# Zoysia guys lawn journal



## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Well to start off the story of my journey in lawn care and the transformation of my lawn over the past couple seasons it all started in 2015. Me and my wife purchased our first home and we quickly got to work. As hectic as it can be getting use to being a home owner let's just say the lawn was the last thing on my radar and went over looked for the first year. But it took a notice from the city telling me my lawn was not compliant with city codes and had to re sod and remove weeds.. I was mad at first but I took it as a challenge and I can thank them now for giving me the push I needed .

So I needed a game plan. I was new to lawn care and looking for a quick fix to get the city off my back. So it was December and I went and picked up a few bags of quick seed mixes with creeping red fescue yall fescue rye grass and other quick germinating grass types that I knew wouldn't last long when the summer hit but I went for it pulled most of the weeds blew off the leaves and threw it down with some peat moss and watered in. And sure enough.. success

So it succeeded to get the city to officially cancel my court date. I knew the lawn wouldn't last past the season. But the heavy shade in my yard at the time helped the lawn survive in south Florida heat for enough time for me to discover my next game plan. I did some research and wanted a grass type that I can plug the yard and grow in over time so I plugged empire zoysia. My test plot was fully prepped and leveled and it grew in great

So to be honest I wanted the rest of the yard to kinda run its course also I had a lot of curiosity to see how long the northern turf would last down here but I decided to plug right into the existing turf stand and said may the best man win lol

As that grew in I seeded the back yard with Bermuda 

Then I seeded the other side of the yard with zenith zoysia slow grower but really nice turf

Everything was on a good roll... then the hurricane hit last September it wasnt the worst I've been in but we did have a huge improperly planted gumbo limbo tree fall on our house

After removing the tree myself with 2 chain saws and a couple axes wedges and a lot of sweat I got it out and below grade so I filled it In and planted a foxtail palm and some plugs i grew from zenith zoysia seed to fill it in


I just got into mowing low and using reel mowers starter with push manual mowers and now I've been leveling with sand and virticuting and I can thank my city for helping me discover my lawn


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

https://youtu.be/gfV1cKPixkw


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## iFisch3224 (Jun 11, 2018)

Beautiful yard, and house!

Loved the video at the end. :thumbup:


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Thanks! It's a work in progress like always lol .I'm new to the forum I really enjoy the community here. It's an awesome resource. I really like seeing everyone's projects.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Great work! Welcome and thanks for sharing :thumbup:


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Lawn forum love


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## iFisch3224 (Jun 11, 2018)

Zoysiaguy said:


> Lawn forum love


 :nod: :nod: :nod: :thumbup:


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Tropical storm rain bands blew in this weekend dumped almost 4 inches in 24 hours . Got a quick mow in today with the push reel mower and hopefully can break out the Jacobsen tomorrow if the weather permits


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

Looks great! What's your opinion on the Zenith? How long does it take to grow in well? And do you have any closeups of the Zenith? I'm debating seeding Zenith is some shady areas in back to blend with Bermuda I'll be seeding.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Thanks! :thumbup: It tolerates shade well. If it's really shady I recommend planting the seeds in plug trays and letting them get full sun. I seeded the whole back yard and got 60 to 70 percent germination treated the weeds then used my trays to plug weak areas and grow in the rest. Since they take so dang long to germinate weed pressure can be an issue. once they take they spread just like Bermuda, just in slow motion. Plus with my weather down here in south Florida it's really tough to seed, just seems to always get a little washed away. It took me about a 3 weeks to really see germination and growth. But I think it would blend fine and fill in your shaded areas just fine its just a little expensive for the seeds but worth it. That variety of zoysia is really similar to Bermuda I have some popping up in some spots and I really have to look to see the difference. Happy seeding! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Just had time to run the rotary scissors over the edges today but had just enough time to snap a couple pics

Spot leveled with sand where the tree fell it's still high in some spots and low in the others.. future project I'll get leveled soon

Virticut the swale a week ago and leveled with sand still filling back in nice

That spot in the lawn everyone has that they wish the whole lawn looked like super level got lucky here

Same spot just a wider shot that's some st Augustine I have on the front plans to tear it up and plant it in the dog side behind the house to fill bare spots then plant zoysia in its place so it's all consistent up front

Dog side struggles.. st Aug holding strong considering 3 pit bulls and a tortious have there way with it



Lol

And last but not least the zenith zoysia/garden side still recovering from dethatching this spring.. 

Also the fence is on my list it was so bad when we moved in.. but I'll get to it.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Removed old walk way hopefully grows in soon! Got tired of mowing around it.


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## timmmbo fisher (Sep 17, 2018)

Zoysiaguy said:


>


Nice lawn @Zoysiaguy .... I'm thinking about making the switch to Zoysia myself, mainly due to shade issues.

