# Zoysia Shade Tolerance



## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

I'm currently overhauling my backyard with new shrubs, new patio, etc and have completely ruined the St Augustine that is in place, due to the tractor that has been going in and out. I've always wanted a Zoysia lawn and I'm dead set on installing a Zoysia sod in the spring. My question is, what type of Zoysia is the best in regards to shade tolerance?


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

If you are concerned about the amount of light, get a light meter so you know where you stand.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Also, this does not address light requirement, but is applicable to establishment rate. https://www.agry.purdue.edu/turfnew/report/2004/p43.pdf


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

I've seen Geo, zeon do pretty well in backyards that are Part sun.

Avoid supersod.inc
Get drainage dialed in 
Low N, prevent d (fungicide)

Reel or punishing it?

Interesting read @Movingshrub, you see emerald at the bottom which in my case, is more aggressive but it gets the most sun bigly, compared to my zeon.


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## Grass Clippins (Apr 30, 2018)

@BakerGreenLawnMaker

I was also researching shade tolerant zoysia earlier this year. Here is a good article Zoysia - for Shade, Walter Reeves

I'm no authority on the topic, but to summarize the article it appears Zeon does well in shade while El Toro does better. The trade off would be appearance. Zeon is a finer looking turf while El Toro has a thicker blade. I personally like the way El Toro looks and am leaning that direction. These two options are available by way of sod or plugs. If you want to throw seed Zenith is an option.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

I'm guessing zoysia is similar enough to other grass types to say height of cut as high as you can dare to in the shade, or maybe even a little higher than that.


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## jonthepain (May 5, 2018)

Despite marketing claims, it has been my experience that zeon peters out if there is any shade at all.

I've seen it many times, on many lawns.


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

Movingshrub said:


> Also, this does not address light requirement, but is applicable to establishment rate. https://www.agry.purdue.edu/turfnew/report/2004/p43.pdf


Thanks @Movingshrub


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

@BakerGreenLawnMaker My pleasure. I was curious about easblishnent rate when sprigging. I was interested in their assertion that neither nitrogen or PRG would increase rate of establishment.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@BakerGreenLawnMaker "shade tolerance" it has, but everything has it's limit. St Augustine is still more shade tolerant than zoysia, with the one possible exception being Diamond zoysia.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

jonthepain said:


> Despite marketing claims, it has been my experience that zeon peters out if there is any shade at all.
> 
> I've seen it many times, on many lawns.


So have I. El Toro kind of sort of hangs on. But and this is a big but. You cannot mow it as often or as low as the parts of the lawn in more sun. Soil has to be well drained. You also must restrict watering to that area. You also had better be ready to treat Nematodes and Large Patch.

Seeing what I have seen, I do not want Zoysia of any variety in shady areas.


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## high leverage (Jun 11, 2017)

I have Meyer Z-52 in between my house and the neighbors. It only receives 4-5 hours of direct sunlight durning the peak growing season at 36º latitude. I can't mow it any lower than 1.5" and it recovers very slowwwwwww. It took 2 growing season to recover from light leveling with mason sand. Do not smother or scalp anywhere near dirt. I also experienced what I think was large patch last fall.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Sounds like my experience with Zoysia in shade. I basically stop mowing in shady areas at this time of the year and am on alert for disease.


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## jonthepain (May 5, 2018)

What's the weather like in your part of the world this time of year?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Daytime high under 80. Nights drop to the low 60s. Cloudy most days. Heavy rain every week if not more often. Sun up at 7. Sun down at 5:45. Grass has not gone dormant but I know it wants to.


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## Reel_Geek (Sep 15, 2018)

@jayhawk What are your concerns with SuperSod? I was likely going to buy my Zeon Zoysia from them this spring to be used at my new house. They have a large presence here in the Raleigh area. However, I am aware of other farms that I could purchase through, if needed. Please advise.


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## jonthepain (May 5, 2018)

I have had good luck purchasing sod from Crystal at the apex siteone.


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## Reel_Geek (Sep 15, 2018)

@jonthepain Thanks for the feedback. Also, I was bummed to read about your negative experiences with shade and Zeon. The lot that we are building our new home on has (and had) some nice, mature, trees. I just had a bunch of them removed in an effort to allow more sunlight into the side and rear yard. I am hoping it will be enough as I refuse to use lay fescue, and obviously, Bermuda, would be even worse than the Zeon.


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## trc (Jun 23, 2017)

Keyword is that zoysia can tolerate shade but it does not do well in only 5-6 hours sun. The southern most side of my backyard barely barely grows or gets mowed. Be prepared for PGR, preventative fungicide program, low N and higher HOC to look decent. My emerald looks and does better in shade / moisture vs neighbors zeon.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

regarding supersod 1) they will sell you rolls 2) they will sell it before it should be harvested / laid for optimal success (contrast to NG Turf here in my area) 3) they have so many farms you don't know what you'll get (red or loam ?)

rolls, appeal because they are larger...but rolling them up to start is a tight roll and then consider the weight pressing on that. you end up with varying levels of dirt and areas that have no chance of taking off. installers with experience (beyond install) will know to just cut and throw away those areas that won't make it.

