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Comments:Displaying the 50 most recent comments:
| Rating | Author | Content |
| Positive | sawzallgrass
(1 review) | On July 19, 2008, sawzallgrass Woodbury, NJ wrote: The user name I chose says it all!!! This grass SAWS ALL just like a SAWSALL! It will continue to keep spreading and choking out weeds and other grass.
MY STORY:
I first bought the plugs 1 year ago last june 07. When the plugs arrived most of them were as most of the comments have said......brown and dead looking. But since my mother already has this grass I knew that it was only that they were dormant during the shipping because of the short roots due to cutting for sod/plugging. If most of you have read the instructions it clearly says that, if the grass has come to you with a brownish color, DO NOT BE ALARMED, as it on has gone dormant during the shipping. It also stated that if it is brownish to place on a plastic tarp or trash bags and wet the sod to keep the roots moist.....which is what I did.
I then began to try to plug 1x1 inch pieces 6 inches apart taking up an area of about 100 square feet. This was actually ridiculous considering how extremely small a one inch by one inch square really is. So I began to to make them a little larger and was getting about 50 plugs per piece of sod. I plugged in 2 different areas in my yard. One being the grass/lawn itself and the other being a bare dirt area without any weeds or grass at all. I watered everyday as instructed to for 21 days and then went a little further as to go another whole week of daily watering.
After these 4 weeks of watering, the grass in the bare dirt was now green and had taken good root. But I could only find a couple of the zoysia plugs that I planted in the lawn/grass. I thought the zoysia had not rooted and died in the lawn area. So I decided to find a plug in the bare dirt and then start looking around that plug in a checker board area as I had planted to see if I could find another plug. To my surprise there it was hidden beneath all of the other grass. I moved on and on and started locating more and more plugs. I realized that the plugs were so small, and all of them were now green that I could not find them MIXED in with all the other grass!
Remember, Zoysia is an extremely slow growing grass and if it is planted in another lawn it is very hard to spot the first season and possibly even the second season until it gets large enough to where it is dominating that little area by itself. I did notice that if zoysia is planted in a bare area of dirt it will grow much much much faster than in a grassy area. The reason being is that the stolons have much more room to move in a bare area rather than in a grassy area. But rest assured it will grow, but much slower in with another grass. This grass grows just like compounding interest in a bank. The larger a piece the more stolons it can produce and when they mature they produce stolons and so on.
The plugs I planted in the bare area have already connected to each other and have covered about 75% of the area. There is still some dirt in between some plugs here and there but it is only because a stolon has not spread in that direction yet.
My conclusion is that if you actually watered the grass everyday when you initially plant it, then it has definetly taken root but you just cant find it yet. But eventually you will realize how much it has grown and be amazed.
P.S.
I live in New Jersey, where it can get extremely hot and extremely cold. So unless you are from minnesota, this grass will grow in just about every area of the country if you follow the instructions. I think that most of the people who have posted on this site and other sites alike, post their conclusions well before they have given the grass a chance to grow. If you are considering this grass, I highly recommend it!!
Company representative comment on July 28, 2008:
On Jul 28, 2008 4:52 PM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:There is lots of very good advise in this posting. A key word when growing Zoysia is patience. Zoysia is slow growing taking longer to establish, but that is also why it will need less mowing year after year.
Planting closer together and cutting the plugs bigger will speed the process of getting a new lawn as suggested in this posting. If speed is an issue, do as suggested. The plug calculator on our website will help you get the correct quantity.
The other great point is about planting in an existing lawn. It helps to clear an area around the planted plug as this will reduce competition and give the plug some open ground to spread into. All very good advise. | | Negative | stephenrblv
(1 review) | On June 27, 2008, stephenrblv Las Vegas, NV wrote: Grass arrived dead and is still dead 60 days later. Followed all the directions and am out 4 hours of my time and hundred bucks. What a sucker I was, lol. To be fair at one point I did see a single green shoot on one of the "plugs". It has since died.
It really is amazing to think these people at Zoysia have been around for 50 years shipping dead grass to people. Beyond the fact the product is trash, they mislead about most of the process.
First, there are no plugs as you are lead to believe. What they ship is basically flat sod pieces you must then spend many hours cutting into squares (not easy at all). Course your coverage with these falling apart plugs will always be less than advertised since no two "plugs" will ever be the same. Most of the turf breaks apart and an actual 1 inch solid plug is a rarity. This is because the grass is DEAD when it arrives and already is falling apart.
Second, Zoysia raves about their modern technology of shipment...which in truth is nothing more than a plastic bag inside a cardboard box dropped off on your porch by UPS guy. The box is so heavy most people will not be able to lift it, I didn't and I am a healthy man in my 40's.
If you are thinking about ordering Zoysia, I would tell not to. Save your money and time.
On July 1st, 2008, stephenrblv added the following:
After reading the reply from this company it is clear they do not understand the customer is always right. I am not al0one there is a tonm of negative feedback about these people. If they were Ebay sellers they would be banned.
Company representative comment on June 30, 2008:
On Jun 30, 2008 3:49 PM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:We are concerned when a customer is unhappy with their experience with our product. We take great pride in what we do and go to great effort to help them have a beautiful lawn.
Nevada is one of the states to which we ship that requires agriculture dept. inspection before shipment, so we know the product left here in good condition. Zoysia will quite often go dorment to protect itself when it is not getting nutrition, sunlight and water. This can happen in shipment. It can survive many weeks in this state. In its dormant state Zoysia grass goes a honey brown color which many people incorrectly think means the whole plant is dead. For this reason the first piece of information in each shipment is a sheet that says in big letters if the grass arrives brown, do not be alarmed it has gone dormant in shipment and not to worry, as once planted the grass will send up new shoots of grass. This can take 45-60 days from planting. Patience is required and as long as the planting and watering instructions are followed we very rarely see the plants not taking root hold and sending up new shoots of grass.
The greatest danger is the customer assumes it is dead and does not follow the instructions about planting and watering and then thinks negatively about the product and our company when it doesn't grow. Howerver, even in case such as that we honor our free replacement gruarantee if a plug doesn't grow. We only ask that they contact us directly after 45 days.
