# Fresh Zeon Zoysia Sod and Lots of Questions - Picture Heavy



## Etrizzino (Apr 13, 2019)

Hey everyone, first let me introduce myself and my yard. I have been lurking on the boards for some time trying to get educated (Thanks Ware) but figured it was time to come out of the shadows.

After several years of dreaming about a fairway like yard, I finally bit the bullet, ripped out pretty much all of my previous yard and laid down 10k sq ft of zeon zoysia 3 weeks ago. I had laid out test pieces throughout the front and back yard over the course of 2 years to see how it would do and with a lot of neglect it seemed to do very well. I also had the vegetation ripped up, the soil graded with a Harley rake, laid out some lime and starter fertilizer.

Now that the turf is down I am quickly realizing how unprepared I was when I made this decision on little more than I had enough of caring for my mess of a lawn.

*Previous Yard: *






*In Progress Pictures:*






*This Week:*







Overall my yard gets a fair amount of sun but being by creeks I have a pretty low water table and while I brought in a bunch of top soil when I regraded the yard 5 years ago it can still get a bit soggy. I am hopeful that the grass will help absorb a fair amount of the water. Now over the past week and half we have had a significant amount of rain, plus dropping temperatures at night, so was half expecting it but pretty sure I now have brown patch to deal with. 

Is it too soon to apply a fungicide to the yard to limit the damage?

This urgency has now sent me on a spirling means of research on lawn chemicals in addition to the already ever ending debate on which real mower do I want to sell one of my kidneys for.

Below is the list of what I am thinking of immediately picking up to start my dream of having a beautiful yard. Please include comments and feel free to educate this newbie on why I am an idiot and this is a terrible idea.

Immediate Purchases:
- A Toro GM1600 or a Swardman 55 (I do live in Atl, so Lee is pretty close)
- Sprayers Plus 105Ex
- Prime Source Azoxy 50 WDG Fungicide
- Propiconazole 14.3
- Snapshot (beds)
- Bio-Stimulant Package
- High Quality Fertilizer (undecided)

While I know this is only the beginning of a long journey I do would like to start off right; open to any suggestions, ideas, thoughts, key equipment, etc. Thanks!


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Fungicide, in my opinion, should always be applied when sod is put down due to the extra watering requirements. Also starter fertilizer.

Zeon doesn't really like to be sopping wet.

And lastly, hopefully there are no dogs within a quarter mile of you. If they pee, it's dead there for 6 months to a year.


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## Etrizzino (Apr 13, 2019)

Thanks. So I did apply starter before laying the sod but did not do a fungicide; will be ordering some Azoxy and Propiconazole tonight unless anyone has a better suggestion.

As for the dogs, I do have a German Shepard and while he will occasionally go in the grass, he normally prefers to mark the trees in the beds.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@Etrizzino I would look at Tebuconazole instead of propiconazole for zoysia patch. Bare in mind that it is off label, as it isn't labeled for residential use.


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## Etrizzino (Apr 13, 2019)

Why is it off label, safe for kids and pets?


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## trc (Jun 23, 2017)

Tebuconazole is cheap and highly effective, see:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/large-patch-in-turf

That said its not listed for residential use and epa lists as a possible carcinogen and I have small kids so I don't use it. I may just be overly cautious so Azoxy + Prop tank mix for me and keep everyone off the lawn until watered in and dry.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

I'm in Smyrna and have more Tebuconazole than I'll ever need. If you put down startr fert....I wouldn't say you need fert immediately...or that much. 2lb of N year they say.

June, it'll really take off...when our lows are in the 70s.


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## drewwitt (Jun 25, 2018)

Prop. works great and fast on my slow Zeon.

I have the 105ex and it's great.

I echo that Zeon likes heat and doesn't like to be soaking wet all the time. 2lb N per year is right also.

One thing on the reel. Not sure the HOC range on the GMs. My understanding is they're super low. Everything I've experienced and read is that zoysia doesn't do well under 1". Not sure if anyone has a healthy super reel low zoysia yard that can chime in. Don't keep it too tall either. 1-2" seems the by the sweet spot for me.

I settled on a tru cut because of the HOC, and the weight. The zoysia will get thick and lighter mowers will float on the grass. The tru cuts are heavy. With a front roller, it cuts excellent.


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## Etrizzino (Apr 13, 2019)

Thanks for everyone's replies! I ordered the Azoxy & Prop as I have 3 small kids and a dog. I am thinking of maintaining a 1" HOC; I know a few people who have a .75" HOC with zoysia but figured would shoot for 1" this year. Welcome anyone's guidance or suggestions on essential equipment or things that have worked well for them. Appreciate all the help.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

I've done 5/8 to 3/4. "Zoysia" can go as low as any ....it's on greens in Hilton Head.


