The advertisements are colorful and seductive: “Lush green lawn guaranteed!”, “Miracle sod!”, “Even grows in impossible spots!”.

Is there any truth to the claims?

As with a lot of advertisements, there is usually some truth to be found. The four-color advertisements for zoysia plugs truthfully state that the grass is Meyers zoysia. But when the cost of the plugs plus shipping expenses are totaled, it is much cheaper to purchase zoysia sod from a local nursery and cut it into plugs manually. Typically, hundreds of plugs are promised at low cost. Indeed, hundreds are provided – but they are so tiny that a 50 percent failure rate could be expected.

“Amazing hybrid grass seed” is another common advertisement. Buyers are promised a “lush, green lawn in all four seasons, in every climate!” The claim is simply ludicrous. NO grass grows successfully in all parts of the country. This particular grass blend mostly contains creeping red fescue seed and Kentucky bluegrass. These two grasses grow fine in the cooler climes. But given the weeks of high temperatures and dry weather we have each summer, both would disappear rapidly.

There are NO miracle grasses. Fescue, bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine,centipede and some bluegrasses can grow well in the Atlanta area. All of them can be lush and green for significant parts of the year. The key to success for any lawn is to choose the right grass for the site and to prepare the soil properly before planting.

Lawn Care Calendars and Factsheets