On our website, in a number of places, we show the grass in its shipping form as a sheet measuring 10 inches by 15 inches in pictures and discription. We inform potential customers that the pieces will be scored into 150 square plugs and the customer will have to finsh the seperation before planting. We recommend garden shears as the best way to cut the plugs apart. This is stated and shown multiple times on our site including in the Planting Zoysia tab. We try to make is clear and easy to understand before ordering.
Our shipping methods are as a result of may years of refinement and success. There is no great "modern technology" involved and we never claimed there was. We employ mainly women in our shipping department. Additionally, UPS has a weight limit of 70 lbs which we never exceed even on our biggest packages. If it comes close to the limit we ship in multiple boxes.
We stand by the information on our web site, our product, the methods of shipping and our guarantee to replace any grass plugs failing to grow within 60 days.
| | Negative | kkabbati
(1 review) | On June 26, 2008, kkabbati Stratford, CT wrote: I received my order and first of all it was shorted. The plugs looked dead but I was told that they may be slightly brown when received. I planted the plugs using the EXACT instructions and the just continued to die off. NOTHING has survived. I have been a gardener for 20 years and tried to take the easy way out. From now on I will continue to grow my grass the old fashion way!
Company representative comment on June 26, 2008:
On Jun 26, 2008 3:30 PM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:We are extremely sorry about the short shipment. The missing plugs are to arrive today 6/26 according to the UPS information we have.
As to the grass not growing, zoysia being a slow grower it can take over 45 days after planting for new growth to appear from the roots. In that time, the grass on top will probably go brown as the root system puts its energy into growing new blades of grass. In the short term this can give the appearance that the grass "continues to die". In actual fact the roots are growing and sending up new shoots of grass. Please be patient. Zoysia is slow, but that is part of its beauty as it will need less mowing once it is established. Rest assured, not matter what, we stand behind our product (with 50 years of experience) and will replace any plugs that fail to grow, free of charge.
This old fashion way maybe a little slower, but the end result is a fantastic lawn. It's worth the wait! | | Negative | rloosli
(1 review) | On June 21, 2008, rloosli Bonita Springs, FL wrote: I ordered about 2000 Zoysia plugs and live in SW Florida. The plugs were planted according to instructions in my backyard in the winter time (no rain). The soil here is strictly sand, so they were easy to put in. I watered them by hand every day for about 3 weeks and saw no progress. Since water is at a premium in the winter, I soon gave up and stopped (the water would have cost me more than the grass). However, I do have a sprinkling system which continued to water twice a week. Here it is 6 months later and not one of the plugs took. It's just as barren as it was before. I consider these plugs a complete waste of money and will sod my lawn next time.
Company representative comment on June 24, 2008:
On Jun 24, 2008 1:39 PM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:We are sorry to learn of this situation. If the customer will contact us directly we would be happy to stand behind our guarantee to replace every plug free of charge.
Zoysia is highly successful in Florida, in general and in sandy soil particularly.
Zoysia is very drought tolerant and sometimes too much water will harm new roots. It is difficult to say if this might have been the cause without some discussion as there might be other issues also. No matter what the situation though we would still honor our guarantee. We view it as a no fault guarantee. | | Positive | jettsmom
(1 review) | On June 14, 2008, jettsmom Independence, MO wrote: I ordered plugs several years ago. I wasn't able to get the total plugs they said I could. The plug cutter broke after a few tries. Many of the plugs seemed to be just brown pieces of grass.
We continued on.
We decided to cut the plugs into 3x3 pieces and dug small holes for them.
After 3 years, my lawn is looking very nice. It has spread quite well. So far I'm am very pleased with how it is turning out.
I was disappointed with the way the plugs looked at first and then the broken plug cutter. But it didn't stop us from planting the plugs we had gotten. We just did it differently than suggested.
My back yard is a mess and I am now considering purchasing more plugs. I will again plant them in 3x3 pieces like I did in the front yard.
I'm sure if you're a pro at planting the plugs, it works fine. You just have to make it work for you. Don't give up.
Company representative comment on June 16, 2008:
On Jun 16, 2008 11:32 AM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:We are always happy to learn of successes. When ordering for your backyard don't forget to ask about our returning customer discounts.
We guarantee both our step-on plugger and power auger attachment, which help with the planting process. If either breaks we will replace it free of charge.
Plugs can be cut to any size. They don't need to be any bigger than 1 inch square, but it can speed the planting process to cut them bigger. The down side is you will need additional grass to cover the same area.
Just a reminder, that quite often the grass will go dormant after harvesting and in transit. That's why they sometimes arrive looking the way you described. This is natural and actually protects the plant and its roots. Once planted in the ground and watered zoysia will start to send down new roots and grow new grass. | | Negative | n1olo
(1 review) | On May 26, 2008, n1olo Bridgeport, CT wrote:
Received my "600" plugs in 4 dense mats of turf. They were allegedly scored to produce 150 plugs per mat. I was lucky to separate 1 mat into approximately 50 usable plugs. The plug cutter (step on) they sent clogged constantly and only made three holes prior to cleaning. The 30 holes I did manage to make took over 2 hours including planting cutting and cleaning.
It would have been less aggravating to have a landscaper come in till and plant turf. I have contacted the company insisting on a refund.
On May 30th, 2008, n1olo added the following:
My experience has been the same with Zoysia Farms other dissatisfied customers. As far as they are concerned the customer is always wrong. I\'ve filed complaints with the CT Dept of Consumer protection and the US Postal Inspector.
Company representative comment on May 30, 2008:
On May 30, 2008 3:45 PM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:All Amazoy zoysia grass is field grown and harvested in sheet measuring 10 by 15 inches. This improves the viability of the plugs and helps with the handling of the product both by us and by the home owner. Before shipping we score each sheet on the earth side to help illustrate the 150 plugs in each piece. If the earth becomes dry, while in transit, it can become difficult to see the scoring, particularly if the sheets are roughly handled and some earth falls off. This is difficult to control.
In this case, it sounds as if the plugs were cut too big, if only 50 were produced. Making the plugs too big will make it difficult to fit into the holes made by the step on plugger, and will end up covering less area in total.
