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Comments regarding Zoysia Farm Nurseries

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  Feedback History and Summary  
50 positives
18 neutrals
53 negatives

Comments:

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RatingAuthorContent
Positive arsen
(1 review)
On Dec 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 Sep 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 Sep 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 Aug 25, 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 Jul 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 Jul 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 Jul 21, 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 Jul 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 Jul 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 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.

mpankeyusa@yahoo.com

Positive toaster1
(1 review)
On Jul 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 Jun 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 Jun 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 Jun 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 Jun 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 Jun 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 3, 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
(12 reviews)
On Apr 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 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 !

Positive fozzi58
(1 review)
On Apr 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 Apr 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 Apr 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 Apr 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 Mar 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 Mar 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.
Neutral dwarfconifer
(11 reviews)
On Sep 2, 2006, dwarfconifer Boyds, MD (Zone 6b) wrote:

FYI, at the Better Business Bureau website, this company is listed under the parent company "The Shelburne Co., Inc.".

Negative blownLX5oh
(1 review)
On Jul 2, 2006, blownLX5oh Old Fort, NC wrote:

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 hope the word gets out on these people.

BBB will look into them I'am sure.

Negative lins421
(1 review)
On Jun 28, 2006, lins421 Hudson, WI wrote:

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

Negative AndreaPalise
(1 review)
On Jun 10, 2006, AndreaPalise Franklin, NH wrote:

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!!!

Negative TJ9
(5 reviews)
On Jun 10, 2006, TJ9 Berlin, NH wrote:

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...

Negative coavs419
(1 review)
On Jun 6, 2006, coavs419 Denver, CO wrote:

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.

Positive Georgot
(2 reviews)
On Jun 6, 2006, Georgot Chiefland, FL wrote:

I received what I ordered over the internet. Yes, the grass looked "dead" but was actually dormant as the literature said. I followed the instructions to water every day for the specified amount of time. I did have a couple plugs die, but all other plugs survived and are spreading. At this point, I'm satisfied with the results of the Zoysia. Time will tell if the grass lives up to its reputation.

Negative oscar77
(1 review)
On Jun 6, 2006, oscar77 McAlpin, FL wrote:

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!!

Neutral Zoysia_fan
(1 review)
On May 22, 2006, Zoysia_fan Virginia Beach, VA wrote:

Zoysia farms out of Maryland. Ordered what I thought was about 8000 plugs to do my entire yard - front and back. I only received enough to make 6000. I was short about 2000 plugs. I called them the next business day and was assured that amount would be shipped to me. Their customer service department has always been helpful with my questions.

Their literature states you can get 150 plugs from 1 piece of 10x15 sod. I was getting about 70-80 plugs per piece just because the sod did not come scored and it is difficult to cut a 1 square inch piece of grass. The cutting itself is not difficult, it's just that the grass starts falling apart when you cut it that small. I recommend using a serated kitchen knife. That worked the best after trying pruning shears and scissors.

Long story short. I ended up doing about one quarter of my enitre yard with the amount of plugs I did receive. It is a long process and I had a lot of help from friends and family, but all the plugs are in the ground and they are all brown. They should stay brown 3-6 weeks and then go green and start spreading, we shall see. If not, I will take them up on their free replacement policy.

Positive maresch302
(1 review)
On May 15, 2006, maresch302 Accokeek, MD wrote:

I odered 4000 plugs from them and none of the plugs took off, we had a very dry hot summer. Zoysia farms replaced all the plugs with no questions and the second batch is growing great. They were always helpful on the phone they even gave me extra free plugers when I picked up the order.

signed Maresch302@aol.com

Neutral surfmurf
(2 reviews)
On Mar 13, 2006, surfmurf between Clearwater & Largo, FL (Zone 10a) wrote:

I had gone through Zoysia Farm Nurseries (ZFN) website and was preparing to buy and that would have been a pretty large order. I sent them a detailed letter with many questions about my yard situations, with spaces for them to write an answer after each of my questions (saves them writing a reply). I received a nice typewritten reply that covered about 1/4 of my questions. Their ad seemed almost too good to be true, especally the replacement policy . But after reading the 4 negative vs no neutral and no positive reviews I am about convinced not to try them. Or if I do, to do so with a very small order VS the large ofder I had planned.
They also say they have been in business for decades, but can only fill a 1/4 acre order. That is quite odd. For a larger order they recommend I buy seed. Yet in their web site literature they do NOT recommend seed and state why (e.g.: its weak compared to plugs). There is more material that raises questions.
Somewhat confusing advertising.
A key (and my first) question, which they did not answer, was regardng my mower. I have two different type modest-size ROTARY riders. But I believe Zoysia requres a REEL type mower vice a Rotary (which means I'd have to get at least one new mower) Anyone out there know for sure? Anyone in the Tampa Bay, Florida area who has had experience with Zoysia? I asked the U of FL 3+ decades ago and was told Zoysia (specificially, Zoysia Tenifolia, also known as Korean or Flagstone Grass) will not grow in a sandy soil. {Z. tenifolia grows great in Long Beach, CA, where I frst saw it in 1968.} ZFN says theri Z. Meyer 52 will do just great here / everywhere. Something seems not right here?!?
Help!
Thank you writers (each of whose complaints were similiar), and this web site's provider, for the heads-up.
Murf

Negative sdaiggeorgia
(1 review)
On Jun 10, 2005, sdaiggeorgia Canton, GA wrote:

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!

Negative scrappydo
(1 review)
On May 9, 2005, scrappydo Phillipsburg, NJ wrote:

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

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