Q: I have a 25 year old bermuda lawn. It’s pretty thin, and the soil isn’t very good. I like the appearance of zoysia grass. If I put in zoysia plugs, will they eventually take over, or is the bermuda hardier?

A: The zoysiagrass will eventually take over.

My neighbor has a volunteer patch of zoysiagrass that has gradually gotten larger in his bermudagrass lawn. He too likes the look of zoysiagrass.

It has taken fifteen years for a 2′ x 2′ patch to grow to 20′ x 20′. Plugs will hasten the process but each plug should be 3″ in diameter, planted 6″ apart.

spring green-up; bermuda on left, zoysia on right

winter color; bermuda on left, zoysia on right