It’s always a good idea to be looking for eco-friendly products that can save maintenance, reduce the use of toxic chemicals and provide a better home-life for the homeowners. Although the use of Zoysia as your turf grass will without doubt meet this criteria, you should be aware of the many drawbacks the are associated with its use. Here is a listing of many of the advantages and disadvantages of using Zoysia Grass to help you determine if this turf is truly workable in your area of the country.

Advantages:

It will stay green during the hottest months of the summer.

It can be mowed very short without any consequences, ranging between 1/2″ to 1-1/4″.

The resulting turf is very thick and dense.

Weeds and crabgrass tend to be minimized due to the thick growth characteristics.

Being a hot weather grass, it is very stress resistant.

With proper management it will adapt to most soil types.

It required very little fertilizer once established.

Disadvantages:

Upon the first cold weather, it will turn to a ‘straw brown’ color for the winter. This can mean it will become straw colored from about the middle of October to the Middle of May.

The most cost efficient manner of propagation is by means of either plugs or stolons, but this tends to be very labor intensive.

You can grow it from seed but the the seed is very slow to germinate and the texture of the leaves tends to be somewhat course.

It takes a very long time for it to become established. Under ideal circumstances you may receive complete coverage with plugs or stolons in one growing seasons, but it may take 2 or even 3 seasons for complete dense growth.

Once established, it can become invasive, especially in planting beds.

During dormancy, it can be a fire hazard if not kept away from flammable wood structures.

It is not shade tolerant.

When dormant it can sustain considerable damage due to heavy traffic.

Northern Climates Varieties:

Even though some varieties for cold weather climates have been developed, such as Zoysia ‘Meyer’ and Zoysia ‘Emerald’, and Zoysia Japonica, is is not recommended that any of these grasses be planted in northern climates. Upon the initial arrival of cold weather in the fall, even the cold tolerant varieties will turn yellow. Not many people want a brown lawn from September through May.

How to Establish The Turf:

To have the most success with Zoysia Grass, about the most beneficial time of year to plant it is from the middle of May through the end of June. By planing early you have your best chance at having a full, think, filled-in turf by means of fall.

Planting Bed Preparation: Make sure the planting bed is level and free from weeds and weed seeds.

Grass Plugs: Remove the dead material and begin planting. The seed can additionally be used, but the slow germination of the seed, which can be several months, deters many people. A far better option, while being much more labor intensive is through placing plugs in the soil. You could also use sod, but that is even more expensive, but you will have a nice green lawn immediately.

Plug Planting: If you divide sod into plugs, a 12″ x 12″ square of sod will yield 36 2″ x 2″ plugs. Typically the plugs or stolons are planted on a grid work of between 8″ and 12″ on center throughout. It is most beneficial to try to match the hole size to the plug to ensure good contact with the soil. Plant the plugs in such a way as to have the top of the plug slightly above the surrounding soil level.

Some of the Problems:

Thatch: Although you will be dealing with less labor for mowing frequency, it has the tendency to build thatch very rapidly. You will need to stay on top of the problem, which can take some significant time. Minimize these problems by means of regular aeration of your turf.

Invasive: This variety of grass tends to be very aggressive and invasive, even through its slow growth. As a fantastic weed preventive characteristic, it crowds everything else out. This is a detriment when it spreads into your planting beds or your neighbors lawn.

Shade: If you wish to add a shady area to your turf area, do not plan on Zoysia Grass filling in that responsibility. It will die out or not even fill-in in shady areas.

Damage Recovery Time: If you develop damaged areas in your turf, the recovery time will be quite long due to its slow growing character.

Fertilizing Techniques:

One of the greatest benefits of using this grass it that it is relatively free of maintenance. Fertilizer applications are rather infrequent and the mowing cycles are reduced over other turf options. Follow these fertilizer application recommendations to keep your turf in notable looking condition.

First thing in the spring as the grass is emerging from its dormant state, feed it with a high nitrogen, slow release fertilizer.

After waiting 8 weeks, determine if a subsequent application is required.

make use of a winter fertilizer in the fall, which will reduce the stress on the grass over winter dormancy.

Although it is possible to grow Zoysia Grass in cold climates and it will survive, it is predominantly a warm weather grass and has fewer problems when grown in a more temperate climate.

If you found the information in this article useful, you can get additional information by visiting Zoysia Grass. Also, more information can be obtained at Facts about Zoysia Grass.

Tags: gardening, grass types, home improvement, landscaping, lawns, zoysia grass