Lightly wetting the area to be planted will help condition the soil and improve the performance of the step on plugger. Too much water will tend to clog the step on plugger. It is a self cleaning tool which is open at both ends to allow the soil to be pushed through it.
Planting plugs is the economical way to grow a zoysia lawn. Each 1 inch plug will spread to fill in the area between, at the cost of half a penny or less for each plug. A square foot of quality zoysia sod to cover a similar area can cost many dollars each.
Less aggravation possibly, but much much harder on the wallet.
| | Neutral | h2ojobless
(1 review) | On May 18, 2008, h2ojobless Phoenix, AZ wrote: WOW!!!!!!!!! I'm not sure if I should try this grass or not. I live in Az where it is hot!!! HOT I SAY HOT!!!!! Today it's about 103 tomorrow it's 108 next day 108 next 102 the 87. Why out of all these comments I have not seen one from Az. I know that the diamondbacks use this grass in there dome. Controlled environment and they had the money to alter the conditions. Does anybody know if this grass will grow in the hot southwest desert? Give me a yell! I would love to here honest answers.
On May 18th, 2008, h2ojobless added the following:
Almost forgot. If the company reads this what type of grass do you send. I did a lot of research and know there at least 3 kinds. I would love to try the El Toro or Emerald type as out of the three these two seem to have the best comments on other web sites. The type I believe ZFN sends is the Zenith which is the third best kind of grass for this type of grass. I also contacted U of Arizona and they gave me some info. This grass is basically a far east grass grows in Japan to Korea. Just thought the folks would like to know.
Company representative comment on May 19, 2008:
On May 19, 2008 4:07 PM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:Zoysia Farm Nurseries has been in business since the early 1950's growing and selling only the original Meyer Zoysia grass released by the U.S. Deptarment of Agriculture . It was developed by the USDA in conjunction with the U.S. Golf Association which was looking firstly for a heat and drought tolerant grass for golf coursed in the hot dry desert areas from Souther California to South Texas. The beauty of Amazoy Zoysia (our brand name) is that it can also withstand the extreme cold often associated with winter nights in the desert and much further north. This is not true of all zoysias.
We are the original providers of zoysia grass for home owners. No one has been doing it longer. I think we know just about all there is to know about zoysia. Below is a testimonial from out website by one of our Arizona customers, I think it says it all. Be careful who you believe, not everyone is an expert on Zoysia grass
Wickenburg. AZ -- "Grew in desert conditions"
"When we moved here we were told by our landscape architect, that the zoysia would not grow here (we are intermediate desert). But we tried it anyway. Was he ever embarrassed a couple of years later when he saw our thick lush lawn." --J.N.
All the best
Zoysia Farm Nurseries | | Positive | mrgreen306
(1 review) | On May 11, 2008, mrgreen306 Ooltewah, TN wrote: i bought from this company 7 years ago, my yard is about 80% filled in (i didn,t buy enough plugs,my fault!) my yard looks better and better each year! i would not hesitate to buy from them again. | | Positive | mdskymedic
(1 review) | On May 2, 2008, mdskymedic West End, NC wrote: Ordered my plugs last winter, Jan 07, they arrived just as described in early May 07. Did as website said, opened, watered etc until I could start planting. Yes it's hard work! Nothing comes easy. Planted close to 13,000 1 ft spacing as recommended for 3 "full" season fill-in time. I may also add, poor soil in the beginning of NC worst drought, just my luck. Because of that only watered every other week with the recommended fertilizer. Saw some decent results (greened up and some spreading)by Fall. This spring (April) greened up quicker then I thought it would and now is already spreading some, 1" plugs are now 5-6" with runners reaching out. If this keeps up I will be very pleased. I have not had any customer service questions/problems. I did e-mail them a question this morning am waiting for response as of this writing.
For all of those that wrote negative comments, go back and read their web site. From what I've read from some of them, seems like you only read what you wanted to read.
I admit the 1" plug is hard to do, I recommend wetting both sides of sheet to keep dirt wet so soil hold on better, but I even planted some of the bare root edges and they seem to be coming along. During any home improvement project you should estimate 10% loss of materials. Planting plugs is no different.
If you are looking for quick/right now results re-read the website. Even 1ft spacing is a 3 FULL growing season project. Plant more closer together or choose a different option.
I think with the ongoing water problems and people becoming more environmentally friendly, more and more people are going to be planting this type of lawn. If you are patient, willing to do some hard work and do the recommended actions it will be well worth.
| | Positive | relic8hunter
(1 review) | On April 16, 2008, relic8hunter Woodbridge, VA wrote: I have dealt with this company 3x. Two by mail order and once we road-tripped to their annual warehouse sale at their actual farm. Once I ordered in early April, received as stated approx 8 days later, opened immediately because I knew that plants (much less zoysia) can't stand to be inside of ups boxes for long. Watered in boxes(grass is in bags inside of boxes) for three days until weekend, planted that Saturday. I agree w/ others that plugs should be more like 3"x3", not 1"x1" for optimal growth. The key some here are missing is to, 1) open boxes immediately and care for them until you can plant, 2) cut plugs a little larger than 1"x1",3) prep the hole a little...dont plant too deep and dont just kinda 'step it' into the ground and expect good results, 4) water new plugs every day it doesn't rain and you will have a beautiful result (no matter if the material comes to you brown or not). If you do not follow procedure/instructions then you will fail as well you should. If you expect instant gratification then order enough to 'sod' your entire lawn (not plug) or get fescue that you have to water, feed, weed, and mow constantly. Any complaint about being shipped at the wrong time is legit or a vagary of nature (& why don't you simply use their replacement guarantee? It's not as if they send somebody to your house to make sure you did it right, you know?). Any complaint about late shipping, well, perhaps you should have ordered earlier but I do see your point. 2nd time I ordered it was for Dad's B-day (october, wrong time to plant) and I requested them to charge me, send a receipt, and mail the plugs in the spring. They followed through perfectly and his lawn is as beautiful and care-free as mine. As I said, I have been onsite and found the people/atmosphere to be down home/down-on-the-farm but professional, clean and organized. First rate service for me, sorry for those that had bad experiences. Perhaps not enough people that have had good experiences reporting???
