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On Sep 18, 2009, forgetgrass Westlake Village, CA wrote:
I saw the add for this amazing grass in an airplane magazine and thought this was the perfect solution to a problem I had. I ordered my plugs in early June, specifically I paid for 1000 plus I received many extras they gave me as the promotion. At the time I did not realize that they harvested only periodically so I was lucky that I did get the order sooner than later otherwise it could have been some wait. When they arrived UPS dropped them off at my residence and they probably stayed there for 5-6 hours roasting in the hot California weather. When I got home I saw and opened immediately, and read the instructions. Most of the boxes the grass was showing signs of distress and the color was brown as the instructions predicted. I wet them all down set up some lights and got to work with my son drilling the holes to plant them that night. We did this throughout the evening and then decided to put the rest in the next day which required taking time off from work. I thought I would have enough to put 2 two plugs per foot, but we came up short and had to spread the plugs out over a larger area. Once that was done and I was hopeful that everything would work out. The plugs were very coarse woodsy looking with a few green sprouts. I installed a new irrigation timer before the grass came and set it up exactly per the instructions to the minute for watering directed in the instructions. I even checked the flow rate to see how much water they were getting by putting soup cans around the yard. This initial cycle went on for a couple weeks and I noticed that the weeds seemed to be taking over instead of grass growing. I sent an email to the farm and they told me I could be watering too much, even though I gave them the schedule and our average temperatures had been in the high 80’s and low 90’s. They also recommended that I use a broad leaf weed killer on the weeds. I cut the water back by 25% and used the weed killer, exactly per the instructions. It never got better and the plugs always looked like they were ready to sprout but at the same time seemed dormant. Then our city made water rationing and I cut back again to mandated three times a week, this was less than 5 minutes per day. Now it has been months and the only thing alive is the marathon grass on the edges and the weeds. I am disappointed in the product, felt I did everything by the book but considering the result I had, it was a waste of money, time and water that I should not have wasted. I am going to invest in native plants, rock pebbles and a small piece of artificial grass so there is some green in our garden other than plants. The only positive experience was getting the little auger drill that I can use to plant bulbs, but without that the whole thing would have been a total waste of money. I hope others have better luck for me; I should have invested in a local solution rather than mail order, it was just my bad luck that prevailed. Good Luck to you, but at least research a local source and consider what they can offer first, before you purchase from mail order.
On September 30th, 2009, forgetgrass added the following:
To complete the information, in the weeks before getting the plugs I tilled the area and added 3 yds 70/30% topsoil amendment mix, the greater portion being rice hulls & organic matter to the native soil. I never check pH, and it was not suggested when I contacted the customer support for help. The soil was so loose that I did not need the little drill they sent me to make a hole to plant the plugs. I am pretty sure that the roots had good contact with the soil, but I could be wrong. We hand watered each plug intially after planting. then let the sprinklers take over once the planting was done.
The rep is correct that the company thought initially overwatering was an issue, but I could not understand, how they made that conclusion based on the watering cycles I used based on their instructions, I was following , to the minute. I did reduce the flow by time, per their instructions the second time around after I contacted them and saw no improvement. As I indicated before things really went sour after I used the weed killer, I don't want to use the trade name but I did use what was recommended.
Since reading the thoughtful reply, I invested in a soil test kit at our local nursery and tested the soil. I took random samples around the area and found the range of pH to be slightly acid between 6.5 and 6.8 for the 6 samples I checked. Maybe this is higher or lower than what it should be, but from past experience trying to change soil pH, I have found it to be a process that is best done little by little over a period of weeks and months rather than brute force additions of chemicals all at one time. I think I am better off leaving it as is at this time rather than jumping to conclusions.
The last time I contacted the company they did tell me about a 45 day warranty, but by then after seeing the results I was not sure I wanted to invest more time to do it over again. At the time I was just frustrated that this process was very intensive, with little hope for success.
Right now the artificial turf seems like the best way to go, no water, no mowing, no maintenance, period. I'm still on the fence about this, but doubtful if I will try again under these conditions unless something else changes.
