# Atlanta Zeon Zoysia



## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Here is what I started with last summer (2019). I didn't know anything about warm season grasses like Bermuda or Zoysia. After limited research, I figured out that my yard used to be a Bermuda lawn, but the previous owners just had a mow and blow service come once every other week and over time it was reduced to weeds.

I went down the the super sod location on the south side of Atlanta and looked at the different varieties of grass they supplied. I settled on Zeon Zoysia.

On Labor Day weekend, My brother and I began stripping all the grass with a sod cutter that we rented from HD. Unfortunately the sod cutter was useless so we started stripping everything by hand with a flat head shovels.





I didn't fully understand the importance of having a flat and level lawn, so I did a pretty bad job of grading the yard once we removed all the weeds.





The entire project took us about 2.5 days and we did everything entirely by hand. We probably could've done it a little faster, but it was 95°F out the entire weekend.













Here it is a few weeks later. I kept it watered well, but the lateral growth never really took off.



Dormancy over the winter.





Green up starting...


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Fully green now.



I picked up a 25 inch Cal Trimmer to replace the Honda rotary I was using.









Here is the second cut with the Cal Trimmer. The first cut was on the second highest notch. This cut was on the highest.

I'm planning to drop sand on Friday so I'm hoping a sand leveling will help with the scalping. I'm also headed to Reel Rollers sometime this week to get a roller and a backlapping kit.

I'll post pictures throughout the leveling.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Dropped 1.5 yards of USGA topdressing sand today.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Finished dragging out the sand as best as I could. I used the watering wand to water in the sand as well.

I'm not sure if I did it right or if I covered up some spots to much or not enough, but I'll see how it goes.

Most of the neighborhood thinks I'm a nut if they didn't already.

Thanks to @jayhawk for letting me borrow his drag mat.


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## NewHomeOwner (Apr 11, 2020)

Looks really awesome. Nice work.

Your grass from supersod looked better than ours, but we got tiftuf.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

NewHomeOwner said:


> Looks really awesome. Nice work.
> 
> Your grass from supersod looked better than ours, but we got tiftuf.


Thanks. I actually ended up ordering my sod from Atlanta Sod Company.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Worked in the sand a little more this morning with a push broom and drag mat. I think I'll try to get the blades through a little more before leaving it alone.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

The push broom and drag mat combination worked wonders. 1.5 yards of sand almost vanished.


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## ZachUA (Dec 28, 2018)

Looking good. Can't wait to see results after you hit it with the reel mower again.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Here is the first cut post sand leveling. I got the reel sharpened and new grooved front roller put on at Reel Works.

The leveling will definitely be a multi season process. If it fills in completely in the next couple weeks then I may try do another sanding before the season ends.


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## SC Grass Loon (Jun 7, 2019)

Looks good!


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Dropped the mower another notch. It is really starting to take off and thicken up with the high temperatures and amount of rain we've had.


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## BakerGreenLawnMaker (Mar 13, 2018)

Damn!!!! That's already looking good. You Zeon Zoysia guys make me sick lol!!!


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## Grass Clippins (Apr 30, 2018)

Looking good...looking good. Lot of Zeon down here in GA, I like it.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

BOOM!

Ditto....but my tifgrand, looks scalped (it's not, a level beauty strip)


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## BermudaBen (Aug 28, 2019)

Wow, that looks plush!


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

I got bored and a little greedy this morning and dropped it another notch just to see if I could get away with it. It looks like I got lucky this time and I didn't scalp.

I might push my luck on it again this week and drop it another notch. With the way it's growing, I think it will recover pretty quickly if it does scalp and I'll get to find out how low I can go this season.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

This is the only troublesome spot that I'm having. It's been thin here all season so I'm not sure if it just died out/thinned out here over the winter or if there is something else keeping it from filling in.

I did the screw driver test and it goes into the ground just fine. My next thought is that it's just drying out quicker than the rest of the lawn here. I'm going to try hand watering this area to see if that helps. If that doesn't work then I guess I'll dig to see if there is something under this spot. Unless someone else has some other suggestions before I go that route.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

How long is the screwdriver?

Overall, looks amazing. I'm seeing drought stress today in my usual areas, so I'm irrigating in the a.m.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

@Atlanta_Zeon Your lawn is looking fatanstic!!!