One last thought...if EVERYBODY was forced to use zoysia-type grass (from whatever company) then we could cut down on the amount of fertilizer in our ground water, chemicals you and your children are exposed to, less emissions from lawn mowers, and use less water overall as a nation. This should be mandatory in neighborhoods with HOA's (but isn't it ironic that I very much dislike HOA's?), heck mandatory in all parts of this nation wherein it will grow.
On April 16th, 2008, relic8hunter added the following:
Ok, mine is the longest post & I\'m sorry but I just read more of the \'sorry\' posts here and it made me a little upset because I believe in this Co. and the product (\"the product\", not their product...I\'m no shill for any company). I have been from the beautiful and wet Northwest, to the dry Southwest, across the hills and praries of Texas, to the pebble-lawns of Florida, to the painted chemical-lawns of the rich in the Northeast and there is nothing, nothing, like Zoysia. Order early, be patient, follow the advice of the successful posters here, have some patience, and be happy a couple of years from now. PLUS...once your zoysia is established (even 1 Sq foot), you can make your own plugs in the spring and spread them elsewhere in your lawn...NO need to ever buy any seeds or plugs ever again in your entire life. For an established lawn all you need to do is fertilize once in the spring, watch all your neighbors weed&feed, water, and mow all summer and love/live life. Do yourself a favor and treat with nematodes once its established and almost never pay attention for the next 20 to 30 years (when the nematodes die off). Grub free, disease free, almost care free, just edge and mow a couple times while everyone else is mowing 3x per week. Some people here are the joke, not the company that has been in business for over 50 years...sorry to break the news to you. | | Neutral | GuyGirlTruck
(1 review) | On April 1, 2008, GuyGirlTruck Madison Heights, VA wrote: I wish I'd have found this site before I placed my order,Luckily I ordered small! I'm going to withold judgement until I get my sod,and see how things go. I am however very interested in zorsia,and may have to look for a new source
Company representative comment on April 2, 2008:
On Apr 2, 2008 11:54 AM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:As the leading supplier of zoysia grass plugs, you have come to the right place. We have 50 years experience helping many millions of homeowners have beautiful zoysia lawns. We are confident once your zoysia fills in you will also have a beautiful lawn.
With your shipment you will receive complete planting instructions covering different planting situations. Please follow the simple step by step instructions, it is really the best and simplest way to insure success. If you have any questions, beyond our planting instructions, please feel free to contact our customer service team, who can give you expert advise. We are here to help. They can be reached Monday to Friday 8 AM - 5 PM eastern time at 410-756-2311.
Happy planting! | | Neutral | MattHunt
(1 review) | On April 1, 2008, MattHunt Portland, OR wrote: I am interested as to why there is no shipping to Oregon or Washington?
I am very interested in this product, however I can't get it...
Company representative comment on April 2, 2008:
On Apr 2, 2008 10:52 AM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:Amazoy zoysia grass is very drought tolerant and as such does best in the heat of summer in dry conditions. Unfortunately, Oregon and Washington get their fair share of rain and as such we have decided not to ship to these states. Zoysia is really not a good choice for lawns in the northwest. Additionally, we offer a 100% replacement guarantee for any grass that doesn't grow, thus our desire to only sell Amazoy into areas where it will do well. This protects both the customer and our farm.
There are many good choices for lawns in wet areas and the northewest. As zoysia experts, we can tell you, Amazoy zoysia is not one of them. | | Positive | hwsva
(1 review) | On March 26, 2008, hwsva Ashburn, VA wrote: I just ordered 900 plus 700 free plugs from Zoysia Farm in MD. I was not alarmed with the brown color because I knew it meant the grass was dormant. I've been in contact with Sue via email many times and she as been very responsive and courteous. After I measured the sod pieces, I determined that I was short plugs which I emailed Sue and she responded quickly saying that she will ship out the rest of the plugs.
So far my only disappointment is that when I cut the sod into 1 inch squares, many times I am left with bare root that I still plant in the hole. I'm hoping that they will still grow. I think the sheet of sod should be larger or only considered 100 plugs per 15 x 10 piece of sod since around the edge is bare roots. I plan on visiting the store and having them demonstrate the cutting of the sod because I can't seem to get a 1 inch piece to stay together as a plug to plant with grass sticking up. Hopefully I am not planting them too deep, but my reasoning is if I need 6 inch edging to keep the roots from creeping where I don't want them to then up to 2" down seems reasonable.
On April 18th, 2008, hwsva added the following:
Ok, I just wanted to follow up and say that about 2 weeks ago, I went to the Zoysia Farm to pick up another order to finish plugging my yard. The staff was very helpful and courteous. They even said they would load the boxes into my car.
I do want to mentioned that I thought my pick up order was in much better shape than my first mail order. Each piece of sod seemed to be more squared (no lost corners) to make the expected number of plugs. I was also able to see the scored marks on the sod pieces and the root system seemed denser.
Since I have a bare patch of garden, I placed the sod that I did not get plugged that day on the bare soil. It rained the next couple of days, but once it stopped, I was right out there. What I noticed was that the sod was thoroughly went and stayed together better for the cutting. I \"sprinkled\" the first batch, but it didn\'t hold together as well. I don\'t know if the second batch had more roots or just that the soil was thoroughly soaked., but not dripping. Some advice would be to water the sod thoroughly and let it drain away any excess water then plug away.
Yesterday, I started looking over my plugs and noticed the ones that had the brown grass top start greening up. Unfortunately with the first batch, I had many plugs that I was just planting bare root. I\'m hoping that the roots will take hold grow.
Anyways, I\'ll try to report back at the end of the summer as to how my plugs are doing. I have every confidence that the majority (just not sure about the ones that were just root) will grow.
Company representative comment on March 27, 2008:
On Mar 27, 2008 9:46 AM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:We just want to reassure you that it is fine to plant the bare roots, they should grow. One word of caution, the ideal depth to plant zoysia plugs is approximately an inch to an inch and a half. Do not bury the whole plant, only the roots.
As to the separation process, adding some moisture will help hold the soil to the roots and make this go easier.
