Zoysia grass: Overseeding a Thin Lawn

Zoysia grass is a warm-season grass, which means it will grow best in well-drained soils.

Zoysia grass is an excellent turfgrass for the home lawn because it is a low-maintenance grass and will grow in areas where other grasses have difficulty growing. Zoysia grows well in warm temperatures and requires less mowing than other warm-season grasses. Zoysia is a slow grower so it can be allowed to grow longer than other turfgrasses, which reduces the need to mow frequently. When mowing zoysia, do not remove more than one third (1/3) of the leaf blade at any one time.

Zoysia grass is a warm-season grass, which means it will grow best in well-drained soils when temperatures are above 80?F. Before planting zoysia, you should test your soil to determine that it has not too high or too low pH levels (6 – 7). Zoysia prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade if conditions are favorable and there are no other options available.

The sod should be at least six inches thick.

The sod should be at least six inches thick, but no more than 12 inches. It can be measured in three places: the edge, center and base of the lawn.

The sod should be placed directly on the lawn.

• *Don’t weed kill or grass kill your lawn to prepare for sodding.
• *Do not fertilize until the grass is established.
• *Do not water for at least three days after placing sod directly on the lawn.
• *Cut the grass regularly, at least once a week, to 1 inch or less in height. This will prevent long strings from forming from one slice of sod to another.

Sodding your lawn increases the possibility of lawn diseases.

Sodding your lawn increases the possibility of lawn diseases. When you sod, you are introducing a new environment to your soil and grass. The sod takes time to adapt to its surroundings; this is called “sod shock”. During this time, beneficial microbes that inhibit diseases have not yet had enough time to grow, and once they do take root they will not be as healthy as those in an established lawn. Diseases like red thread, dollar spot and summer patch will more easily spread through a weaker lawn.

More importantly, sodding creates more moisture than seeding does because water collects between the layers of soil and turfgrass. Moisture encourages disease growth by providing ideal environments for pathogens to thrive in. The longer the sod sits on the ground, the more likely it is for diseases to develop within the sod itself—and then these diseases can spread into your existing yard or newly seeded areas via mowing or foot traffic from people or animals.

There is no maximum time to wait after sodding before putting the lawn to bed.

If you sod your lawn in the spring, you can mow it immediately. If you sod your lawn during the summer months, wait until the grass is a few inches tall before mowing.

You can begin weeding immediately after sodding.

You can begin weeding immediately after sodding. Pull any weeds that grow, especially if they are growing from seed. Your existing lawn will germinate and grow best in the sunlight and nutrients that would normally be used by the weeds.

Weeds steal sunlight, water and nutrients from your new sod and lawn grasses. Even one weed in an area of sod can spread its seeds to other areas of your lawn. Areas of bare ground that have not been covered by sod may also have weed problems, which can be controlled by using landscape fabric or pre-emergent herbicides to prevent the spread of weeds into your new lawn.

If you have thin lawns, you may need to overseed thin areas with a combination of grass seed and fine sand (10% to 30% sand by volume).

You may need to overseed thin areas with a combination of grass seed and fine sand (10% to 30% sand by volume). Use the following procedure:

• Mow the lawn shorter than normal and rake out any dead leaves, twigs, etc.
• Apply enough seed and sand to produce a lawn that is slightly darker in color than your existing lawn.
• Rake down the surface of the soil so that both the grass seeds and fine sand enter into the soil.
• Water thoroughly and keep moist until seedlings are well-established.

Zoysia grass is a durable, easy-care sod that transmits little water and fixes few nutrients into the soil, so it’s very good for thin or damaged lawns.

Zoysia grass is a durable, easy-care sod that transmits little water and fixes few nutrients into the soil, so it’s very good for thin or damaged lawns. Although you can buy it in sod form from nurseries, you can also grow it from seed. Zoysia grass is a warm-season grass, which means it will grow best in well-drained soils. If your yard yields to erosion or has low levels of rain, then planting Zoysia may be a good choice for you. While there are many ways to plant this type of sod, here we’ll examine one method: overseeding on a thin lawn.