I am sure others might have good luck, but it was my bad luck that results were negative.On Sep 18, 2009, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
We want to turn this negative review into a positive one. It certainly sounds like this writer did a number of things right and tried very hard to make the grass grow in his yard. Our free replacement guarantees protects customers in cases just like this.
It also appears that something is not quite right. It is difficult to understand what that might be, without direct conversation with the customer. Sometimes it is as simple as, the pH level in the soil is too extreme or the plugs were not planted firmly enough to eliminate air pockets around the roots. Generally it is quite easy to grow zoysia from plugs, making it difficult to guess what might be the issue here. We all know sometimes growing plants can be a challenge. We are here to help customers be successful in just such cases. When replacing grass that didn’t grow we discuss all the possible causes with the customer. This helps to insure a more successful planting. We also extend our 60-day free replacement guarantee to one full year from date of shipment as a convenience to our customers. If the writer could contact us directly we can initiate the free replacement order.
To be sure, the package sitting in the sun for a few hours should not have been a problem and the 80 - 90 degree days is ideal weather for Amazoy zoysia. It sounds like there was some concern about over watering in a previous communication to us, but from the description in this posting that does not really sound like an issue.
Every year we ship thousands of orders to California and customers throughout the state tell us they have great success establishing Amazoy lawns. I’m sure we can solve this mystery and have a beautiful lawn for this customer in the years ahead.
On Sep 30, 2009 11:18 AM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:
Our guarantee is unconditional and extended to one year from date of shipping. We would be happy to replace this order. There is no cost to the customer if they want to try again. Without talking directly, it is difficult to make any further suggestions as to what could be done differently. It certainly appears things were done correctly. Why, in this case, it did not grow will have to remain a mystery to us all. Some days we wish growing gardens and lawns was a more precise science!
A couple of additional comments about this posting:
The pH range reported is perfect for zoysia so that was not the issue.
The weed kill also should not have been an issue, if the type we recommend was used with the correct application rates. The comment “things went sour after I used the weed killer” would seem to indicate that might have contributed to the situation although the posting goes on to say “I did use what was recommended”.
"
I ordered 400 plugs on 3/29 to get the free step on plugger. The order was shipped on 4/10 - the plugs arrived soon after that completely dry and brown and flaking apart, as noted by numerous other posters. Although the company is headquartered in MD, my UPS tracking receipt indicated that the package originated from Syracuse, NY. I went through the process of cutting all the plugs apart, installing them with their plugger (the hole cutter is too shallow and flimsy IMHO) that weekend. I understand the limitations of trying to grow this stuff in the NE, but this is one of the rainiest summers ever (rained 21/30 days in June) and I watered the days it didn't rain - and still I would guess 1/3 of the plugs died and the other 2/3 look brown with very little green growth. Perhaps that just reflects their normal slow growth, but where exactly are the ZFN farms? If they just grew the plugs in warm weather they would arrive green! I would not order again, I'll assess the status again this fall and perhaps reseed some areas.
On Aug 2, 2009, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
The crux of the issue here is quite clear; the planting sounds like it got too much water. The good news is we stand behind our product no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. We will replace any plug that fails to grow for up to one year after planting. Simply contact us directly and we will be happy to initiate replacements.
It has been an unusually wet May, June and July in the northeast. Amazoy zoysia is a drought tolerant grass and does not like a lot of water. This is particularly true when first planted. After planting, Amazoy only requires a light (15 minutes) watering once a day. If it has rained it is not necessary to water that day and depending on how hard or long it might have rained, it may not be necessary to water for several days.
As to where our farm is located, we are in Maryland and have been since 1953. To speed the shipping process we initially ship direct from our farm to UPS regional hubs (like Syracuse) from which more regional/local deliveries are made. It may look like the shipment originated somewhere other than Maryland, but I assure you we harvest and pack ever order at our farm.