We look forward to meeting you in person when you visit our farm and store. Store hours change a little throughout the season. Please visit our website for the most up to date information and directions if you need them. All this information can be found under the Customer Service tab. | | Neutral | LazyBum
(1 review) | On March 19, 2008, LazyBum Simpsonville, SC wrote: Prior to my retirement to South Carolina, I bought a starter house and planted Zoysia plugs on the front lawn (from Zoysia Farms in 1973)...a few years later only half of the plugs survived. It was a lot of hard work. Never again.
Moved from the starter house in 1985 to larger house and the lawn in the back yard already had Zoysia grass established, very uniform growth and green. For the next 22 years, I appreciated the efforts of the previous owner who established the Zoysia grass, because I only mowed the grass in the back yard once or twice in the summer seasons I lived there. And I never watered the backyard. Mother nature took care of that. Occasionally, I would give it some 20/20/20 fertilizer when I thought about it. Maintenance is almost non-existent with Zoysia grass. A few years before I retired, I decided to cut small portions of the Zoysia grass from the backyard and plant it between the sidewalk and the street curb. It had covered 75% of the area before I sold the house.
Now I am down here and bought about 100 3-inch square plugs to start. The plugs are packed in garderner's crate separately and very green. If you do not plant immediately, take the crates out of the boxes and put them in full sunshine and water everyday (crates have drainage holes). Then plant them at your leisure.
The only problem I had with Zoysia is that of concrete slabs or walkways. It will find the slightest crack and grow....once established, it is very difficult to remove it. I used table salt to limit its gowth during the summer season. After any rain, re-salt the cracks!!!!! Also used salt liberally on the seam between the curb and street with good results.
Company representative comment on March 27, 2008:
On Mar 27, 2008 9:09 AM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:We are sorry that not all of the plugs took 35 years ago. Today, we continue to offer a replacement guarantee for any plugs that don't grow within 45 days.
As to the zoysia gowing into cracks in the concrete, commercial weed killer should do the trick. Salt is a good environmentally friendly alternative. Vinegar actually might work a little better. The best solution, is patch the concrete after putting down one of these alternatives. Good luck and hope you continue to enjoy your zoysia lawn. | | Positive | arsen
(1 review) | On December 16, 2007, arsen Mission, TX wrote: I had no problems whatsoever in dealing with this company. By the sounds of many comments, I do believe they are understaffed and perhaps should go thru some customer service training to better train their operators, but in my case, they were very helpful and answered all my questions well. If you follow the instructions the product works well. Watering is key. You must water at least twice a day unless it rains. I used a rain gauge when I watered, to make sure my lawn was getting enough water.
One thing I did differently, and that you all may consider, was that instead of cutting the sod into 1" squares before planting, I planted the big 10X15" pieces on the side of my house and watered for about a month. This gave me a 2 big pieces of zoysia grass measuring about 11ftX16ft each, with the 4000 plugs I ordered. After about a month, when the grass took and greened up, I then used their plugger (the manual one) to cut out my own plugs, which I then moved to other areas of my lawn. I cut the holes for my new plugs with the power plugger (the drill bit) and moved my new plugs to their new locations. Took me some time, but being a very busy person, doing it this way allowed me to work at my own pace, on my time schedule. Now, all my lawn is a lush green color, with a very thick grass that has very few, if any weeds and thin spots. I would recommend this company to anyone, but you must re-think the strategy if you are like me, and time is a factor you want to consider. If you dont plant your plugs within 2 weeks, very likely they will die, and if you knock off a lot of the soil when cutting them, then you are hurting the root system and they may die. To me, plating them like I did made much more sense. Hope this helps everyone. | | Negative | donotlikescams
(1 review) | On September 4, 2007, donotlikescams Sedona, AZ wrote: These people sent us DEAD grass plugs. It took 2 months for the DEAD plugs to arrive. We followed the directions exactly, planting the dry, shriveled, brown "grass plugs" as the directions said to do. Well, not one single blade of grass grew. We wasted our money on these liars, and contacted them about the complete failure of their product. After many e-mails back and forth, they finally agreed to refund 1/2 of our money. But, that money has NEVER arrived. Liars again. I will contact the Better Business Bureau in their town, and will tell everyone I know to NEVER buy anything from Zoysia. They need to be "run out of town on a rail," they need to cease and desist from running their "scam" thru the U.S. Mail, and I do not believe one word of any comment that suggests their product "works." Watch me! Zoysia, I will complain to everyone in your state, of your deceptive business practices. Where is the refund you promised to me??? You people are Liars, and Cheats! | | Negative | rsettle
(1 review) | On September 4, 2007, rsettle Powell, TN wrote: I did a lot a research on Zoysia and decided to buy my plugs from ZFN. I purchased thousands of plugs (Spring 2006) to do my front and side yards. After the sheets of sod arrived I had trouble from the start. The sod was scalped with no dirt, not much of a root system and there was no possible way that you could cut these into one inch squares. I took pictures of the sod and wanted to send them to ZFN but they did not want to see them. They did send me some replacement plugs 6 weeks later. The replacement sod was not much better so I cut them into 3" squares and plated them. Over 50% of the plugs failed even though I watered and fertilized (with their fertilizer) consistently.
I would not recommend Zoysia Farms to anyone.
You only get what you pay for except with ZFN you get less. | | Positive | Regancmmd
(1 review) | On August 24, 2007, Regancmmd Mamaroneck, NY wrote: Good product. Correct: you do not get 150 plugs with each piece of sod. It's more like 50. It is backbreaking work to get them started. They require TLC, especially in the first two weeks.
HOWEVER: Follow the directions. I live in the Northeast (N
near NYC) and the grass looks better every year as it fills in. Avoid a sprinkler system and plant this grass. | | Negative | dwedd
(1 review) | On July 23, 2007, dwedd Winchester, TN wrote: This is just a scam. Got 4 pcs of sod that measured 10" X 15". Supposed to get 150 pcs out of each, no way. I expected to receive 600 plugs, not less than one peice of average sod. This is only 4 SF if you were to plant it as received. Beware of the company. I will go to Lowe's and by the sod, cut out the plugs and be $$$$$$$ ahead. | | Positive | angelcruz
(1 review) | On July 23, 2007, angelcruz Houston, TX wrote: Our grass was looking hopeless. My husband and I could never get our grass to grow evenly and maintain a healthy look but, with a bit of patience and Dave's Garden we now have a beautiful lawn and get compliments from our neighbors. We'd highly recommend this company. Angel and I thank you so much!
