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Updating ...

Zoysiagrass
Lawn Maintenance Calendar (AG-432)

Art
Bruneau
Feb 22, 2001

Printable PDF
(224.2
kB)

Zoysiagrass

March
through May
June
through August
September
through November
December
through February
More About
Zoysiagrass
Integrated
Pest Management
Disclaimer

Lawn
Maintenance Calendar

This calendar of
suggested management practices is designed to assist you in the seasonal
care of your lawn. Location, terrain, soil type and condition, age of the
lawn, previous lawn care, and other factors affect turf performance. For
these reasons, tile following management practices and dates should be
adjusted to suit your particular home lawn conditions.

March through May

Mowing

Mow the lawn when it first turns green in the
spring using a reel mower set at 3/4 to 1 inch or a rotary mower set as
low as possible without scalping the lawn. Mow before the grass grows
taller than 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Recycle nutrients by not collecting
clippings unless they are unsightly or in clumps.

Fertilizing

Apply 1/2 pound of nitrogen per thousand square
feet three weeks after the grass turns green. In absence of a soil test,
use a complete (N-P-K) turf-grade fertilizer with a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio
(for example, 12-4-8 or 16-4-8). Submit a soil sample to determine
nutrient requirements, if you haven't already. (Contact your county
Agricultural Extension agent for details.) Apply lime if suggested.

To determine the amount of product required to
apply 1/2 pound of nitrogen per thousand square feet, divide 50 by the
first number in the fertilizer ratio. For example, for a 5-5-15
fertilizer, divide 50 by 5. The result is 10 pounds of product per
thousand square feet.

Irrigation

Water to a soil depth of 4 to 6 inches. Probe
with a screwdriver to determine moisture depth. Zoysiagrass needs a weekly
application of 1 to 1 1/4 inches of water. On sandy soils, it requires
more frequent watering, for example, 1/2 inch of water every third day. It
is often necessary to irrigate an area for three to five hours to apply 1
inch of water. (It takes 620 gallons of water to apply 1 inch of water per
thousand square feet.) Because clay soils accept water slowly, irrigate
these areas until runoff occurs; wait one-half hour until the water has
been absorbed, and then continue irrigating until the desired depth or
amount is obtained. A dark, bluish gray color, footprinting, and wilted,
folded, or curled leaves indicate that it is time to water. Proper
irrigation may prevent or reduce pest problems and environmental stress
later in the summer.

Weed Control

Apply preemergence herbicides to control
crabgrass, goosegrass. and foxtail by the time the dogwoods are in full
bloom. Apply postemergence herbicides in May as needed to control summer
annual and perennial broadleaf weeds such as knotweed, spurge, and
lespedeza. Products containing two or three broadleaf herbicides are
usually more effective in controlling several different broadleaf weeds in
a lawn. Be sure the product is labeled for use on zoysiagrass. Apply only
if weeds are present and wait until three weeks after the grass turns
green. (See Agricultural Extension Service publication AG-408, Pest
Control Recommendations for Turfgrass Managers.)

Insect Control

Check for white grubs and control them if
necessary. (See White
Grubs in Turf, ENT/ORT-67, AG-366).

Thatch Removal

Vertically mow after the grass turns green to
remove thatch if it is more than 1/2 inch thick. Do not attempt to remove
too much thatch at one time because zoysiagrass has a slow recovery rate.
It may take several years to get thatch under control.

Renovation

Replant large bare areas using sod or plugs
planted on 6- or 12-inch centers. (See Carolina Lawns, AG-69.) Applying a preemergence
herbicide that does not interfere with root growth after plugging helps
prevent weed encroachment.

Return
to Main Index

June through August

Mowing

Follow the March-May mowing
guidelines

Fertilizing

Apply 1/2 pound of nitrogen per thousand square
feet in late June or early July and repeat in mid-August using March-May
fertilizer guidelines.

Irrigation

Follow the March-May irrigation guidelines.

