Zoysia grass at a glance

Zoysia is a warm-season grass that likes moderate temperatures and preferably, sunny conditions.

Zoysia is a warm-season grass that likes moderate temperatures and preferably, sunny conditions. Because of this, Zoysia is suitable for the whole of the USA, from Minnesota to Florida.

This kind of grass is native to Asia and has been used in lawns throughout the U.S. since the mid-1800s.

Zoysia grass was introduced to the United States in 1873, but it wasn’t until the 1940s and 1950s that zoysia became a popular choice for home lawns.

In Asia, zoysia grass is used in many lawns and golf courses, including the Japanese Golf Tour. It’s a good turf because it grows thickly, so it can withstand foot traffic.

Zoysia spreads via runners or stolons that develop from the base of the grass stems.

• With zoysia grass, stolons extend from the base of the grass’s stems. Unlike runners, which grow above ground, stolons develop underground but remain at or just beneath the soil surface. Stolons are better adapted to colder climates than runners because they can tolerate frost better.
• When mowing a lawn with runners, mow low. This encourages development of new runners that will spread and help fill in any thin spots in your lawn.
• If your yard has areas where you want to encourage zoysia grass growth, cut off the tips of some of the runners and plant them (or just lay them down) in these areas to grow new plants.

Zoysia is known for its slow growth, low maintenance requirements and ability to tolerate dry periods.

Zoysia offers many benefits to the homeowner:

• Slow growth makes it easy to maintain, requiring less mowing and fertilizing than other varieties.
• It has a low tolerance for cold temperatures.
• Can tolerate drought conditions as long as soil is well drained.

Zoysia grass grows best in organically rich soil in full sun, with moderate water needs.

Zoysia grows best in organically rich soil that drains well. After planting, water your turf grass deeply every day for a week. Then taper off to watering two to three times per week thereafter. Since zoysia is a warm-season grass, it thrives in full sun during the summer months and goes dormant during cold winter weather, so keep this in mind when deciding where to plant it.

Fertilize zoysia twice yearly—once in late spring and then again in early fall—using a fertilizer designed for cool-season or warm-season turf grasses.

This is a resilient grass that can work well even with minimal attention, but it’s also possible to get great results by investing more time into your zoysia lawn.

Zoysia grass can look great even if you don’t invest a lot of time into taking care of it, but the best results often come from investing more time and giving your lawn extra attention. While it may not be as easy or convenient as having a low-maintenance grass that requires little upkeep, the rewards are worth it.

Once established, this type of grass is pretty hardy and can withstand heat and drought. It grows slowly but very densely, which means that you’ll rarely need to reseed your lawn.

It’s also possible to grow zoysia on slopes without worrying about erosion because the roots go so deep. Zoysia remains green in winter without much watering unless temperatures reach below freezing for long periods of time.