"
I wish I could have found this website prior to purchasing the so-called plugs from ZFN. It would have saved me lots of time and effort. I purchase the garden shears that were recommended and they became dull almost immediately while cutting through the sandy soil. The auger worked well that came with the product, and I found it best to make a mud pie in the hole prior to planting the plug. I am into my second growing season and I have great news. My centipede is growing great since I planted the Zoysia. I purchased the Zoysia to fill in the bare spots in my back yard to see how it would do (900 plugs worth). I watered as recommended and used the Nutri 20 plant food. Well low and behold, the centipede grass just loved that Nutri 20. The bare spots that I thought would be filled with Zoysia grass is now flourishing with centipede. My advice is to save your money, avoid a backache, and purchase the Nutri 20. Oh and by the way,the Zoysia plugs, still look the same size they did nearly two years ago. I will be interested to see if they "choke out" the centipede, if they ever start to fill in the area they were planted in.
On Jun 13, 2009, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
Zoysia grass and centipede share some characteristics and to some look very similar. The major differences are Zoysia is much more drought tolerant with deeper roots and more forgiving of various soil types for planting.
“The bare spots that I thought would be filled with Zoysia grass is now flourishing with centipede” I read this as the bare spots are filled with something which is good although it appears the centipede grass is getting the credit thanks to our Nutri-20. Later in the posting the writer seems to indicate the spots are not filled in and the Zoysia has not started to spread. That would not be good, although if it has started to send up new green shoots, it is established and will spread. Both centipede and Zoysia are spreading grasses and I think the bare spots are filling in so in the end I believe this customer will have a beautiful lawn, no matter what the grass type.
As to the comment about our shears, they can become dull with extensive use, although this does not sound like the case here. I am at a loss to explain why this particular pair went dull. We guarantee all the products we sell with free replacement if they are defective. As an alternative, sharpeners are available that will restore the cutting edge quickly.
I am not pleased one bit with the Zoysia project I began. I measured and ordered enough plugs to double the amount per sq ft. About 300 bucks worth. They arrived and I began the project. Right away I began to notice that the plugs were not scored too well. I tried several different cutting methods from a saw blade to a box cutter. The issue was the using a sharp object close to fingers and hands while attemping to cut out a 1x1 plug is nearly imposible. I did this for a few sheets making the plugs larger for a safety issue. I got about 100 to 200 cut and began making the holes. Man what a pain in the neck. I placed the cut plugs into the holes as instructed and about an hour or so later i finished. I realized that nowhere was it mentioned the ammount of time and effort was required to complete an entire lawn. I realized that i would take me serveral days to complete the project and with me have to physically cut every single plug i decided that it was going to save my self a whole bunch of time and cut my losses. I took the rest of the remaining Zosia and placed them into Home Depot lawn bags. A complete waste of my time and money but a mistake i will not do again! If anyone asks for my opinion about Zoysia I will tell them to do their a lawn the old fashioned way. GRASS SEED!!
In the end i ended up going out and buying tall fescue grass seed and renting an overseeder and had the lawn completed in about 2 hours and for about 100 bucks.
On May 19, 2009, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
Many readers will relate to this posting, as it seems all lawn and garden projects involve more work and time than originally anticipated. Mine certainly do!
At Zoysia Farms we offer tested tools to help make the installation of a zoysia lawn as efficient as possible. We sell and recommend sharp shears as the best way to finish the cutting of individual zoysia plugs. We do not sell saws or knives on our website or at our farm for a reason; they just don’t do a good job and make the cutting of plugs hard work. Stick with good garden shears and keep them sharp.
We offer tools to help make the plug holes quickly (free with some packages). The step-on-plugger is ideal for smaller projects and loam or sandy soils. The power auger is much better for clay and soils with stones and faster for bigger projects. Both tools are efficient and excellent at making holes just the right size for the plugs.
Is putting in a new zoysia lawn more effort than spreading some seed? Yes it is, but in the long run you will have a zoysia lawn that grass seed will never grow and it will need less water, fertilizer, weed killers, and with its slow growth, less mowing. A great result for your initial time and effort.