Elizabeth and Angel Cruz | | Negative | LauraWK
(1 review) | On July 20, 2007, LauraWK Los Altos, CA wrote: I ordered from Zoysia Farms Nurseries from a website in May 2007. The order was shipped one month earlier than promised. When I telephoned their non-toll-free number, the woman argued with me about what the order read. I said I wasn't making this up and would fax a copy of the order to her. She then because extremely rude- it was shocking. In my profession I deal with hundreds of businesses every week, from small one person companies to large corporations. It was shocking to hear such rude responses, calling me a liar, and then refuse to acknowledge their error. Sending any money to ZoysiaFarmNurseries is a complete waste of money. I'm surprised that they can stay in business and can only attribute any success to their flashy website and aggressive magazine advertising. Don't buy; do your research.
Laura | | Positive | Julie29
(1 review) | On July 11, 2007, Julie29 Auburndale, MA wrote: My husband decided it would be great "gift" for our new house. Neither of us have a green thumb, but after alot of work, and I will admit, I was a bit concerned because they arrived brown but I planted them, and less than a year later, I have the nicest lawn on the block! I referred them to my brother he has decided to do it as well! | | Negative | renandrj
(1 review) | On July 6, 2007, renandrj Tampa, FL wrote: Do NOT do business with this company. They false advertise and their product is total crap. Learn from me, I threw my $86.00 out the window. I reported them to the BBB and have disputed the charge on my credit card. From reading the other comments it seems there is no way they are going to give me a refund and there is no way I am going to go through that hassle of planting a new shipment of plugs. This is the worst experience I have ever had with a business. I don't know how they sleep at night knowing they are stealing millions of dollars from people. | | Negative | mpankeyusa
(1 review) | On July 2, 2007, mpankeyusa El Dorado Springs, MO wrote: I was a fool and ordered from this crooked company. (I had trusted the ad because it was in a rural electric coop's newspaper.) The ad stated very clearly that they would ship at the earliest correct planting time for my area. Instead they shipped while it was still 20 degrees most nights and bearly 40 most days. I contacted them immediately and was treated rudely and they insisted I was supposed to call them long distance to listen to them rant and rave and act as though I had done something wrong.
I followed the instructions and eventually got the squares cut and planted worms and all. Again I followed the instructions and made sure they were properly watered only to watch nothing positive happen. However, my yard is infested with insects that have never been here before.
The other negative comments are on target as to what a mess, scam this company is. I feel certain there are thousands of people who have had similar experiences. This company needs exposed further until they shape up, pay up, or close their doors.
Contacted the company again and weeks later was sent a form acting as though I must not be telling the truth and stalling for more time for them to keep my money. I returned the form immediately. Today via snail mail an absurd, unsigned letter arrived stating they want to pay merely half of the total I paid them, if I won't accept replacement plants.
E mail to Edith on the unsigned letter bounced so they wanted my answer via snail mail for more stalling. I copied e mail to Laura and again told them I am going to turn this over to Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Attorneys and attorney generals, and seek class action lawsuit(s) for damages for everyone they have defrauded. They have used my money for 5 mos. and all I got was the expense and time of messing with having their trash planted, an insect infested yard, and trying to collect what they owe me.
[e-mail:mpankeyusa@yahoo.com] | | Positive | toaster1
(1 review) | On July 2, 2007, toaster1 Abbeville, SC wrote: The first thing I would like to say is it is better to leave the grass in the square shape they come in. I planted mine whole making sure to break up the ground under the sod. Water is the key, keep watering for the first two weeks- everyday. After this water with liquid fertilizer once a week and you will not believe the results you will get. My grass is nice and healthy, I have ordered three boxes of the grass and all of it is doing great. It did arrive looking dead, but it is doing so good that I will be buying more. The key is put out whole squares, it takes less time and a square shovel is all you need! | | Negative | nerb77
(1 review) | On June 28, 2007, nerb77 Jewett City, CT wrote: I placed my order in March. I was told orders would start shipping in early April. starting in May I started checking online for an approximate delivery date only to get the same generic"chain letter". Their claim was orders ship in two weeks. In 2 weeks time I had made 4 attempte to get a delivery date. Well, here it is June 28 and i finally got them to respond to my cancellation notice. I may have been more patient had they just treated me with a little more respect and responded to my e-mails. After reading some of the planting issues, I"m glad I cancelled the order. I will double check my credit card and make sure they did not bill me. I don't trust them. | | Positive | minineo
(1 review) | On June 27, 2007, minineo Chesapeake, VA wrote: *******PLEASE READ THIS!!!!!!*********
-------Multi-year Zoysia experience------
My Dad ordered Zoysia plugs from these guys about 6-8 years ago. Through reading the host of negative feedback here, I can sympathize with the reactions. The plugs showed up brown, they were hard to separate into the promised plug sizes, and we really didn't have enough to do the whole yard. We focused on the problem areas and were able to do the entire front lawn, some of the side lawns and some in the back (1/2 acre).
I was convinced that the plugs were dead, there were these holes all over the yard, and me and my brother spent a couple days sweating our butts off to get these things in. That was some years ago....
....Now my Dad has an awesome lawn. Even though we thought the project was a failure, after a summer, the holes had been filled in and the yard looked like it had before we started. After the second year it looked like a patchwork quilt where the zoysia was creeping, and by the third or fourth year it had taken over. The beauty and strength of the grass is as advertised. If you are looking for a quick-fix, instant gratification solution to your yard problems, then Zoysia is probably not for you. For anyone else with (as advertised) about 3 growing seasons of patience and/or a low budget, zoysia definitely delivers on the quality. To add another testimony to the durability of the grass:
I deployed overseas during this last year (June 06- June 07) and while I was gone, I left my Toyota Tacoma parked on the side lawn of my dad's house. It sat for over 9 months in the same spot before my Dad started moving it around. Even with sitting there on the grass for such along time, only the tire spots showed any hurt at all, and there was still grass underneath! I think the web that the grass creates kept the plant parts under the tires alive, within a month the grass was back to normal!
