# Looking for insight on zoysia



## nclawnguy (Jun 27, 2017)

Hey guys, I am interested on your thoughts on zoysia. I am looking to possibly renovate part of my property (12k sqft) to a warm season grass. Really not interested in getting into the whole bermuda reel/greens mower thing. Looking for something that can look good mowed on the higher side, 2-2.5" with my zero turn. Any zoysia lawns fit that bill? Property gets full sun, hardly any shade.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

I've had experience with several japonica cultivars and would recommend El Toro if you can get it. It will grow slowly enough that once per week mowing is sufficient (if not even unnecessary), drought tolerant as any grass I've had experience with including several bermuda and buffalo varieties, and requires low fertilizer inputs to boot. Fungal problems are more pronounced with zoysia in comparison to bermuda, but usually controlled with one or maybe two Fall and one Spring apps. If you have a sandier soil then I believe stinging nematodes can also be a concern.


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## j4c11 (Apr 30, 2017)

What about recovery from damage? If you damage a spot, is it pretty much wait until next year for it to get fixed?


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

El Toro is the fastest spreading zoysia, but that doesn't mean it's fast. Any small areas are usually covered in two weeks and gone in 3-4 weeks.


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## Gopwh2020 (Apr 6, 2017)

My backyard is small so we put in Emerald Zoysia and love it. It tolerates my kids playing on it and is very easy to maintain. I keep it at about 2" and cut every 7-10 days. It greened up a lot faster this season because of the warmer weather we had early on so by the end of May it was beautiful. Regular rain seems to be all it needs, but I supplement periodically with irrigation. I fertilize at the beginning of the season and about halfway through and then supplement every four weeks with Milo. I have Bermuda in the front to match the rest of the neighborhood and probably spend twice as much time on it than the backyard.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

only interested in seeded variety? (i realize we're talking 12k sq ft)


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## vanawesome (Jul 17, 2017)

Hello, I planted Zynith Zoysia, and it definitely took a while to establish, not fully there yet (although I didn't really know what I was doing when I got started) I planted it in the early fall which was dumb, it germinated and pretty much stopped growing throughout the winter. (I live in san diego, so I figured it's always warm it wouldn't matter when I planted it.) Then in February it started to really thrive.

There were a lot of bare spots so I oversewed with quick germinating Ryegrass to give the zoysia something to invade and help prevent weeds from going crazy, that seemed to work as the zoysia is almost 100% taken over the rye. Anyway, I mention this grass because I actually keep it mowed at about 3-3 1/2 inches and it looks great at that length. It's so thick that I don't think i could cut it super short like people say you are supposed to. Again, I don't really know what I'm doing which is why I just joined this forum, but I wanted to give you my experience with zenith Zoysia.


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## whereismykit (Jun 20, 2017)

I as well planted Zenith Zoysia from seed and it has done very well. I had some issues after I seeded but that was because of Mother Nature flooding my front yard and took some seed with it.

This year is my second year with it and it has thicken up a lot.


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## nclawnguy (Jun 27, 2017)

jayhawk said:


> only interested in seeded variety? (i realize we're talking 12k sq ft)


No, I would sod.


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## nclawnguy (Jun 27, 2017)

Thanks everyone who replied. Can zoysia sod be installed dormant, or is during the growing season preferred?


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

It can be installed dormant if your winters are mild, but I would do everything I could to install during active growth.


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## jcdenton (May 3, 2017)

Are you looking for a thick or thin bladed Zoysia? Thin, I'd recommend Emerald or Toccoa Green. Thicker blade I'd go with either Empire or Palisades zoysia.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Emerald or its cousins (zeon) will excel in the scenario you describe (mow 1/week, 2") - in fact look great tall (don't get that browning underneath the first 1/4 " in the summer like bermudas). i have zero doubt you'll regret a fine blade sod variety, look and feel is hard to beat. i have neighbors who have hired help (rotary, weekly cut at avg height) on their zeon/emerald/geo.

if it was my $, i'd install now thru august.

concur w/ Gopwh2020

What varieties are you finding in NC?


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## nclawnguy (Jun 27, 2017)

jayhawk said:


> What varieties are you finding in NC?


Zenith, emerald, palisades, cavalier, meyer, compadre, and a few others.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Did you follow thru?


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## Still learnin (Sep 9, 2017)

I'm very interested to see if you pulled the trigger on Zoysia. Contemplating the same myself.

Gowph, Zoysia sure does look good in the pic!


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## Guest (Sep 26, 2017)

Id give el toro a shot. I think it's done well. I planted late and I've seen some runners over a foot long in places. I think Palisades, El toro, and Jamur are all very close. In person I'm not sure I could tell the difference.
I wasn't able to find Palisades in NC except at the NCSU turf school. I could get El toro and Jamur locally. I think come spring I'll finish my yard with el toro.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

jayhawk said:


> Did you follow thru?


 Doing this to send him a notification, I doubt he comes to the warm season side very often


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## nclawnguy (Jun 27, 2017)

Just an update - Nothing decided for this season. Getting my irrigation installed right now. Too late in the year, just going to do an overseed with tttf for now. Next year I will decide on either tttf, kbg, tttf+kbg or zoysia.


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