Can I Mix Zoysia And Bermuda? (Debunking The Myth)

Mixing grasses is not a new thing. It can help cover your lawn and keep the weeds away. However, with some grasses, it can be confusing, like zoysia and bermuda grass.

Therefore, today we discuss and find out, can I mix Zoysia and Bermuda?  

You shouldn’t mix Zoysia and Bermuda grass. They have different nutrient, water, and light requirements which can be bothersome. They also have different growth rates and colors. Therefore, when mixed, they can make your lawn or yard look patchy and irregular. 

If you want to know more about each of these factors, read our article below. We’ve covered each of these issues to help you understand this better. 

So, let’s begin this story of grasses! 

Is It Possible to Mix Zoysia And Bermuda?

Well, yes they can be mixed. They are usually mixed specifically for Zoysia to take over Bermuda.  

You can mix them using seeds. For this, it’s best if you already have patches of Bermuda growing. If you don’t have that, that’s okay too. You can just start from scratch!

Let’s see how they can be mixed. 

How to Mix Zoysia And Bermuda Grasses In Your Yard?

The easiest way to do this is to maintain a 1:1 ratio of the grass seeds. For every 1000 sq. ft of your yard, buy 1 lb of Zoysia seeds and 1 lb of Bermuda seeds. Now this applies to a bare lawn.

 If you have patches of Bermuda growing, you can reduce the seeds to 0.7lbs. Keep the Zoysia at 1 lb per sq. ft. 

Rake your lawn and water it thoroughly. Use a hose or sprinkler to ensure that a depth of 4 inches is properly moistened. 

Disperse half of the Zoysia seeds in one straight line. Leave a gap of 2 to 3 inches and then disperse the Bermuda seeds. 

Keep doing this until you have sown all the seeds. After that, cover with a 1-inch layer of peat moss. This will let your grass seeds incubate and grow fast. 

Both of these have different growth rates with Bermuda growing faster. It takes Bermuda between 7 to 14 days to germinate. On the other hand, Zoysia will take 2 to 3 weeks. 

Within one year, there should be enough growth to cover the majority of your lawn. However, it might not be the best idea to mix these two types of grass.

Why Shouldn’t You Mix Zoysia And Bermuda?

Many will say that you shouldn’t mix Zoysia and Bermuda grasses. Mostly because these grasses don’t work cohesively. 

Let’s dive into the details so that you can understand that better. 

1. Different Nutrient And Water Requirements

Zoysia and Bermuda have different nutrients and water requirements. Zoysia is the easy-to-maintain grass out of the two. While Bermuda requires more of both compared to Zoysia. 

Zoysia needs less fertilizer and water compared to most lawn grasses. You’ll need 1 pound of fertilizer for every 1000 sq. ft on average. 

Bermuda on the other hand is a high-maintenance grass. For every 1000 sq. ft of Bermuda grass, you’ll need a staggering 4 pounds of fertilizer. 

Confused about which fertilizer to use? Take a look at our options below that will do the job splendidly!

Once you’ve looked at them, let’s discuss the water requirements of the grasses. 

Both of these grasses need different amounts of water. Zoysia grass needs the rain equivalent of 0.5 inches of water weekly. Whereas, Bermuda grass needs 1 to 1.25 inches of water weekly. 

Simply put, Bermuda needs twice the amount of water that Zoysia needs. This specific water requirement preserves the color of the grasses best. We shall discuss more on that later. 

2. Different Light Requirements 

Zoysia and Bermuda need varying amounts of sunlight. Zoysia needs partial exposure to sunlight while Bermuda needs full exposure to grow well. 

Zoysia is what is called a shade-tolerant species. It needs some shade and 4-6 hours of sunlight daily. 

Bermuda needs full sunlight. It’ll take as much sunlight as available for it to grow. So, that will approximately mean 8 to 10 hours of sunlight. 

3. Won’t Look Cohesive 

This point is regarding the colors and average heights of the individual grasses. They are strikingly different so when mixed, they don’t look good. 

Zoysia grass is a vibrant hue of green when it grows. This green remains the same no matter what fertilizer you use. It also grows to a maximum height of 3 inches over 2 to 3 years. 

Bermuda grass is a darker green with blue tones. If it fails to get enough nitrogen from fertilizer, the color of the leaves will lighten. This grass can grow to a maximum height of 4 to 6 inches within a matter of 2 months. 

All of this will make your yard look sloppy. Not to mention, create a hassle for you when it comes to maintenance. 

With all of that covered, we’ve wrapped up why you shouldn’t mix the two. But if you want to, it is very much possible to do so. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What height do you cut Bermuda?

Answer: You cut Bermuda grass to a height of 1.5 or 2 inches. Ideally, you want to remove 1/3rd of the height of the grass. 

Question: What grass mixes well with Bermuda?

Answer: With the requirements of high nitrogen, and sunlight, St. Augustine is the best option. Their colors and growing height are similar too so they look cohesive on the lawn. 

Question: Is Zoysia a crawling grass?

Answer: Yes, zoysia is crawling grass. As it grows, it’ll spread horizontally like a creeper plant. This nature of the grass keeps weeds at bay as it increases competition on the lawn. 

Wrapping Up

We hope this answers the question of, “Can I mix Zoysia and Bermuda?” for you. You shouldn’t mix them and we hope this article helps you pick one grass. 

If our article was helpful, leave us a comment below. 

Till then, good luck with your lawn adventures!