Summary:
Pros:
-Quality as advertised, great lawn when done
-Much more cost effective than sod
Cons:
-Hard work putting them in
-Patience definitely required for filling in
-plug sizes not ideal
-David M. | | Positive | Mitch23
(1 review) | On June 13, 2007, Mitch23 Amarillo, TX wrote: The grass just wasn’t growing in throughout the yard. A friend recommended your company and sure enough within a year, it is spreading like crazy and is a beautiful green. Like everyone else on this site, I was a bit worried when it came brown but then I later realized it was dormant and within two weeks it “woke up”, and it was sure worth waiting for. Not only does it look better but it is sure less work now.
| | Negative | mwt24370
(1 review) | On June 1, 2007, mwt24370 Millers Creek, NC wrote: I ordered 1600 plugs and plugger from this company in March 2007. When I received my order there was no packing list and by measuring the area of the plug sheets I was over 400 plugs short. I planted what came which were dead already and they are still dead. It took me over a month and several emails to get this company to ship my additional grass. When It (450 plugs by their count) I decided to plant each plug in individual containers with potting soil and baby them to transplant size. Time will only tell if this is successful.
Bottom line is, avoid this company at all costs. I would have been just a well off taking $100 and burning it. | | Neutral | Judenow
(1 review) | On June 1, 2007, Judenow Waterford, CT wrote: We recently recieved our Zoysia plugs from Zoysia Farms - and have planted about 100 plugs so far. Back Breaking work - and had I known then what we know now - I would NOT have ordered this grass.
Ours, too, came brown - we read the message about "don't be alarmed" - yea - ok. We've been watering our squares for 3 weeks, and we do have some green shoots among the brown sod.
We are keeping it watered, and we are slowly planting the plugs - however - after reading the reviews - I don't feel so hopeful!
I, too, emailed them when we first got the "grass" and that was on 5/18 - it's 6/1 and I have not heard from anyone. I also called on 5/25 @ 4:24pm - and am still waiting for a return phone call.
I will post an update in a few weeks, when we have hopefully planted all of our plugs. And let you all know what is going on. But your negative comments definitely have me worried now. | | Negative | Pinus55dwarf
(1 review) | On May 14, 2007, Pinus55dwarf Richmond, VA wrote: At first, everything started out ok, the plugs arrived in a timely manner, I put them on a sheet of plastic and misted them. All but one of the sheets were in pretty good condition with soil and the ones that had soil were scored. No way you can cut out each individual plug, they are too small. So, I cut them into one inch squares as much as possible. Initially, I dug the holes too deep with the auger, then had to fill the holes back up to about 3/4 inch of the top. Anyway, so I did about half the lawn and wanted to order more but first had questions and e-mailed those questions....no answer. E-mailed 4 days in a row....no answer. This morning, I have tried to call several times....busy signal. I am about this far (finger and thumb about an eighth inch apart) from going to another company. My fear tho is that it will be so drastically different that it will look stupid. My negative review comes from them not returning e-mails and not so much the plugs...although, they weren't anything special.
On May 15th, 2007, Pinus55dwarf added the following:
So after posting my comments yesterday I decided to see if there were any growers of zoysia in my area...to my surprise there is...about 30 miles away. I asked them if I could just buy a few rolls of zoysia...he said buy as much or as little as you want. So, I am going to buy about 5 rolls ($5.50 a roll) and make my own plugs. I\'ll get fresher and better plugs and who knows how many plugs I can get from a roll of sod. I think a roll of sod is 18\"x5 feet. If you can do the same, it is a lot cheaper, fresher and has to be better. | | Negative | maddmary
(1 review) | On May 2, 2007, maddmary Chelsea, OK wrote: Zoysia Farms is a joke.I placed an order on 3-21-07, along with my personal check. On 3-29-07 my check had cleared the bank and was in my bank statements.
Today , 5 weeks after my check has made it back to the bank and is in my filing cabinet, I still have not been contacted as to when I might expect my order.
I e-mailed them just a little while ago..I told them that I wanted them to refund my money, that I'd been more than patient with them,and that I didn't want to do business with them.
Also that I was going to take copies of my order,check and the e-mail to the postmaster,my attorney, and the BBB.
I've not gotten a reply from Zoysia Farms yet, but they have had my money in their pockets for 5 plus weeks and I'm not a very happy camper. There is NO excuse for this! | | Negative | Debbio
(7 reviews) | On April 26, 2007, Debbio Clarkston, GA wrote: I am in zone 7.
We ordered from this company last year, and I thought I would give the company a chance by waiting a year to see how my plugs did after being planted. Well, like everyone has stated the sheets came barely cut, so we cut ourselves larger than the company said they sent us. The grass did look dry, even after tending to it, but still I waited to see how it would grow. Well, this year, to date, everywhere we put plugs, I don't see anything in those spots. We already had a zoysia lawn and was just using plugs to fill in bare spots. My spots are still bare and my other grass has grown and getting ready to fill in the areas I had replaced with Zoysia Farm grass. I say about them, BUYER BEWARE. | | Negative | TroyBilt
(1 review) | On April 26, 2007, TroyBilt District Heights, MD wrote: This place is a joke. I placed a very large order from them last year. I heard nothing for 2 months. I finally called them, they said my credit card was declined. That's a crock.
I asked when they could re-order & ship again, they told me 3 weeks. I agreed, & was told my credit card was declined again. (I gave them a different card number for this order.)
I asked to speak to the owner, was told he was on vacation for 3 weeks. Amazing how everything with this company centers around 3 weeks, isn't it?
They lied to me on several occasions, then were afraid to transfer me to the owner. I hope they go out of business & save us all the trouble.