I'm not familiar with the attachment on the end of your edger, on your video. Is that the rotary scissors you mention? Did you add/attach that to a string trimmer?


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

timmmbo fisher said:


> Zoysiaguy said:
> 
> 
> >
> ...


Thankyou. And I did mount it to my stihl trimmer. it's the power rotary scissors by idech you can find it on r&r products website also John ware does a great into to it on you tube I'll try and post links for ya. And I say go for it I've had Bermuda too and personally I think empire zoysia is the way to go if you have any shade at all.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Zoysiaguy said:


> I did it's the power rotary scissors by idec you can find it on r&r products website also John ware does a great into to it on you tube I'll try and post links for ya. And I say go for it I've had Bermuda too and personally I think empire zoysia is the way to go if you have any shade at all.


https://www.rrproducts.com/Power-Rotary-Scissors-product104120


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## timmmbo fisher (Sep 17, 2018)

Awesome. Thanks for sharing. I'm gonna save up for this!


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Reel low Sunday .5 inch hoc.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Marking blue monday!


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Looking good! What did u spray??


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

I put down some fungicide and weed control mix containing propiconazole , sulfentrazone for the nutsedge and 2-4d dicamba and penoxsulam. With southern ag surfactant and liquid harvest laser marking blue.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Been busy at work haven't had much time but here's a shot of a pineapple I got popping up


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Mowed at .5 inch with a tru cut h20 I rebuilt with a new reel and bedknife


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Here is some action shots of my last mow with my project tru cut h20 mower not the best quality of cut with this tru cut compared to my jacobsen but I really like how easy it is to navigate around my small yard so I like so use it on days I dont have much time.







Here is a shot of my reels


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Wanted to take a pic with full sun sprinklers kicked on today and found an issue with lack of sun/over watering by the bushes. I guess it's time to get the chain saws out!


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Zoysiaguy said:


> Thanks! :thumbup: It tolerates shade well. If it's really shady I recommend planting the seeds in plug trays and letting them get full sun. I seeded the whole back yard and got 60 to 70 percent germination treated the weeds then used my trays to plug weak areas and grow in the rest. Since they take so dang long to germinate weed pressure can be an issue. once they take they spread just like Bermuda, just in slow motion. Plus with my weather down here in south Florida it's really tough to seed, just seems to always get a little washed away. It took me about a 3 weeks to really see germination and growth. But I think it would blend fine and fill in your shaded areas just fine its just a little expensive for the seeds but worth it. That variety of zoysia is really similar to Bermuda I have some popping up in some spots and I really have to look to see the difference. Happy seeding! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


Great job on your lawn!

Quick question...I too have a Zenith Zoysia seeded yard...it takes forever to germinate...and the success rate is sort of hit and miss.

I like your idea of starting the seeds in a plug trays.

Did you just purchase a standard plug tray and use normal topsoil?

Or did you seed the trays with compost?


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

ENC_Lawn said:


> Zoysiaguy said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks! :thumbup: It tolerates shade well. If it's really shady I recommend planting the seeds in plug trays and letting them get full sun. I seeded the whole back yard and got 60 to 70 percent germination treated the weeds then used my trays to plug weak areas and grow in the rest. Since they take so dang long to germinate weed pressure can be an issue. once they take they spread just like Bermuda, just in slow motion. Plus with my weather down here in south Florida it's really tough to seed, just seems to always get a little washed away. It took me about a 3 weeks to really see germination and growth. But I think it would blend fine and fill in your shaded areas just fine its just a little expensive for the seeds but worth it. That variety of zoysia is really similar to Bermuda I have some popping up in some spots and I really have to look to see the difference. Happy seeding! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
> ...


Thanks bro! I've purchased a lot of plugs from farms when I originally installed my lawn I saved all the plug trays but you can purchase them aswell , 3x3 and 1x1 sizes I have success with both but the best, in my opinion for germination is the 1x1 size like in the picture, but they both work fine. I've used all sorts of different soil combos to start my plugs but the best I've used is a mix of black cow compost, potting soil and a little peat moss and sand to help with drainage. I pack that soil in and lay a thin layer of starter fert, then I spread the seed across, then for best results I use peat moss to cover the seeds up. For some reason I think covering it up with just soil or mixing it in it adds a week or 2 to the germination period and also cuts down my germ rate to less than 50%. However when I use peat moss as a cover 90% every time. Then I like to grow them on like an old palet so the trays can drain properly and make sure it doesn't dry out until you get some good growth showing. Then I recommend if you can't put them in the ground right away whenever you use a liquid fert for your lawn with some npk in it just make sure to spray the trays too it will keep them nice and green until you can put them in the ground. You'll know they need some food when they start getting yellow and sad looking. Let me know if you have any other questions I'll be glad to try and help.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

ENC_Lawn said:


> Zoysiaguy said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks! :thumbup: It tolerates shade well. If it's really shady I recommend planting the seeds in plug trays and letting them get full sun. I seeded the whole back yard and got 60 to 70 percent germination treated the weeds then used my trays to plug weak areas and grow in the rest. Since they take so dang long to germinate weed pressure can be an issue. once they take they spread just like Bermuda, just in slow motion. Plus with my weather down here in south Florida it's really tough to seed, just seems to always get a little washed away. It took me about a 3 weeks to really see germination and growth. But I think it would blend fine and fill in your shaded areas just fine its just a little expensive for the seeds but worth it. That variety of zoysia is really similar to Bermuda I have some popping up in some spots and I really have to look to see the difference. Happy seeding! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
> ...