This site has several examples of more delicate zoysia that came in rolls and/or was laid early (not green) - asking why does my sod look like sh*t 20 days later or not greening up as it should in may.

I'd check out bladerunner farms @bladerunnerfarms site, they may have map of certified growers that have a little more pride in their product.

i wish i had a drone to provide perspective of the trees and house - my backyard facing east is obviously shaded. zeon is doing fine....although i'm not running a rotary at 3.5" or riding/turning a commercial exmark / toro over/on it either.

i have a sister in law in Rock Hill. may have to take a look when i get up there?


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## Reel_Geek (Sep 15, 2018)

@jayhawk Thanks a ton for the useful info. I'd prefer to use a company that "gets it." I will look around for other growers of Zeon in my part of NC.

Also, I came across the article below regarding shade and zoysia. Interesting stuff.

I am 3 hours from Rock Hill, but you are welcome any time.

http://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/golfd/article/2012dec35.pdf


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## Reel_Geek (Sep 15, 2018)

@trc Help me understand why pgr would be used for a slow growing lawn. Horizontal establishment?


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## trc (Jun 23, 2017)

Reel_Geek said:


> @trc Help me understand why pgr would be used for a slow growing lawn. Horizontal establishment?


PGR reduces leaf elongation which increases available energy for root growth and carbohydrate storage. Studies support and I personally observed increased shade tolerance, density and overall turf quality in the shadiest areas of the lawn compared to no pgr. The turf spreads and recovers very slowly in significant shade so hard for me to quantify any lateral spread benefits.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

@Reel_Geek article, yeah hard to broad brush "Zoysia". I've seen some on here with royal (in S.C.) and Zorro...I would consider too -they appear identical in photos. Zeon has a marketing machine or maybe "first mover" advantage so it's probably easier to source?


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## Reel_Geek (Sep 15, 2018)

@trc Thanks for the info. Your lawn!!


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## Reel_Geek (Sep 15, 2018)

jayhawk said:


> @Reel_Geek article, yeah hard to broad brush "Zoysia". I've seen some on here with royal (in S.C.) and Zorro...I would consider too -they appear identical in photos. Zeon has a marketing machine or maybe "first mover" advantage so it's probably easier to source?


@jayhawk. Thanks. Based on that study I shared from Texas A&M, I am now thinking more about Zorro. I found a grower about an hour south of me and it is not SuperSod. More to come.


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## Reel_Geek (Sep 15, 2018)

@jayhawk What height do you keep your backyard Zeon at?


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## Reel_Geek (Sep 15, 2018)

Reel_Geek said:


> @jonthepain Thanks for the feedback. Also, I was bummed to read about your negative experiences with shade and Zeon. The lot that we are building our new home on has (and had) some nice, mature, trees. I just had a bunch of them removed in an effort to allow more sunlight into the side and rear yard. I am hoping it will be enough as I refuse to use fescue, and obviously, Bermuda, would be even worse than the Zeon.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Im guessing around 1" in back. It's not as vigorous or dense....but it's still, zeon. No "why am I 'scalping' every time I mow" in the summer


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

Hey guys, it's been awhile since I've been on. I actually went with Royal Zoysia. I laid it back in August of last year and it's done quite well. Here's some photos before during and after.


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## bmw (Aug 29, 2018)

Palisades zoysia is a good cultivar for shade. I also like the thicker blade (but not near as thick as St. Aug). It has a good, lush look.


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## TonyC (May 17, 2018)

@BakerGreenLawnMaker , Any updated pics as we open the 2020 season?


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

TonyC said:


> @BakerGreenLawnMaker , Any updated pics as we open the 2020 season?


Gotcha right here. Just applied some XST DYI 8-24-4 at 3#/1000

Current state as of 4/8/20


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## TonyC (May 17, 2018)

@BakerGreenLawnMaker , Looks like she's still waking up. Good Luck!


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

@TonyC, slowly but surely.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

jayhawk said:


> Im guessing around 1" in back. It's not as vigorous or dense....but it's still, zeon. No "why am I 'scalping' every time I mow" in the summer


If I am understanding this comment correctly...???...you are saying that Zoysia doesn't scalp like Bermuda if you let it overgrow?

If I am interpreting this correctly...that is a huge benefit!!!!


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

@ENC_Lawn yes. Doesn't have that same charcteristic / feature that as the season goes on, the lower (majority) of the leaf turns brown from a lack of direct light(?).


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## Saints (May 5, 2019)

Anyone have experience between Geo and Palisades in shade?


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

Saints said:


> Anyone have experience between Geo and Palisades in shade?


I don't, but the guy down the street from me has Palisades and it looks incredible!


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## lambert (Sep 12, 2018)

Saints said:


> Anyone have experience between Geo and Palisades in shade?


