The zoysia
lawn guide
Slow, dense, soft underfoot. Cultivars compared and every season of care, from university extension sources.
Choose a cultivarWhich zoysia suits your lawn?
Open the full chooser with the method and sources.
Five things to get right
Plant it
Sod, plugs or seed, when to plant, how far apart, and how to patch a bare spot.
Mow it
Heights from half an inch to two inches, the one-third rule, and why a dull blade ruins a zoysia lawn.
Feed and water it
Two to four pounds of nitrogen a year is the ceiling. Half to one inch of water a week is the target.
Keep problems out
Large patch, grubs, billbugs and mites; weeds and the right timing for pre-emergent.
Let it sleep
Brown is dormant, not dead. What to do in autumn, what to skip in winter and when it greens up.
Cultivars compared, in brief
Shade is from the Texas A&M trial or Clemson; blank means no rating found. Details in the fine and coarse guides.
| Cultivar | Texture | Shade | Winter hardiness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald | Fine | Good | Less hardy than Meyer |
| Zeon | Fine | Mixed evidence | Matrella: less hardy |
| Meyer | Medium-coarse | Poor | Good |
| Empire | Medium-coarse | Moderate to good | Very good to excellent |
| Palisades | Medium-coarse | Fifth of ten | Cold tolerant |
| El Toro | Medium-coarse | Better than Meyer | Better than Meyer |
| Innovation | Medium-coarse | Average | Cold hardy |
| Royal | Fine | First of ten | Sufficient |
Common questions
Is zoysia grass a good lawn?
In sun and part shade, with a gardener willing to wait, yes. It is dense, soft, cold tolerant for a warm-season grass and needs modest feeding. It is slow to establish and slow to recover from damage. Read the advantages
Why is my zoysia lawn brown?
In winter, because zoysia goes dormant at the first frost and returns when the soil warms. In summer, check drought, large patch and grubs. Dormancy and winter care
How low should I mow zoysia?
Extension services give heights from half an inch to 2 inches depending on cultivar and mower. Never scalp, and never remove more than a third of the leaf at once. Mowing heights
How much fertiliser does zoysia need?
UGA suggests 2 to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet a year, UC IPM 2 to 4, and NC State caps it at 4. Stop in August, and add potash in autumn. Fertilising guide
Will zoysia take over my other grass?
It can. It spreads by rhizomes and stolons, so give it an edge and keep the neighbouring turf healthy. How it spreads
Zoysia or bermudagrass?
Zoysia for part shade and a softer lawn; bermuda for full sun, heavy wear and fast recovery. The full zoysia and bermudagrass comparison
Every figure on this page is sourced in the guide it links to.
Zoysia or Bermuda?
Either way you finish with a source-checked plan.