Thanks bro! I've purchased a lot of plugs from farms when I originally installed my lawn I saved all the plug trays but you can purchase them aswell , 3x3 and 1x1 sizes I have success with both but the best, in my opinion for germination is the 1x1 size like in the picture, but they both work fine. I've used all sorts of different soil combos to start my plugs but the best I've used is a mix of black cow compost, potting soil and a little peat moss and sand to help with drainage. I pack that soil in and lay a thin layer of starter fert, then I spread the seed across, then for best results I use peat moss to cover the seeds up. For some reason I think covering it up with just soil or mixing it in it adds a week or 2 to the germination period and also cuts down my germ rate to less than 50%. However when I use peat moss as a cover 90% every time. Then I like to grow them on like an old palet so the trays can drain properly and make sure it doesn't dry out until you get some good growth showing. Then I recommend if you can't put them in the ground right away whenever you use a liquid fert for your lawn with some npk in it just make sure to spray the trays too it will keep them nice and green until you can put them in the ground. You'll know they need some food when they start getting yellow and sad looking. Let me know if you have any other questions I'll be glad to try and help.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Zoysiaguy said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> > Zoysiaguy said:
> ...


Thanks for info.

One quick question.

What is your turn around time from seeding the trays to the plugs being healthy enough to plug into existing soil?


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

To be honest I never counted.. takes a while but I would say 2 months they should be good to go.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Just a shot of today's stripes.


Put some empire plugs from Bethel farms in some shady spots and hope for the best

progress


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Looking good!


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

ENC_Lawn said:


> Looking good!


Thanks bro :thumbup:


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

ENC_Lawn said:


> Looking good!


Just wanted to mention that I forgot to mention when me and you were talking about growing zenith plugs that I put Scott's granular starter fertilizer on top of the seed before I put the peat moss over the whole mix I've had best results using the fertilizer aswell.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Putting up xmas lights snapped a pic from the roof


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Putting up xmas lights snapped a pic from the roof


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Zoysiaguy said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> > Looking good!
> ...


@Zoysiaguy ...Thanks for the info and follow up.

Your new updated pics are looking good!


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## joallen001 (Nov 29, 2018)

What was your process for seeding the lawn ? Did you cover with peat moss just like the plug trays? I am back and forth on seeding Bermuda or zoysia. My lawn is over an acre so zoysia seed is pretty expensive.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

@ENC_lawn thanks bro! @joallen001 yes Pretty much I had a big weed problem the property was a foreclosure for years and the back yard was a mess so I killed it off with glyphosate and leveled it tilled it and removed all the dead weeds by raking and by hand then I speed the seed out then the granular starter fertilizer then a light rake for seed to soil contact then I threw peat moss down on it and watered lightly twice a day to maintain the darker brown wet color the peat moss turns when its properly saturated for the seed so just keep an eye on it of it looks dry give it a little water. You dont want to let the expensive zoysia seed dry out and not germinate it's worth the extra water till it grows up for a while. And when I say a while it's a long time the weeds fully establish before a any seed does so it is a bit of a challenge to seed zoysia but it Is a little more shade tolerant once it gets up and running. However Bermuda is cheaper and depending on your situation being as large of an area as it is I would probably go with Bermuda bro some veriaties are pretty awesome but I will admit if your up for the challenge and the investment you'll be pleased with the results. Here is a before 

And after about a year and a half of work


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)




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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)




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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Here is some shots after a mow today from sunny south florida!


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## jimbeckel (May 27, 2018)

Nice transformation from where you started, yard looks great!


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

jimbeckel said:


> Nice transformation from where you started, yard looks great!


Thank you


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

That Zoysia is Lookin good!!!


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

ENC_Lawn said:


> That Zoysia is Lookin good!!!


 :thumbup: thanks! Still want to trim the trees back more and do some more leveling with sand this year I want to order a truck load this time


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

Couple shots from today's mow at .5 inch using the tru cut h20


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## ThomasPI (May 18, 2019)

Nice work and transformation.


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## Zoysiaguy (Apr 26, 2018)

This is what I had to work with when we moved in lol so much work I love it


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