Things to Remember about Zoysia Grass
Zoysia grass is a warm-season grass.
Zoysia grass is a warm-season grass, which means it will go dormant in the winter months, and grow actively in the spring and summer. Essentials of zoysia include:
- Zoysia is a warm-season grass. It’s active growth season occurs from May to September, but it can be planted anytime between April and October.
- Zoysia does not need much water. Research shows that zoysia requires 20% less water than other types of grasses. A well-established lawn may only need about 1/4 inch of water per week during hot weather.
- Zoysia is drought tolerant.
Zoysia grass grows best in full sun.
As a warm-season grass, Zoysia grows best when it receives plenty of direct sunshine each day. In fact, Zoysia prefers at least 6 hours of full sun per day for optimal growth and development. For this reason, if you have shadier areas in your yard or are looking to establish a lawn under large trees, you will want to choose another type of grass (St. Augustine or Bermuda grasses are good options).
Zoysia spread by horizontal growth, not vertical growth.
Zoysia grass spreads by runners, not seeds. The runners are stolons that grow along the surface of the soil and spread horizontally, not vertically. This is why zoysia is considered a creeping grass, because it creeps its way across the ground via these runner-like stolons.
You can learn more about how zoysia grows by reading here: [link to article].
Zoysia doesn’t do well when mowed frequently or too short.
Do not mow Zoysia grass more than once per week under normal circumstances and never less than 3 weeks. This is because turfgrass grows from the bottom up as it puts out new shoots called tillers. It is also much slower growing than other warm-season grasses such as Bermuda or St. Augustine so there is not much to trim off anyway. Also make sure your mower blades are sharp and adjust the height of cut to a minimum of 1 inch and no more than 2 inches.
If you mow too often and remove too much, zoysia will respond by becoming thinner, leaving room for weeds to invade and cause problems with aesthetics and maintaining an ideal lawn. To correct this problem, raise the cutting height on your mower if possible or even skip one or two weekly mowing cycles until healthy growth resumes.
Zoysia hates heavy foot traffic.
If you have a lot of foot traffic on your lawn, you should consider using another type of grass. Zoysia does not do well when it’s walked on a lot. It is better for lawns that are used for decorative purposes or as part of an outdoor living area.
Remember these things about zoysia grass to have healthy and beautiful lawns
To achieve a beautiful and healthy lawn with Zoysia grass, here are some important things you need to remember:
- Don’t mow it too short. The most common mistake made by homeowners is to mow their lawns too short. If you want your Zoysia lawn to look its best and be thick and healthy, the recommended maximum height is 1 inch. Mowing any shorter than this will expose the crown of the plant and increase the chances for weed infestation, disease, insect damage or stressful conditions.
- Don’t mow it too frequently. Frequent mowing increases stress on the plant causing rapid growth (requiring more frequent mowing). It also causes excessive removal of leaf tissue that is responsible for energy production in the plant. Proper timing of mowing can help reduce stress and provide better-looking turfgrass yields while cutting back on time spent maintaining your zoysia grass lawn.
- Limit foot traffic over your zoysia grass lawns. Heavy foot traffic on a lawn that’s been recently installed or reseeded should be avoided at all costs! Walking on newly seeded turf can easily damage the seedlings as well as compact soil which will hinder germination and emergence of new seedlings as well as create pockets for air flow under the surface which can dry out roots leading to potential death or poor growth later in life. Also avoid walking heavy machinery over your new Zoysia grass!