhere else.

I'm sending this to you again to get out onto Newsgroups.

My guess is that you had Bermudagrass or zoysia. They are warm-season
grasses, but can be used successfully in the PA area near the coast. I
have lots of zoysia here in CT, and I like it. It's virtually
maintenance free -- it shades out the weeds and is moderately drought
tolerant. Bermudagrass has even better drought tolerance. On the down
side, they don't grow well in the shade and they turn brown after frost
and don't green up fast in the spring. Both are propagated using plugs
or roots -- I believe starting a lawn with seed is out of the question.
It takes a long time to fill in, but it will eventually crowd out the
existing lawn, and even invade areas where you don't want it. Good luck.

Ed Sisson wrote:
I'm sending this to you again to get out onto Newsgroups.

My guess is that you had Bermudagrass or zoysia. They are
warm-season grasses, but can be used successfully in the PA area
near the coast.

Do you mean the coast of Lake Erie?

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

"Ed Sisson" wrote in message
...
I'm sending this to you again to get out onto Newsgroups.

My guess is that you had Bermudagrass or zoysia. They are warm-season
grasses, but can be used successfully in the PA area near the coast. I
have lots of zoysia here in CT, and I like it. It's virtually
maintenance free -- it shades out the weeds and is moderately drought
tolerant. Bermudagrass has even better drought tolerance. On the down
side, they don't grow well in the shade and they turn brown after frost
and don't green up fast in the spring. Both are propagated using plugs
or roots -- I believe starting a lawn with seed is out of the question.
It takes a long time to fill in, but it will eventually crowd out the
existing lawn, and even invade areas where you don't want it. Good luck.


Zoysia looks like crap about 7 months out of the year in the Midwest.

Its the same in Philadelphia, PA. My neighbor across the street has
had it for years and it looks very unpleasant and dead during the
winter. Other lawns remain slightly green but their lawn is light
brown all winter. Of course, in the summer (and right now) it is
lovely and thick.

"cardarch" wrote in message
oups.com...
Its the same in Philadelphia, PA. My neighbor across the street has
had it for years and it looks very unpleasant and dead during the
winter. Other lawns remain slightly green but their lawn is light
brown all winter. Of course, in the summer (and right now) it is
lovely and thick.


I grew up near Pittsburgh in a home with a zoysia lawn. I wouldn't
recommend it. I think it was a fad in the 60s, one of the "miracle" fads
that appealed to people who are obsessive. Yes, it can be thick and lovely
about three months each year. In the fall it starts going yellow,
eventually looking like a patch of excelsior that remains through the winter
and early spring. It isn't without pests and disease. I'm only familiar
with establishing a zoysia lawn though the placement of "plugs." Using that
method, there is a transition that can last a few years when you have a
checkerboard effect where the plugs are straw-colored and surrounded by
green. It might be a good choice in consistently warm climates.

Zoysia used to be advertised on the back of the Sunday funny pages
right next to those Michigan Bulb Ads.
Probably no coincidence there!

wrote:
Zoysia used to be advertised on the back of the Sunday funny pages
right next to those Michigan Bulb Ads.
Probably no coincidence there!



Hmm, maybe that's not what was in my yard then, because this stuff was
green pretty much all year. I'm in Harrisburg, and I doubt that's too
different from Philly or Pittsburgh

"greenterer" wrote in message
oups.com...

wrote:
Zoysia used to be advertised on the back of the Sunday funny pages
right next to those Michigan Bulb Ads.
Probably no coincidence there!



Hmm, maybe that's not what was in my yard then, because this stuff was
green pretty much all year. I'm in Harrisburg, and I doubt that's too
different from Philly or Pittsburgh


I find that the best grass for my lawn here in Cincinnati is turf type
fescue. It seems to thrive with little care even when the neighboring lawns
turn brown in the summer. You can get some information he
http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...rf+type+fescue