Weed Control

Apply postemergence herbicides as needed to
control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds such as knotweed,
spurge, and lespedeza. Do not apply postemergence herbicides unless weeds
are present, grass is actively growing, and the lawn is not suffering from
drought stress. Crabgrass, goosegrass, dallisgrass, nutsedge, annual
sedges, and sandbur can be controlled with postemergence grass control
herbicides. Two or three applications 7 to 10 days apart are required for
effective control. Zoysiagrasses are sensitive to these compounds so
select the application carefully. (See Agricultural Extension Service
publication Pest Control for Professional Turfgrass Managers,
AG-408.)

Insect Control

Follow the March-May insect control guidelines.
August is the best time to control grubs because they are small and close
to the soil surface.

Thatch Removal

Vertically mow in June using the March-May thatch
removal guidelines.

Return
to Main Index

September through
November

Mowing

Mow the lawn using the March-May
guidelines.

Fertilization

Fertilize with 1 pound of potash (K2O)
using 1.6 pounds of muriate of potash (0-0-60), 2 pounds of potassium
sulfate (0-0-50), or 5 pounds of sul-po-mag (0-0-22) per thousand square
feet.

To determine the amount of product required to
apply 1 pound of potash per thousand feet, divide 100 by the third number
in the fertilizer ratio. For example, for a 6-6-12 fertilizer, divide 100
by 12. The result is 8.3 pounds of product per thousand square feet:

100/12 = 8.3

Irrigation

Follow the March-May irrigation guidelines.
Dormant zoysiagrass may still need to be watered periodically when warm,
windy weather prevails.

Weed Control

Apply preemergence or postemergence herbicides as
needed to control winter annual and perennial broadleaf weeds such as
chickweed and hen bit. Preemergence herbicides will not control existing
perennial weeds. Apply postemergence herbicides only when weeds are
present. (See Agricultural Extension Service publication Pest Control for Professional Turfgrass Managers,
AG-408.)

Insect Control

Follow the March-May insect control guidelines.

Return to
Main Index

December through February

Mowing

Follow the March-May mowing guidelines.
Zoysiagrass need not be mowed when dormant.

Fertilization

Do not fertilize.

Irrigation

Dormant zoysiagrass may need to be irrigated
periodically to prevent desiccation especially when warm, windy weather
prevails.

Weed Control

Apply broadleaf herbicides as necessary to
control chickweed, henbit, and hop clover. Selective herbicides can be
applied in November or December to control annual bluegrass (Poa
annua) and several annual broadleaf weeds. Apply postemergence
herbicides only when weeds are present. (See Agricultural Extension
Service publication Pest Control for Professional Turfgrass Managers,
AG-408.)

Return
to Main Index

More About
Zoysiagrass

Zoysiagrasses are very low, slow growing,
sod-forming grasses that make a very dense, wear-resistant lawn.
Zoysiagrass grows well in full sun or partial shade. It requires less
mowing but is tougher to mow and easier to keep out of flower beds than
bermudagrass. It is very slow to establish when plugged (typically two to
three years) and slow to recover from injury.

Zoysiagrass is well adapted to the Piedmont and
Coastal Plain and is usually vegetatively planted, although procedures are
now available for seeding common zoysiagrass. However, treated seed is not
readily available. (Contact your county Agricultural Extension agent for
more information.)

Once zoysiagrasses is established, it can become
thatchy (fluffy due to an accumulation of dead, decaying plant residue at
the soil surface), especially when mowed high and infrequently or when
heavily fertilized. Thatch needs to be removed every two to three years,
but care should be taken because the recovery rate of zoysiagrass is slow.
Zoysiagrasses perform best when mowed with reel mowers, however, good
performance can be achieved using a rotary mower with sharp blades set as
low as possible without scalping. Uneven terrain may prevent zoysiagrass
from being mowed as short as desired.

