March is here. This month not only brings March madness but also the miracle plant advertisements in the Sunday supplements promise unbelievable yields or fantastic blooms all summer and trees that grow as tall as a house in one growing season.

Ads proclaim the wonders of zoysia grass (Zoysia matrella) for solving lawn problems. They claim that zoysia will spread rapidly, choking out weeds and existing weak, thin grasses. They say that since zoysia tolerates heat and drought, it’s the ideal low-maintenance grass. The reality is not in Indiana, it’s not.

Zoysia grass tolerates heat and drought, but it does not tolerate cool temperatures. It’s a coarse, wiry, “warm season grass,” meaning zoysia grows best in warm weather. It survives our winters, but is very slow to green up each spring, and it turns brown at the slightest hint of frost in autumn.

At the same time, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrasses, and fine fescues — all of which are better adapted to Indiana’s growing conditions — turn green early in spring and stay green until late in the fall. Zoysia plugs will stand out in cool weather; they’ll look brown and dead.

In this climate, zoysia is slow spreading; it grows more aggressively further south. Usually people end up with patches of zoysia wherever they plant a zoysia plug, resulting in a lawn with a patchwork quilt appearance years after the zoysia was put in. The zoysia is also stiff and coarse; unpleasant to walk on barefoot.

The common question from homeowners is, “What is this strange grass, and how do we get rid of it, since it looks so bad?” The answer? Glyphosate applied directly to the green, growing zoysia. (Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup.) The best answer, of course, is not to plant zoysia in the first place. Zoysia is simply a poor choice for Indiana lawns.

Often zoysia ads will offer a guarantee of free replacement. The problem is that if it grows poorly to begin with, why replace it with more of the same thing?

Tree Tomato

Another ad to beware of is the return of the old tree tomato ad; the one that resurfaces every couple of years or so. As usual, the seller promises yields up to 60 pounds per plant and stems that grow to eight feet tall that supposedly do not need staking or caging! The variety name is listed as “Giant Tree,” but if it is the same as what has

previously been marketed as a “tree tomato,” then it is botanically known as Cyphomandra betacea, a very different species from garden tomatoes. This tree tomato is a tropical, semi-woody shrub, reaching up to ten feet, but the fruit is more tart and jelly-like than our garden tomato. If you read the ad closely, they are sending out a seed that is planted in a pot.

Royal Empress Tree

Another common promotion is the flowering shade tree called Royal Paulownia that they say will grow as tall as a roof in just one year. Known botanically as Paulownia tomentosa, the ad claims that this tree will provide shade and flowers in just one growing season.

Paulownia is a fast growing tree that can grow up to ten feet in a single year, but like many fast growers, it tends to have brittle stems that break easily in storms. And while Paulownia does have large, fragrant, purple flowers, we rarely see this tree bloom in our part of the country. The flower buds are produced on last year’s growth, and are usually killed in winter. In fact, even the stems of this plant are often killed back to the ground in harsh winters, so the tree rarely reaches its mature height of 30 to 40 feet here in the Midwest. It’s always wise to read all the fine print in these ads. And keep in mind that old saying, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!”

Boone County Ag Day

Boone County will celebrate Ag Day on March 23. A free meal will begin at 11:30 a.m. Ken Klemme, Indiana Department of Agriculture, will speak after the luncheon. The event is coordinated by Boone County Farm Bureau, Inc., Purdue Extension-Boone County and Frontier Co-op. The meal is sponsored by Boone County Farm Bureau, Inc. and Frontier Co-op. The event will be held at the 4-H Fairgrounds Community Building Auditorium, Lebanon and is open to the public, free of charge. Next week, I will feature more detailed information on Ag Day 2006.

— Doug Akers may be reached at (765) 482-0750 or dakers@purdue.edu