Zoysiagrass Lawns are Among the Best

    Since we are well into spring, warm-season grasses like Bermuda, centipede, and Zoysia, have come out of dormancy and turned green.  Zoysia is one of the most beautiful of these grasses. Even though it is not planted as much as some of the others, more area homeowners turn to this type of grass for their lawns. Its coarse to fine texture, bright green color, and ability to form a dense stand of grass has many positive attributes. Zoysia is sometimes referred to as the “Mercedes” of turfgrasses because of its excellent appearance, its higher cost to establish, and its requirement of a higher level of maintenance than other turfgrasses. Even when it turns brown and goes dormant during the winter, it still maintains a neat and tidy appearance.   

   Zoysia needs full sun, although it is tolerant of light shade; however, it will thin out and deteriorate in deep shade. The lawn requires moderate levels of fertilizer; a soil test will help determine what amounts are necessary. Supplemental water is needed during prolonged dry spells, but the soil needs to have adequate drainage - if the water puddles after irrigation or rainfall, the grass will suffer and decline. Zoysia is prone to develop thatch, especially if heavily fertilized. The lawn should be aerated every two to three years with a hollow tine aerator to reduce thatch and to alleviate soil compaction.

     Zoysia is established by sod or sprigs and should be installed during warmer weather when the grass is green, not during the colder weather when it is dormant. Zoysia has a slower growth rate than other types of grasses and takes more time to become established. Thus, it requires less mowing. However, if scalped or damaged in any way, it takes longer to recover. Ideally, Zoysia should be cut with a reel mower, but a rotary mower with a sharp blade will provide an attractive cut. The grass should be mowed at the height of one to two inches. During hot, dry weather, raise the mowing height one-half inch.

     Several varieties of Zoysia are available. ‘Meyer,’ one of the most popular, has a medium texture, is tolerant to cold temperatures, and spreads more rapidly than other Zoysia hybrids. ‘Emerald’ Zoysia is an attractive fine-textured hybrid with a dark green color and is best suited for high-quality lawns with a good maintenance program. However, it does tend to develop excess thatch at a more rapid rate, and it is less tolerant of extreme cold. ‘El Toro’ is a relatively new hybrid that was developed in California. It has a similar appearance to ‘Emerald’ and grows faster than other Zoysia hybrids. ‘El Toro’ is the most tolerant of being cut with a rotary mower and produces less thatch. ‘Zeon’ has an intermediate growth habit, excellent drought tolerance, and is adaptable to different soil types.

     If you are willing to make the investment and provide the appropriate care, consider growing Zoysia. It will thrive and beautify the home landscape. With Zoysia, your lawn can be the envy of the neighborhood.