"
On Apr 30, 2009, trilexia Staten Island, NY wrote:
hi ordered the plugs (so called plugs) about a week and a half ago they looked dead and dried out followed instructions on sheet broke my back for two days and numerous blisters and bandaids from cutting these so called plugs i ordered enough to do do my entire lawn 3 plugs per foot approx 5500 used the power auger and inserted plugs in holes watered and liquid fertalized and all i see is muddy holes thousands of them with dead looking weeds inside when i phoned company and explained they said i drilled down to far the plug is not supposed to go in the hole just sit below soil line but that is impossible when you use the power auger so they said the plugs will probably die so i am left with thousands of muddy holes and a company that sugar coats thier product run dont walk away from the idea of putting this grass down i am in the process of filing a dispute with my credit card today this was a waste of time and money
On May 19th, 2009, trilexia added the following:
its been about a month since the plugs were planted and not one has sprouted got in touch with the same rude nasty person named bernie and explained the situation she barked at me saying you have to wait 45 days i told her to give me a refund she said all they cant refund only ship out replacement plugs i told her i would take it up with my credit card she said whatever an hung up phoned my credit card and received a credit for the entire amount i would rather get my tooth pulled out with a brick than deal with the customer service at zoysiaOn Apr 30, 2009, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
We have many customers on Staten Island and without a name and street address we could not find this customer record. It is therefore not possible to talk to the specifics of this order. In general, it takes 45 days for zoysia to take roothold and it sounds like only a few days have passed since planting. Patience is required to evaluate if the zoysia has started to grow.
Zoysia is very tenacious! It also sounds like our planting instructions were not followed and the plugs may have been planted deeper than recommended. That might cause the plugs to be slower to establish themselves or even fail, but that is not certain. Even though initially, on the surface, zoysia does not appear to be growing, it is putting all its energy into establishing roots in its new home. We stress that it really is necessary to wait the 45 days to properly evaluate and judge if the grass is growing.
The good news is we stand behind our product, even when the planting instructions are not followed completely. We only ask that customers wait the full 45 days after planting to see if the zoysia has started to grow and turn green. If per chance it has not, we will replace free any plugs that are not growing.
There are a couple of additional points worth noting from this posting. The use of gloves is always advised when gardening and using shears. Blisters can form quite quickly. When cutting the plugs, a sharp set of shears will greatly assist the process. Keeping them sharp will help also.
Zoysia Farm Nurseries
On May 19, 2009 4:31 PM, Zoysia Farm Nurseries added:
May 19,2009. It is always very discouraging to learn of such a situation as described in this posting. We do have an employee named Bernie, who has been out on medical leave for a couple of weeks and it is difficult to get all the facts. We also still don’t know who this customer is to confirm the details of the Dave’s Garden posting and to see if Bernie posted any notes in the customer record about this conversation. Without that information it is difficult to provide a balanced comment.
We do ask customers to wait 45 days to see if the grass takes roothold and sends up new grass. Additionally, we do stand behind our product by offering 100% free replacements for any grass that doesn’t grow, even if the customer has not followed the planting directions.
We sincerely want our customers to be successful.
"
Selling "plugs" that the customer has to cut from sod is stretching the idea of a "plug," to say the least. What I got was 3 boxes of dried out sandy soil sod, supposedly representing 1000 plugs. By the time I cut the "1 inch plugs," all I had was bare rooted sprigs. When I was a kid, my Dad sold Zoysia plugs, and I plugged and packed thousands of plugs. I mean real PLUGS, about 2 inches in diameter, with real DIRT attached to the roots, ready to plant! For what they charge, they should be selling real ready to plant PLUGS, not little chunks of "sod" that the customer has to cut, and then find that all that remains is bare sprigs to plant. Its ridiculous. As far as I am concerned, all their explanations in response to other comments is drivel. They should step up to the plate and change the way they do business. They need to provide top quality ready to plant plugs grown in real dirt in exchange for their top prices. I don't want to hear from them about what they want to do to make it right. They can't. That is the way they choose to do business and this is my comment on it.
On Apr 4, 2009, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
Our method of delivering zoysia plugs has stood the test of time and is the best way to insure a beautiful and successful zoysia lawn. It is also why we can guarantee that every plug will grow or we will replace it free.
Out of date methods of supplying individual plugs, puts field harvested grass plants under additional stress resulting in very low success rates. Customers are never happy with that! We have not used this method for several decades.
