Ultimate Guide to Growing Zoysia Grass

Your Path to a Zoysia Lawn: The Ultimate Growing Guide"

Caring For Zoysia Grass

During the growing season, zoysia grass will require fertilizing, usually three to five times. However, if you fertilize too early, the lawn may green up prematurely. Follow these tips to keep your lawn looking beautiful all year round. Listed below are some helpful hints for caring for zoysia grass. Once you've installed it in your yard, here are some tips for maintaining its health.

Weed Control and Fertilization

You need to regularly fertilize zoysia grass for a beautiful lawn to keep it healthy. Several types of fertilizers are on the market, including liquid and granular formulas. While zoysia grass grows well in most soils, it prefers slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.5. However, it also tolerates slightly alkaline or acidic soil and can handle watering and fertilizing regularly.

Fertilizers for zoysia grass have ingredients that balance pH levels so you can use them without any problems. Some fertilizers even contain sulfur or lime, so make sure to read the label.

When fertilizing your lawn with weed-control products, check the pH of the soil and the nutrient content. Zoysia grass prefers a pH between 5.8 and 7.0.2, and its recommended height is one to a half inches. During the dormant season, Zoysia grass grows faster, so you should wait until about six to eight weeks before the fall frost to apply fertilizer.

Mowing

The warm-season grass of choice is Zoysia grass for various reasons, including its low maintenance, drought-resistant, and traffic-tolerant nature. In addition, Pennington specializes in producing the highest quality grass seed for growing healthy, beautiful lawns.

So whether you're looking for a lawn mower blade that will cut a Zoysia blade in a single pass, a string blade, or a multi-row rotary mower, you can trust Pennington to get the job done.

Because zoysia grass is slow to grow, it does not require frequent mowing. However, in hot weather, it can quickly grow and form a mat that is difficult to cut. If you want to keep the Zoysia grass blades clean, mow the lawn at a low setting. You'll avoid clumps, which may cause fungus and disease. Additionally, the clippings will serve as a grass fertilizer and reduce the amount of water required to keep it green.

The grass can be watered when needed, but the most effective method is to apply a few inches of water a week. Then, you can dig a few inches down and look for moisture. To check the soil's pH level, buy a moisture meter from a garden supply store. These meters cost less than $15 and can be extremely helpful in determining how much water your grass requires.

Seeding and Overseeding Thin Lawns

If your lawn lacks color and texture, consider overseeding it with zoysia grass. This warm-season turf, made up of several species, grows well in the southern and central states. It requires full sun to thrive but will turn brown if it doesn't get enough. Overseeing in the fall is a great option to revitalize your bare spots.

The best time to overseed cool-season grasses is late summer or early fall when daytime air temperatures are cooler, and soil temperatures are at a moderate level. Overseeding in fall will give the lawn a head start by establishing roots before winter, minimizing the risk of disease and insect infestations during the hot, dry spring.

However, the grass needs adequate water during this period. Consider the timing and location when seeding and Overseed a lawn with Zoysia grass. Ideally, overseeding will occur during the last part of the growing season. However, you can oversee the grass in late spring or early fall to ensure a uniform lawn.

This is the best time to apply Zoysia grass seed, as the temperatures will be most favorable for germination. Ideally, it would be best to do this at least 60 days before the first frost.

Watering

If you're having trouble watering your Zoysia grass lawn, you may be surprised to learn that the species needs only about an inch of water per week. This is far less than the two inches of fescue grass needed per week. However, if you want to ensure your lawn gets the moisture it needs, you can do so every few days.

During the summer, your lawn may appear brown during hot weather, but it will quickly green back up once the temperatures fall.

To avoid over-fertilizing, you can perform a soil test on your lawn to determine the level of nutrients present in it. By testing the soil, you can avoid over-fertilizing your lawn, reducing its drought tolerance, and contributing to thatch's formation.

For fertilization, you need a higher-nitrogen fertilizer and one with little or no potassium and phosphorus. Organic fertilizers work best because they are slow-release and contain a high nitrogen level.

Aerate and Dethatch

The best time to aerate and dethatch a Zoysia lawn is in the spring when nighttime temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If you miss this step, the grass may suffer from drought injury, insect infestation, or plant disease. This grass grows best in USDA plant hardiness zones 8-12. Depending on your region, you may need to perform more than one dethatch session to get the desired results.

Aerate and dethatch your Zoysia grass in late spring so that the thatch plugs decompose, leaving behind nutrients for spring growth. This also allows you to apply weed pre-emergent. However, dethatching your lawn does not necessarily have to be done twice a year. Aerating and dethatching your lawn is an excellent way to prevent weed growth.

Aerating and dethatching your lawn will improve the soil-to-grass contact, which is critical for proper germination. It's important to note that you should not dethatch warm-season grasses in early spring or late summer, as late frosts can kill new growth.

Dethatching should be done in late spring or early summer, but you should check with your local extension office to find out when it's best to perform dethatching in your area.

Pest Control

Whether you've recently installed a new lawn on your property or have been wondering how to take care of your old one, you can find help from a Zoysia grass pest control service. Because of its unique requirements, Zoysia grass pest control can be tricky, but it's worth it.

One of the most effective ways to control the pests that infest Zoysia is to keep your lawn well-watered in winter. While zoysia grass is susceptible to pests throughout the year, fungicide control is essential in the summer months, when insects like crickets, grubs, and nematodes are active.

Although insect sprays will control zoysia grass bugs, you must know that you must time your fungicide application appropriately. For example, avoiding fungicide applications in the spring would be best because it will protect your healthy grass from a large patch's expansion.

If you're unsure if your soil is acidic or alkaline, you can do a pH test to determine whether it's right for your lawn. If the pH level is low, fertilize your lawn every six to eight weeks. Fertilizing zoysia grass should be done after sodding and at least once a year during the growing season. Its optimal pH level is around 6.0, so if it's too low, you can do a test at your local extension office or at home.

Winter Weed Control

To control winter weeds, you can use pre-emergent herbicides. For example, you can scatter granules onto your turf or mix a water-soluble solution with the granules and apply it to the lawn. However, you should not apply a pre-emergent herbicide during warm weather. Here is some winter weed control from Scotts.

During these periods, a hand-held sprayer is a better option. Depending on the size of the weed infestation, you may need to apply a second application if the weeds are particularly aggressive.

Besides Zoysia grass, you can also apply Simazine, an effective pre-emergent herbicide. It works by stopping weed seeds from germinating and killing existing weeds. You can apply Siduron, benefin, or atrazine over sprigs.

To kill grassy weeds, apply DSMA two or three times per week. If you'd rather do it yourself, you can apply half the normal rate of 2,4-D. Other herbicides can be used for winter weed control. Glyphosate and Fusilade II are effective on grassy weeds but won't kill zoysia grass.

However, you should know that non-selective herbicides can also harm zoysia grass. They must be sprayed at least six weeks apart to have the desired effect.

Conclusion:

With the right care and attention, Zoysia grass can make a beautiful addition to any garden. We hope that our guide has helped you understand everything you need to know about growing this lovely plant. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask in the comments below. Happy gardening!

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