I have Geo (3000 sq feet sodded in 2013) in my back yard which in fenced in with a wooden privacy fence with 5 medium live oaks and a female beagle. Considering the harsh turf environment it does pretty well. One of the things I've noticed compared to the Empire i have in the front, is that the Geo is very fungus resistant and does not produce much thatch. This is July of last year rotary cut at 1.25":


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## Saints (May 5, 2019)

lambert said:


> Saints said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone have experience between Geo and Palisades in shade?
> ...


Looking fantastic! I've been reading and reading and there's really not much to go off of. I did call a local place today that offers Palisades and Geo and she said that Palisades was a little more shade resistant, but that's a little counterintuitive than what I've been reading. I believe it was Texas Ag that did a three year study of different cultivars of Zoysia under 40 year old oaks to see what cultivar did best, but Geo was not one of them. Palisades did the best of the Japonica and Royal was the best of all Martella. I can not find Royal anywhere near me.

From what I understand Geo is a mix between Matrella and Tenuifolia which I can't find much info on. I have Empire which I will be mating up to and it does not do well under any kind of shade from my experience. I'm not really trying to match up to Empire as much as I am trying to find the right grass to grow where I want it. St. aug is out of the question as my soil is too acidic from what I've been told. And I've had St. Aug for most of my life, it's just not something I want.

I'm not trying to pull off a miracle and understand the limitations under shade, I'm just trying to find the best option for my situation and while I love Bermuda, I think Zoysia would be a better fit since I already have a cultivar of it and for some mostly shade spots I am trying to fill. This will be a 6k+ sqft project that I'll be doing myself so 15+ pallets and I would like to get it right. I expect to fail in some areas and that's ok, as I know I will be pushing my limits in some areas.


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## mofo2713 (Apr 16, 2020)

So it doesn't seem there is a real clear cut answer as to which zoysia is best for shade. I have an oak tree getting pretty big and bermuda is getting sparse and wanting to get a zoysia that is on the higher end of shade tolerance


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## mofo2713 (Apr 16, 2020)

@Saints here is the snippet that you were referring to.
https://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/golfd/article/2012dec35.pdf


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## RDZed (Jul 13, 2018)

mofo2713 said:


> So it doesn't seem there is a real clear cut answer as to which zoysia is best for shade. I have an oak tree getting pretty big and bermuda is getting sparse and wanting to get a zoysia that is on the higher end of shade tolerance


I have Meyer Zoysia under my Willow oak out front (mixed with Patriot Bermuda) and it seems to be okay with the shade. It gets super leggy but fills in nicely. You can definitely tell the difference in grass types but to the untrained eye, grass is grass.

Check out my journal for pics and whay my process was...


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## A to Zoysia (Apr 4, 2020)

I am shooting a video for the channel about how to improve zoysia in shadier areas. You're all welcomed to check it out but I wanted to get some working advice. I have a plan and I use specific products, just needing thoughts from you guys. Channel link below


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

I found Royal Zoysia at Carolina Fresh Farms here in S. Carolina. I went with this type because of the thin blade vs palisades and the wide blade. I have right at 5hrs of direct sunlight, I will say that the zoysia right now is struggling due to large patch or brown patch. I've been spoon feeding it rotating with 8-1-8 and 25-0-20, I've also applied headway at the recommended rate. I'll say, if you're thinking of laying zoysia, go ahead and apply a preventative fungicide to save yourself the headache.


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

A to Zoysia said:


> I am shooting a video for the channel about how to improve zoysia in shadier areas. You're all welcomed to check it out but I wanted to get some working advice. I have a plan and I use specific products, just needing thoughts from you guys. Channel link below


I've read where PGR's help fill in thin spots in zoysia due to shade. Here is a document from Clemson with using PGR on Diamond Zoysia. I'll
be experiencing with TNEX to use it in a small area starting the first of June to gauge its impact. 
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4214&context=all_theses


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## A to Zoysia (Apr 4, 2020)

BakerGreenLawnMaker said:


> A to Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> > I am shooting a video for the channel about how to improve zoysia in shadier areas. You're all welcomed to check it out but I wanted to get some working advice. I have a plan and I use specific products, just needing thoughts from you guys. Channel link below
> ...


Good read but it's tough with them citing everything in the document. LOL
I have mixed interpretation of conflicting information that I've read here and there. I've read that TNEX will improve lateral growth and then read something that says it's not good for patchy areas because it'll take forever to fill in. Personally, I have all the time in the world and would like to see it tighten up the turf. I'm going to keep an eye out on shady areas and see how they compare to previous years.

I'm getting Winter die off every year but it all comes back by June/July. Do you think that after a season of applying a pgr, it'll over winter better? I'm assuming with the better root system it will. I also have a tendency to mow way too low in late fall, giving me no buffer or holding power by exposing the soil (kind of like it looks when you mow really low in spring to remove the dead material).


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## Texas_Bermuda (Sep 1, 2018)

Great discussion on this board. Im curious who has the highest shade / fewest direct sun hours and how that spot looks and how you achieve it. I too have zoysia (palisades) with high shade.... i bet the shadiest around and looking for pro tips! Thanks


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