The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Zoysia grass(Zoysiaspp.)
This low,sod-forming grassspreads by strong, branching rhizomes and stolons.
Its sharply pointed blades become emerald green, turning straw-like and brown in cooler winter months.
Missouri Botanical Garden
This dense, warm-weather-loving grass is a dominant lawn grass in many southern U.S. suburbs.
It’s versatile, low-maintenance, and slow-growing, so it doesn’t need to be mowed as often.
Zoysia grass turf is often used in parks, golf courses, and other places of high foot traffic.
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Water this grass deeply at a rate of an inch per week.
Fertilize with nitrogen throughout the growing season for best results.
Light
Zoysia grass needsfull sunto maintain a plush, dense carpet on your lawn.
Soil
One of the benefits of zoysia grass is the wide variety of soils it tolerates.
Good drainage will help zoysia create a deep root system that increases its drought tolerance.
Water
Zoysia grows best with 1 inch of water per week, butit is drought-tolerant.
Water deeply to encourage a deep root system that can endure brief droughts.
If your soil is compacted or is predominately clay, adjust water irrigation appropriately to the dry side.
Watering early in the morning allows grass to dry quickly and potentially prevent fungal diseases.
Temperature and Humidity
Zoysia grass is a warm-weather grass.
It grows best in very warm to hot weather, above 80F.
It will stop growing when the first frost hits and remain dormant and brown throughout winter.
Zoysia tolerates a wide range of humidity levels.
Raking with a tine rake in the fall helps to break up any accumulating thatch.
Keep your eyes out for weeds before they get out of control, and perform core aeration yearly.
Do this in the spring, which is the opposite of cool-weather-grass planting.
Newly seeded zoysia lawns can take up to two seasons to produce dense turf.
Aerator Tip
Looking for the best aerator to get the ground ready for your zoysia grass?
We researched thetop lawn aeratorsthat will quickly loosen up that compact soil before you spread the grass seed.
Large patch is a fungal disease that affects warm-season grasses, including zoysia grass.
It can be brought on by excessive nitrogen, thatch, and overwatering or poor drainage.
It depends on the location.
Zoysiagrass Yearly Maintenance Program.
Large Patch in Turf.
North Carolina State Extension.