We are only aware of field grown grass being harvested and sold in sheets. This is the preferred method in the turf grass industry and the one we use.
Helping customers make the right decisions concerning their grass needs is part of our responsibility. That is why every print advertisement we run, explains that our grass is shipped in sheets of sod, that the customer must finish separating into plugs. Our website says the same thing, as well as having pictures of the grass sheets and the grass being cut into plugs. This year we have added a video showing the customer the total process from receiving their grass to successful planting. This video includes showing the grass being cut into one-inch plugs.
We are however, sorry this customer did not see or read the steps involved in planting a zoysia lawn before ordering. We want our customers to be successful and believe the best way to do this is by giving them as much information as possible.
"
I ordered my Zoysia Lawn plugs back in February. They shipped and I received them a few days ago March 29 , 2009 . I too was supposed to get 600 plugs plus a plunger (which is a piece of junk).
I opened the box and found 4 slabs of dead (or what they call dormant) grass. It took two of us, two days to install all the plugs. I was only able to get 42 plugs per sheet. I had to dig the holes by hand while my friend tried to cut them into tiny squares.
Where do they get the idea you get 150 plugs per sheet? Mine were muddy--no scoring on the dirt side--just mud and a few worms. I phoned and emailed them and they told me two different stories. First I should not cut them into 1 inch plugs then I should cut them into one inch plugs. It did not matter what size I cut them because they fell apart. I took some photos and I followed the directions. I wish I saw these comments on this website. So far the company has not been very nice to me on the phone. The proof is in the pudding. I am hoping it grows because it is back braking work.
On Apr 1, 2009, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
We are always sorry to hear when a customer is so obviously disappointed with their initial experience, but know in the end their effort will be rewarded with a beautiful zoysia lawn.
We learned yesterday, on March 31, that this customer had trouble cutting one inch plugs and today April 1st we further learned in a direct e-mail to us that this customer felt the grass was not up to the standard 10 x 15 inch size the would produce 150 – 1 inch plugs per sheet. The customer told us that only 160 plugs were cut from the four pieces of grass previously sent. We have already processed a no charge order for 450 additional plugs. These are to be delivered in May as requested by the customer. All this information has already been directly e-mailed to this customer earlier today.
Warm season grasses, like deciduous trees, go dormant in the winter and like deciduous trees come back each spring to be lush and beautiful. Dormant grass is not dead; it is simply waiting for the warm weather to turn green once again.
"
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.On Jun 28, 2008, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
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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.
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!
On Jun 26, 2008, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
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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!"
On Jun 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.
On Jun 21, 2008, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
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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."
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.On May 26, 2008, Zoysia Farm Nurseries responded with:
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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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
On Jul 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
On Apr 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 !
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!
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.
Ohhhhhhh, "Zoysia Farms"...should be re-named, "Zoysia ALARM" I honestly cannot believe these people are actually still in business. (I'am reporting them to the BBB and using this link as well)
There is NO need in really getting deep into my dealings with these people. ANYONE who reads these complaints can easily see a pattern. My experience was NO different with zoysia farms. I wonder if anyone has ever visited this place? From my dealings with them, and after reading these complaints, I wonder what kind of outfit they have there. I WISHED a thousand times over I'd have found this place BEFORE placing my order. Receiving brown, dead, brittle rooted "grass" in a box...I knew I was in trouble.
A little note was inside stating: "If your zoysia grass appears brown or "dead" do NOT be alarmed"
Yeah, Ok.
Advertised as :
"To ensure maximum freshness and viability, the plugs are shipped not cut all the way through."
Nope....they're NOT cut at ALL.
Advertised as:
"If you use our exclusive two-way plugger, it’s easy to dig the holes quickly"
The only thing 'exclusive' about this plugger is that after looking at the welds, using it a couple of times, watching it rust.....is that a tetanus shot might be needed. After the first couple of small holes I managed to make with it, a weld broke, allowing the handle to come off and hang at an angle..slicing my hand open in the process. Like everything else they have, it's crap. They advertise it to be some great invention that magically makes planting your Zoysia plugs easier. Trust me, it's not even CLOSE.
