Question
can i grow zoysia grass in new york city

Answer
Zoysia is quite hardy in New York.  Most authorities discourage people from growing it, but that doesn't stop my neighbor Peter from using it.

Peter loves his Zoysia.  If you drive down Garden Street where I live right now, you'll be able to see it for yourself.  Because Peter's Zoysia Lawn is straw colored, and everyone else is growing Green Cool Season Grass.  Even dormant, my Cool Season Bentgrass and Bluegrass hold their Green.  Peter's Warm Season Zoysia Tan kicks in every late September; it stays that way until late May, when the temperatures warm up to what you'd find in a Southern Winter.  Green at my house, Straw colored at Peter's.

So, just why does Peter like about his Zoysia?

Like thousands of people on Long Island, Peter figures, Who cares what it looks like in off season?  When it gets HOT here, maybe around early July and right through until August, my Cool Season Grass declares it's Siesta Time, and goes semidormant.  Cool Season Grass likes Cool Seasons, and on Long Island, there's nothing Cool about July.  It's not Arizona or Nevada, no, but it's not Maine.  Cool Season Grass likes it in Maine.  It likes it in Kentucky.  It does NOT like Long Island in mid-Summer.

Peter's Zoysia has other advantages besides its heat tolerance.  Which by the way is spectacular -- that Zoysia is verdant while my Bluegrass and Bentgrass look a little piqued.

Zoysia grows slower.  Much slower.  So you don't have to mow it as much.  Believe me, that's nice to know when it's 90 degrees in the shade.

Zoysia is drought tolerant.  Try telling a Bluegrass Lawn you don't feel like turning on the sprinkler.  That Bluegrass talks back to you.  Zoysia is happy if you water it, happy if you don't.

Best of all... Zoysia is THICK and LUSH.  Not only does this look nice, but it will not put up with Weeds.  Let me tell you, a Lawn that tells Weeds to take a hike is a Lawn worth growing.

Add up all these advantages, and for 8 months a year, Peter does not care if his Zoysia looks like someone forgot to turn on the Chlorophyll when they made his Lawn.  Will you?  It's one of those things, either you love it or you don't.

But you can if you want to.

L.I.G.