Emerald zoysiagrass has very fine leaves, good
winter hardiness, shade tolerance, and wear resistance, a moderate rate of
spread, and a dark green color. Meyer zoysiagrass has a medium leaf
texture, is less shade tolerant, and lighter in color than Emerald. Meyer
establishes more quickly than other zoysiagrasses and is the most cold
tolerant. Zoysia matrella (manilagrass) is intermediate in leaf
texture, density, cold tolerance, and low-temperature color retention
compared to Emerald and Meyer. Little published research is available on
the new cultivars, Belair, Cashmire, El-Toro, and Z-26.

Zoysiagrasses are subject to diseases such as
rust, brown patch, and dollar spot, and are susceptible to nematode
injury. Nematode damage results in shallow-rooted plants that do not
respond to water and fertilizer, resulting in open areas invaded by weeds.
If nematodes are suspected, submit a soil sample for analysis to Agronomic
Division, Soil, Plant, and Nematode Testing, North Carolina Department of
Agriculture, Raleigh, NC 27611. (See Diseases of Warm-Season Grasses, AG-360, and
Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note No. 70 for insects that feed on
zoysiagrass.) Contact your county Agricultural Extension agent for
assistance.

Return
to Main Index

Integrated Pest
Management: The Sensible Approach to Lawn Care

Many pest problems can cause your turf to look
bad--diseases, weeds, insects,, and animals. If you are really unlucky,
you may have all of them at one time.

So what do you do? Use a pesticide? Or make
changes in cultural practices? Both methods, and some others as well, may
be needed. The balanced use of all available methods is called
Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

The idea is simple. It involves the use of all
available prevention and control methods to keep pests from reaching
damaging levels. The goal is to produce a good turf and minimize the
influence of pesticides on man, the environment, and turf.

IPM methods include:

Use of best adapted grasses.

Proper use of cultural practices such as
watering, mowing, and fertilization.

Proper selection and use of pesticides when
necessary.

Early detection and prevention, or both, will
minimize pest damage, saving time, effort, and money. Should a problem
occur, determine the cause or causes, then choose the safest, most
effective control or controls available.

When chemical control is necessary, select the
proper pesticide, follow label directions, and apply when the pest is
susceptible. Treat only those areas in need. Regard pesticides as only one
of many tools available for turf care.

To learn more about integrated pest management,
pest identification, turf care, and proper use of pesticides, contact your
county Cooperative Extension Center.

Return
to Main Index

DISCLAIMER: Recommendations for the use
of agricultural chemicals are included in this publication as a
convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or
listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not
imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service nor
discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.
Individuals who use agricultural chemicals are responsible for ensuring
that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to
the product label. Be sure to obtain current information about usage
regulations and examine a current product label before applying any
chemical. For assistance, contact your county Cooperative Extension
Service agent.

Prepared by: Arthur H.
Bruneau, Crop Science Extension Specialist, Turfgrass

Fred Yelverton, Extension Specialist, Turfgrass Weed
Management

Henry C. Wetzel, Extension
Plant Pathology Specialist, Turfgrass

Charles H. Peacock,
Turfgrass Research and Teaching

Rick L. Brandenburg,
Extension Entomologist

Daniel C. Bowman, Turfgrass
Research

Richard J. Cooper,
Turfgrass Research

Cale A. Bigelow, Extension
Associate, Turfgrass

Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

Publication Number: AG-432 Revised: December, 2000
This
Electronic Version: January, 2008

© 2008
TurfFiles

KEYWORDS FOUND IN THIS
ARTICLE:

bermudagrass

knotweed

pesticide

variety

chickweed

large
patch

potassium

watering

crabgrass

lawn
care

seeding

wear

fertilizer

lawn
maintenance

sod

weed
control

fungicide

lespedeza

spurge

weed
management

goosegrass

management

summer
annual weed

white
grubs

grub

mowing

take
all patch

winter
annual weed

herbicide

nematodes

thatch

yellow
nutsedge

insect
control

nitrogen

turfgrass
weed control

zoysiagrass

irrigation

perennial

Copyright © 2000-2009 North Carolina State
University. All Rights Reserved.

TurfFiles is funded by
the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research & Education
(CENTERE) through public and private grants.