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## Brad Thompson91006 (Jul 5, 2018)

I have been maintaining my Zeon at 0.60" HOC with a Toro GM1000. The lawn likes it low.


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## drewwitt (Jun 25, 2018)

That's it! I'm going to .25"!


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

I've been keeping my Empire Zoysia at 1/2" with Swardman. It does like it low


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## Etrizzino (Apr 13, 2019)

Apologies, I know I am long overdue for an update and my next set of questions. First this is how the current lawn is progressing, it is far from perfect, but at least I feel like it is moving the right direction.

Front:


Back:


Now after much back and forth; I decided to bit the bullet, visited Lee and picked up a Swordman. While it has only been a few weeks, the ease of the machine for a newbie has been amazing. Ability to adjust reel to bedknife and HOC has been incredibly helpful, plus I love the striping I am getting. Over the past weeks, I have: 
- Purchased a Swordman Edwin 2
- Purchased a Sprayers Plus 105Ex
- Purchased and Sprayed Azoxy 50 WDG Fungicide
- Purchased and Sprayed Propiconazole 14.3
- Purchased and Sprayed N-EXT Bio-Stimulant Package

I am now unable to keep up with hand weeding the lawn and looking to purchase the following:
- Tee Jets: 
Al11004-VS
AI11002-VS
25612-3-NYR
25598-3-NYR
TT11002-VP
TT11004-VP​- Bauer Celsius WG - No longer able to keep up with hand weeding alone; is this still the favorite (seems out of stock most places)
- PGR & Surfactant - Do not have a particular one in mind but most def open to suggestions
- Sledgehammer - Have sedge popping up throughout the yard, trying to decide to spot of apply broadly 
- PreEmergent - Undecided, know I have a little bit of time before I put down in the fall but figure now is good a time as any to research. What is everyone's favorite?

Please chime in with suggestions, tips, recommendations, etc. I am currently trying to get the yard ready for a large July 4th celebration we host every year.

Appreciate the help!


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Look at that ....

July, you'll be asked for tips.

I used to have arbornomics (not some drive-by franchise)
Fav preEm is spectile Flo for numerous reasons - goose, crab, POA domination

I recall Speedzone 
Celcius wasn't in the toolbox .... effective but they are NOT using precision sprayers so that is why it wasn't in their main rotation.

Pgr and Celsius are not forgiving ...little margin for error. I wouldnt assume you need pgr w/zeon ....get some more time and observations under your belt with the new yard.


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## Etrizzino (Apr 13, 2019)

Jayhawk, I am certain I am going to have a lot of questions this first year. While I grew up out in the yard, the lawn care was pretty standard. We used a rotary mower, scalped the zoysia in the spring, threw down some fertilizer in the spring and maybe aerate every few years. So trying to quickly educate myself on all the nuances of a yard.

I currently have Arbornomics and while they have not treated the new yard, I have not been thrilled with them as of late. They cannot seem to get me the same tech for each treatment, notes are mis-entered, seems like every time I call about something it is not included in my package, even though was sold differently pre-sale. All of this leading to me just deciding to learn how to do it moving forward, at least till I am knowledgeable enough to know how it is supposed to be done.

Will need to do some more research on the PreEM front as DoMyOwn is showing Spectile Flo as discontinued but then it is still be on Bayer's website and can find it listed on some other sites.

I was leaning towards Celcius as while it appears to take several weeks to kill everything, it appears effective from what I have read. When looking I noticed a lot of places were out of stock so did not know if something else had replaced it. I understand the small margin of error given the highly diluted nature of it, hints the switch to teejets and 105ex for a consistent pattern, but rather spend time calibrating than be fighting weeds all summer.

PGR was less for the mowing frequency and more for the ancillary benefits of causing the grass to spread, making the grass thicker. If that is not the case or it is marginal than I will pass, as mowing frequency is not the problem....at least not yet. A once a week mowing appears to keep the grass tidy.


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## UFG8RMIKE (Apr 21, 2019)

Nice transformation

.


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## Wfrobinette (Feb 3, 2019)

Celsius is here

https://www.lawnandpestcontrolsupply.com/products/celsius-wg-herbicide-10-oz?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=297990665&gclid=CjwKEAjwsLTJBRCvibaW9bGLtUESJAC4wKw1WV-CBC2nl_HNR7ZssbjcsyAUrcCw5jHDFK8Cdbq5iBoCkRvw_wcB


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## Rammy1546 (Jan 3, 2020)

@Etrizzino How has your lawn been treating you? How much sun does your shadiest parts of your yard get? How is the majority of that Zeon holding up?


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