You could plug it yourself with donor grass from your healthy areas. No need for a new type of grass, and you don't have to buy sod. You can buy a pro-plugger from amazon, and most folks seem to like that model.

 

^^^^THIS!^^^^

You also have to factor in that whatever is hurting your current zoysia is going to hurt anything else you put in there.

 

Yeah, I know I can plug, but that would take far too much time given how much I'd need to plug. And, I think the only thing really hurting the lawn at this point it my dog. Short of getting rid of her, I see this being an issue as long as she's alive. This is why I was thinking of just going the cheap(ish) route and just over-seeding. Would doing this harm my lawn? Or is the only issue going to be grass types not matching?

 

Yeah, I know I can plug, but that would take far too much time given how much I'd need to plug. And, I think the only thing really hurting the lawn at this point it my dog. Short of getting rid of her, I see this being an issue as long as she's alive. This is why I was thinking of just going the cheap(ish) route and just over-seeding. Would doing this harm my lawn? Or is the only issue going to be grass types not matching?

Let me backtrack here as I've never actually plugged before, only read about it (and seen pics on here). I'm ASSUMING plugging would take more time. Maybe I'm wrong? I just looked up the pro plugger and it looks great. However, I have a lot of bare and thinning areas in my backyard. I don't know that I have enough good areas of grass to take without making it look noticeable.

 

Hello just read your concern on Zorro. I wrote A&M about this. I requested seed for Zorro immediately. But if yours is thinning it is needing better fertilizer. My yard Co put down Anderson’s. It’s expensive but worth it. You could blend it with Scott’s or Lesco. I wish I’d been told about the ins and outs of Zorro also. But if it’s thinning it may need treatments. You may need a grass treatment service for a time or read up on it. They like you to use grub treatment, and fungicide or compost, on grass in the spring. You also have to thatch it with a thatch rake or a bought machine once a year or aerate it. I just thatched after a drought and did treatments it’s coming back gradually. We’ve had a drought with water restrictions too. Mine got fungus from nite watering I wasn’t warned. All my best Resa

 

You'll likely be wasting your time seeding, given the dog and traffic. Even if something does take, it'll be noticeable, and then would likely decline as well.

Maybe look into controlling areas the dog can go, or a faster growing and better repairing grass like bermuda.

Seed alone won't fix the issue, so it's a matter of paying (and time )to correct it, or just getting used to it until the situation changes.

Your instant fix is sod. Buy a few pieces and use them as plugs. Feed it and it'll spread in. It won't be instant.

 

There is no way I would overseed the zorro zoysia you paid for a year ago with an inferior cultivar. That is crazy talk.

 

Not to mention if you applied a spring pre-e (as you should) it might not even be an option.

 

Thanks for talking me off the ledge, guys. I have some great spots off turn that aren't all that noticeable around the front and back of my yard. I'll get the pro plugger and go that route.

Any other advice would be much appreciated! Thanks so much.

 

Thanks for talking me off the ledge, guys. I have some great spots off turn that aren't all that noticeable around the front and back of my yard. I'll get the pro plugger and go that route.

Any other advice would be much appreciated! Thanks so much.

Like everyone has said, the things that made your sod thin are going to kill any seed probably before germination but definitely before it grows in thick. Plugging now will more than likely have you good to go by the end of the summer. I have Zorro and I'm also in Atlanta, after this weeks rain with the higher temps, your grass should take off. It's been a slow, strange spring which has made me pretty impatient with a couple areas in my lawn, but in a couple weeks I'm pretty sure I'm going to be longing for the lazy growth of a cool spring.

I also have a medium/large dog and when we moved in to our new house last year and laid the Zorro, I had to retrain that little idiot to use a mulch bed. She still forgets sometimes if it's an emergency, but for the most part she's finally gotten the hang of her dedicated spot.

 

I have some pictures here, if that helps. This is by far the biggest problem area up near the retaining wall on the right side of the picture.



These are other, more localized areas where thinning is an issue. It looks worse right up on it, but you get the idea.

 

Oh man... I would definitely plug those areas. That's not bad at all.

 

Up against that retaining wall looks like it stays moist and somewhat shaded, based on the mildew and moss on the stones. Maybe put a flower bed there, hostas or something would look great.

The rest just needs plugged, some fert and time. Work on getting the dog to the gravel or the Firepit area and I don't think you'll need much else.

I'd venture to say given how new the sod is, and your previous questions, you are seeing some erosion. Are those bare areas lower than areas with grass? Like hard pot holes almost ? I have similar issue. I would see about getting some river sand or something to lock in a bit and it'll give the runners a place to tack.

 

Up against that retaining wall looks like it stays moist and somewhat shaded, based on the mildew and moss on the stones. Maybe put a flower bed there, hostas or something would look great.

Yes, you're definitely right there. Always wet. At best, even after weeks of drought and no watering, it's still moist there. I was actually thinking of turning that area into a bed coming down that little hill and running along the retaining wall and putting some ferns in it, as they don't require as much sunlight. Hostas look great, too, thanks for the tip!

The rest just needs plugged, some fert and time. Work on getting the dog to the gravel or the Firepit area and I don't think you'll need much else.

I'd venture to say given how new the sod is, and your previous questions, you are seeing some erosion. Are those bare areas lower than areas with grass? Like hard pot holes almost ? I have similar issue. I would see about getting some river sand or something to lock in a bit and it'll give the runners a place to tack.

Yeah, some of them are lower for sure. Can you explain what the sand does? I obviously see a lot of talk about that on here, but in this case, what would me just putting sand over those small holes actually do to help it?

 

Up against that retaining wall looks like it stays moist and somewhat shaded, based on the mildew and moss on the stones. Maybe put a flower bed there, hostas or something would look great.

Yes, you're definitely right there. Always wet. At best, even after weeks of drought and no watering, it's still moist there. I was actually thinking of turning that area into a bed coming down that little hill and running along the retaining wall and putting some ferns in it, as they don't require as much sunlight. Hostas look great, too, thanks for the tip!

The rest just needs plugged, some fert and time. Work on getting the dog to the gravel or the Firepit area and I don't think you'll need much else.

I'd venture to say given how new the sod is, and your previous questions, you are seeing some erosion. Are those bare areas lower than areas with grass? Like hard pot holes almost ? I have similar issue. I would see about getting some river sand or something to lock in a bit and it'll give the runners a place to tack.

Yeah, some of them are lower for sure. Can you explain what the sand does? I obviously see a lot of talk about that on here, but in this case, what would me just putting sand over those small holes actually do to help it?

The sand or any soil like medium would help fill the depressions, and would give the grass something a little easier to grow in. I'd suspect those areas had moisture/drainage problem or got worn down. It would keep water from pooling as much, but I'd think it would at best give the grass something to latch on to. I have similar issues and working to do the same.

 

Thank you!