I could go on and on and on about these people, but is there any real need?
An expensive lesson learned, but not one to be made again. I PROMISE you that.
Don't get wrapped up in their fancy website. It definately doesn't match the product(s) they sell.
I ordered my plugs on May 1, 2006. By the end of May nothing had arrived and no email shipping notification had been received so I started to send emails asking for order status. Initially I got the same generic response "Your order should be shipping within the next two weeks, weather and field conditions pending" that was May 26!! The more I pressed the snippier they got (by email), using the weather and field conditions as an excuse. When the shipment finally arrived on July 16 without any notice (even though UPS Ground service was used and tracking information could have been provided) it was obvious that the sods had been harvested A LONG TIME ago, they were extremely brown, raggedy around the edges . So much for "field conditions" delaying my order!!
The instructions that came with the package were sketchy at best, they referred to the use of a plugger and we had been sent a drill bit. They said the sods were partially cut and that garden shears should be used to complete the cuts. Ha!! There was no partial cutting done prior to arrival, each had to be completely cut by us. The sods were in such poor shape there was no way that 150 plugs could be cut from each. I was averaging more like 13 rows and each row cut into 8 one inch pieces, rather than the 15 rows into 10 pieces that the instructions described.
My husband and I have conservatively put 20 hours into drilling holes one foot apart in a checker board format, filling each hole with water, and then going one better than the instructions by adding potting soil to each hole before planting the plugs. Since then we water every day. If these things don’t grow I will be more upset about the time and lower cartilage we’ve invested, than the $90.
When I contacted Zoysia with my feedback about their erroneous description of the condition of the sods, they stated “In our literature and on our website, it states that before planting, you must "finish the separation with shears or a knife."” I don’t see how customers can ‘finish’ something that hasn’t been started. They have promised to send extra sods to compensate for the plugs that couldn’t be extracted from the deteriorate sods we initially received.
For those of you that have received your sods. I found the easiest system was to spray the sod before cutting (it helps using the clay/soil to adhere the roots of the zoysia). Then cut one row using small gardening shears, as each one inch section is cut, I simultaneously used the fingers of my left had to pinch the section into a compact ‘plug’.
I got a small tray (approximately 24 inches by 12 inches) and laid out as many one inch plugs as possible and then used the tray to carry and organize the plugs as I planted them.
It is a very labor intensive and time consuming process. Like others I would recommend getting a smaller order and trying it out first. I would never do what we did and if they don’t grow I have NO desire in having them replaced and performing the exercise again
OH I wish I had read all these complaints first!!!! I ordered the whole nine yards (1900 plugs) and cannot believe these people are still in business!! They aren't even PLUGS!! The AUGER was supposed to SAVE in back labor and everyone else is right about the pads of dead roots that I received. I want to report these people to the BBB or something. IT IS A TOTAL SCAM!!! After the rep told me the grass sheets of rotten roots were completely unreturnable all I could do in my complete shock, horror and anger was to tell her to @#$%&@# off!!!
Ordered 1200 plugs from this company and when they arrived I got a pile of dirt and dry grass. The instructions tell you not to worry and plant anyway. (Joke). The tool they provide you broke after attempting 8 holes. A call to the company to complain about your order and tools only irritates them. A new tool arrived 4 weeks later,I did keep the rest of pads wet on a daily basis till it arrived , but to no avail. The second tool broke after 11 holes and by then realized that the pads they sent could not total 1200 plugs. Pads that are 8"X10"=80 plugs. All pads were too small some smaller then 8X10 and only came up with 810 plugs rather then 1200 I was charged for. Trying to get a refund can only happen by contacting your credit card company with the proper info. The reps at Zoysia are very rude, the so -called manager will call you liar and one rep giglled with joy when I was informed that quote; (we have your money!) One of the worst experiences ever encountered...
I only ordered "150" plugs. I guess I'm lucky. I received the dead piece of carpet. There is no way a anyone could get 150 plugs from what I received. I don't think it was 10x15". It was not scored. I planted what I could get from the piece (approx. 30) What a joke. They're still brown. I've been following the directions, but still no grass.
