How can I replace zoysia grass when it's also in my neighbor's yard?

Question

The previous owner of my house planted a zoysia lawn, which is awful as I live in a cool climate. It's brown for most of the year. After digging up the entire yard for foundation repairs I tried to reseed with bluegrass but the existing zoysia sprouts have grown in and more has invaded from my neighbor's yard.

Is there a way to get rid of the zoysia and prevent it from coming back in from the yard next to mine? I've read about doing a non-selective herbicide spray a few times in August and then seeding with something new but I'm afraid I'll just end up with it creeping back in.

Is there a way to out-compete it with some other cool weather grass specie? Or another way to crowd it out reliably?

Answer 1

I can only answer part of your question:

Is there a way to ... prevent it from coming back in from the yard next to mine?

Yes, pool liner does the job very nicely here. Dig a trench about 6 inches deep along your property line. Some hardware or pool stores stock the 40mm or 60mm black pond liner. Maybe you can get the end of the roll or cutoffs at a better price. Cut the liner into strips about 8 inches tall. Place in the trench, back fill with soil and you have installed an impervious, UV resistant barrier good for 25 years. This has stopped other creeping weeds in my garden like creeping bellflower.