DO NOT BUY FROM THESE PEOPLE, AS THEY ARE MISLEADING & UNSCRUPULOUS ! | | Positive | fozzi58
(1 review) | On April 13, 2007, fozzi58 Clifton, NJ wrote: I live in Jersey and my mother has zoiysia grass on one side of her lawn. I wanted the same thing because of how lush and strong the grass is. I didn't care about it being brown through winter. So I found ZFN online after multiple nurseries told me they couldn't even order it for me and no one at Lowes or Home Depot even KNEW what zoiysia grass was. I ordered the 1000 plug kit (with 900 free) from ZFN last June. The Auger they sent me worked fine - never broke a weld and my soil is VERY rocky...not to mention the garbage such as bottles and metal that I uncovered. Yes its true - the supposed "1900" plugs is a myth. There's no way to cut these things into 1" x 1" plugs - forget it. Most of my plugs are about 6" x 6" and i planted them in the worst spots in my lawn. In some spots I used a 1/4 sheet of the 13 sheets I got. Planted according to thier doucmentation with potting soil, watered consistantly for 3 weeks and even fertilized. The plugs took well and were lush and green through the summer. Went dead at the first frost this winter and just now they are starting to sprout some green blades. Not bad for a cold northeast winter.
I checked out all the plugs recently. I think I lost about a half sheet. I still think that's impressive. Some of the plugs even seem to have covered more ground over the winter. Considering people in my area have spent $1000's on resodding thier lawns, and have still had issues after a winter, I really can't complain. The grass is working. I intend to order another "1000" plugs and put them in this spring.
My only complaint is the number of plugs. There's no way to cut this into 1" x"1 plugs. Its ludicrous to try. 3" x 3" would be more realistic. But other than that, I can't complain. What will make me REALLY happy is if they are willing to ship me a free half sheet with my new order to replace the grass that died.
I'm going to recommend them cause I know it worked for me. And ANY grass that works in North jersey is well worth it! | | Negative | jhendric
(1 review) | On April 13, 2007, jhendric Clearwater, FL wrote: After seeing their ad in Popular Mechanics I thought this grass would work pretty good here in Clearwater FL. I ordered 600 plugs. After two weeks I called to check on my order and was told it would be shipped in two weeks. Well, after thinking about it I called back and talked to another woman and said I would like to cancel my order. She told me it was being shipped today and it was too late to cancel. I would get my order the following thursday. Sure enough it arrived the following thursday. Now here is my reason for posting this. The women I talked with were nice although I didn't like being lied to by the first one. Start to finish my order took three weeks. But heres the thing. For $40 bucks I received 4 pieces of sod that had to be cut into 150 1 inch pieces each. To give you an idea, appoximately 9 plugs will fit in the palm of your hand. I was just a walmart and they were selling bigger pieces of Zoysia for $1.32 each!! I paid $40 for what I could have gotten a walmart for less the 5 dollars!!! Learn from my mistake! | | Positive | baltoboy
(1 review) | On April 5, 2007, baltoboy Reisterstown, MD wrote: I just happen to be surfing the web looking at some gardening information and noticed this website and took a look. I noticed all the negative comments about Zoysia Farms and wanted to add a note from my past dealings with them. I got zoysia grass from them years ago and they were very helpful to me when I called for information about the grass when I first considered planting it. I had tons of questions and called them several times and they were always willing to take the time to help me. At that time I do not remember seeing a website for them like they have now but I called and their customer service department was very helpful and courteous to me. They answered all the questions about zoysia grass and what all it entailed since I was starting in a yard that was mostly weeds and very poor soil. I ordered the grass and followed the directions to a tee and my yard is wonderful today. Yes the grass took several years to work but it was worth the wait. The zoysia grass has spread over the years and my grass is beautiful. We had many family reunions over the last several years and the family could not wait to play in the zoysia grass. It is soft on your feet and durable to a fault. Over 100 people running around on it all weekend did no harm to it, not even in rainy weather. All my experience with this company has been great and I plan on dealing with them again soon since my son just bought a home of his own and wants a yard like mine. He will be ordering his grass from them as well. I have read alot of the other comments from past customers on this website and I think everyone looking at this grass needs to keep one thing in mind and that is that all grass is not created equal and there is not one type of grass that is suitable for all areas. I have tried many grasses over the year without much success but Zoysia was the grass that worked for me. I would not have the yard I am so proud of today without this company. Thank you Zoysia Farm Nurseries. A very happy customer! | | Neutral | jcron
(1 review) | On April 2, 2007, jcron Roswell, GA wrote: I'm not sure if I would have ordered from Zoysia Farm Nursuries if I had read some of these reviews but I felt compelled to post as my experience has been different from so many here. After much research regarding grass types for my Atlanta area lawn, I settled on Zoysia. I found Zoysia Farm Nursuries online and ordered the plugs. It did take a couple weeks to recieve the "plugs" by UPS. I called once to check on the order and I was told that they were going to ship to Georgia the following week, and I got them Thursday of the following week. I got the impression that they ship an area based on the weather/planting season. That is just an assumption, so don't count on it. The sheets did have some soil attached. I cut them with a garden shears and it was apparent rather quickly that I was cutting too big to cover the area I planned. I ended up covering about 2/3 of the area I thought I could with the material shipped. The plugging tool was very cheap, but it was relatively easy to use and performed as advertised. If I had covered the intended area if is doubtful the plugger would have made it. As of this writing the plugs have been in the ground since Friday, it is now Monday and they are already starting to turn green and some new grass (very small blades) are coming up from some of the plugs. It is too early to say if I have been scammed, but I don't think so. Other than the sheets of sod not going as far as I hoped I'm pretty happy thus far. If it all dies and I don't get any grass I will amend my post. | | Positive | bobspliff
(1 review) | On March 23, 2007, bobspliff Libertytown, MD wrote: I think that if people followed directions, or followed the guarantee to get the free replacement plugs as i did, they would be very satisfied. my lawn is now lush and gorgeous and as promised from the zosia website. there will ALWAYS be someone who is unhappy with a product no matter how good or whatever they are, and want to complain about it. if you really want to try it, get a small pack first before spending alot of money on what could be a good lawn if you FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!!!! | | Negative | slimpickins
(1 review) | On March 20, 2007, slimpickins Austin, TX wrote: If you enjoy a good scam with rude customer service, then this is the company for you...I got the brown dead grass yesterday and it looks like they sent way less than promised. The rudest lady blew me off when I called inquiring about the brown dead grass. Thanks!
On March 21st, 2007, slimpickins added the following:
Still in zoysia hell! My yard is green...except where the zoysia was planted- All we can do now is make sure they go out of business- I\'m going to look into filing mail fraud charges against them. Funny thing is, I can buy zoysia from the lowes down the street. |
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