I ORDERED 1000 PLUGS AND WAS TO RECEIVE 900 PLUGS FREE WITH AN AUGER FOR PLANTING PLUGS. THE PRODUCT ARRIVED WITH NO SOIL ATTACHED TO THE PIECES OF SOD. THE SOD WAS NOT SCORED, AS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE, SINCE THERE WAS NO SOIL ATTACHED. THERE WAS NO WAY ON THIS EARTH THAT YOU COULD CUT OUT 150 PLUGS, AS ADVERTISED, FROM THIS SECTION OF SOD. ZOYSIA IS A MARYLAND CORPORATION (SHELBURNE AND CO.), SO DO NOT EXPECT TO GET ANY CEO INFORMATION. THEY TELL YOU TO SEND BACK THE PLUGS THAT DO NOT TAKE AFTER 45 DAYS.THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, SINCE THERE ARE NO PLUGS TO PLANT TO BEGIN WITH. IT'S A SCAM, AND THERE IS NOT TOO MUCH YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, EXCEPT SPREAD THE WORD. IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFO ON THE CEO ETC, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. BY THE WAY, THE AUGER THEY SENT WAS WORTHLESS, SINCE IT WAS ONLY 7 INCHES OR SO LONG AND YOU WOULD SPEND SEVERAL DAYS ON YOUR KNEES WITH THIS THING ATTACHED TO YOUR DRILL, EVEN IF THERE WERE ANY PLUGS TO BEGIN WITH. WHAT A FARCE!!
Thank goodness I ordered a smaller qty. than I had originally intended...I ONLY lost $50 in this transaction, for 750 plugs (ha!). My order arrived in a small box with 5 pieces of grass, 10" x 15" each, that was brownish with very little soil or moisture. When I called and asked where the rest of my sod was, I was told that each of these pieces will make 150 plugs!! I was also told that the "free" plugger I received is several times as big as what they call a plug. I asked what I had to do to get my money back and was told they don't give refunds! I spoke to a supervisor named Linda who gave no further info. I saw their ad for sometime in the Parade magazine, and intend to contact them and let them know the type of company this is. I am very dissatisfied, and suggest no one use this company!
I bought almost $100 with shipping and handling cost. I bought dead grass that I watered as per instructions. One month later I now have a lawn with yellow polka dots through it. The lawn I had is doing great with all the watering, but zoysia is just dead. It arrived like that, instructions say it may be yellow, and like a fool, I took the time to plant it all. I am not a happy customer, I am now forced to get sod to cover up my connect the dot lawn. And hopfully it will take. But then again,I will be buying green grass
I contacted the company concerning the poor quality of the grass plugs I purchased. The sod arrived bone dry and there was no where near 1000 plugs. (I purchased the 800 plugs with 200 free and the free plugger.) I am totally disatisfied with my experience with this company and I will never shop with them again nor would I recommend them to others. I was told that there are no refunds nor is there replacement of defective merchandise. I intend to follow up with the consumer protection bureau here in the state of pennsylvania and I would advise anyone else who has poor dealings with this company to do likewise in their state.
The zoysia sod arrived in damaged condition. It was bone dry, and much of the soil had been knocked from the grass. Although I had ordered 300 "plugs," there were not 300 usable plugs in the box. The instructions said the plugs were pre-scored, but I saw no indication of any scoring, probably because so much of the soil was knocked off the sod.
When I called Customer Service, the person I talked to was friendly, until I mentioned I had trouble with the product. Then she accused me of not following the directions. I know what I saw when I opened the box, and the sod was not in good condition, nor was it physically possible to get 300 usable pieces of sod from what I was sent. The company agreed to send 150 new plugs as a replacement, but the rudeness of the employee has convinced me never to do business with them again nor to recommend them to others.
On September 22nd, 2004, mwach added the following:
Well, it gets worse.
Although I was told I would get replacement plugs, none have been sent. Again, poor product, poor customer service, and business practices bordering on fraud. Avoid this company.
