Question
Hi Jim, I live in S. NJ and a few years ago I was going to use Zoysia.  Changed my mind and now have a fairway looking lawn with new sprinklers this year.  My neighbor plugged with Zoysia and now this upcoming summer it will probably spread into my lawn.  How could I keep it on the property line?  We are good friends, I ran a line of Round Up along the property line and I knew I would have a dead zone but I do not want the Zoysia.

Sincerely,

Tony

Answer
I see this question floating in the Question Pool and it is just begging to be addressed.  I hope you were not in a hurry on this, Tony!  Just remember, you did not ask ME so it's not MY fault this was hanging around so long.  Wish I'd seen it sooner!  I do believe the AllExpert moved to another forum, and would happily have addressed your question if he'd known about it.  Meantime, let me give you MY opinion on this subject.  As a New Yorker, I have an opinion on everything, and I'm only too happy to share my endless wisdom with you.

I too have a neighbor growing Zoysia.  Lucky for me, I had a huge gravel driveway and a border of shrubs between me and him.  No Zoysia here yet.

You on the other hand are in the worst situation you could ask for.  And RoundUp is NOT going to get you where you want to go on this.  Aside from being bad for your local Birds, Earthworms, etc.  But I'll save that for another day.

You have to get a physical underground barrier between you and that Zoysia.  This is simply the only way to go on this, Tony.  How?  Remember that old Gardener, ee cummings, who said, Good fences make good neighbors?

Or was that Carl Sandburg?

You and your good neighbor need a nice big juicy fence to enclose that gregarious, extroverted Zoysia Grass.  Once it moves to your house, there's no telling what could happen.  I don't even want to think about it -- your postcard perfect Lawn, splotched like a teenager's complexion with Zoysia here, Zoysia there.  In late summer, as the night temps drop and get chilly, the Zoysia will turn tan overnight -- and the rest of your Lawn will be bright green at least another month, perhaps 2!  And it will get worse every year.

Keep out the Zoysia.  Make a nice sign with a Z and a big red line across it.  Tell the world: NO ZOYSIA HERE!

Geeze, I hope it's not too late.

Better still, convert your neighbor.  Show him how prettier, how longer lasting, how green your Fairway Grass looks.  Actually, now that he's got Zoysia, he's stuck with it.  Forget that idea.  Get the U.S. Government Certified Underground steel plates along your property and underground to keep the Rhizomes in their place.

Good luck, and feel free to write again.