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

jayhawk said:


> How long is the screwdriver?
> 
> Overall, looks amazing. I'm seeing drought stress today in my usual areas, so I'm irrigating in the a.m.


It was about 6 inches. Looking back on the original lawn, this area was all dirt with some exposed tree roots. I'm wondering if the roots are still sucking this area dry.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

ENC_Lawn said:


> @Atlanta_Zeon Your lawn is looking fatanstic!!!


Thanks!


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

I double cut the lawn this morning. There were a few areas that the grass was too long for the reel to cut so I had the height at the highest setting on the first pass and dropped it on the second.


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## critterdude311 (Apr 21, 2018)

Atlanta_Zeon said:


> I double cut the lawn this morning. There were a few areas that the grass was too long for the reel to cut so I had the height at the highest setting on the first pass and dropped it on the second.


You got this looking great in a relatively short period of time, way to go!


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## brown_town (Apr 1, 2020)

Looks great, can't say I'm not a little jealous. Had my Zeon sod for a little over a year now and it's nowhere near as thick.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)




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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

#Winning


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Double cut and edged this afternoon.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Picked up this spreader today for $30. I'm not positive if it's in 100% working order, but going to be better than the scotts mini that I've been using.


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## sabanist (Mar 28, 2019)

Your lawn is looking good. I just laid empire zoysia. I see you got the cali trimmer. What setting do you have it on. Seeing your sand leveling job, that is what I plan on doing in the spring.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

sabanist said:


> Your lawn is looking good. I just laid empire zoysia. I see you got the cali trimmer. What setting do you have it on. Seeing your sand leveling job, that is what I plan on doing in the spring.


I think I have it set to 1 inch for the main lawn and i put it on the next notch down on the sidewalk strip. I need to do another full leveling next June and some serious spot leveling. I think the only reason I'm not scalping is because I have the front roller on the mower.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)




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## Ben S (Oct 6, 2018)

The lawn looks amazing. What a transformation. I'm fascinated by the different shades of green. What do you think is going on there?


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Ben S said:


> The lawn looks amazing. What a transformation. I'm fascinated by the different shades of green. What do you think is going on there?


The lawn is still very uneven so I think it's just from how the front roller is pushing some spots more than others. That's my best guess. If I had more time left in the season I would be spot leveling like crazy, but I don't think I have enough time for it to recover.


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## Reelmower (Jun 23, 2020)

Great lawn. What HOC? Thanks


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Reelmower said:


> Great lawn. What HOC? Thanks


1 inch on the lawn.

2 notches lower on the sidewalk strip.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Lawn is looking great!


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Did a drainage project over the weekend.


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## marcjw (Aug 28, 2020)

When you leveled your zeon did it have any problems coming up through any of the more heavily sanded areas? I've got some low spots that are several inches low and was curious.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Wise man to use solid. Digging, oh what a b#tch 
They get you ($) on those connectors though


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

jayhawk said:


> Wise man to use solid. Digging, oh what a b#tch
> They get you ($) on those connectors though


I think I was all in for about $300 in materials. The connectors did start to add up. Digging, busting up the roots and leveling the grade was a pain.

It was good timing on the project. It got a thorough testing with the big storms we have had over the last few weeks.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

marcjw said:


> When you leveled your zeon did it have any problems coming up through any of the more heavily sanded areas? I've got some low spots that are several inches low and was curious.


There were a couple spots that took longer than others. It all filled in though. I'm doing another leveling next June.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Still greenist in the area?


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

jayhawk said:


> Still greenist in the area?


Greenest of the warm season lawns. The fescue guys are dominating the street right now.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Took down a tree in the backyard and had some pruning done on the other trees. I hope this gives me enough sunlight to allow me to replace the fescue with zeon this spring.


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## SC Grass Loon (Jun 7, 2019)

You definitely are opening up the canopy.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Starting to get rolling again.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks great!


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## AFBiker2011 (Jun 3, 2020)

ENC_Lawn said:


> Looks great!


What he said


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Hand aerated some of the thin and dry spots.

Some of the spots that get almost no sunlight have thinned out and some of the spots that have zero shade and on the slop have dried out.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

The zeon is starting to rip. I'm cutting twice a week now and some of the thinner spots are starting to thicken up.

I'm doing a masonry sand level on the 26th. Excited to try out the RR leveling rake.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Looks great!


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## BruceAlmighty22 (May 12, 2021)

My goodness this Zoysia looks so good. I'm a Bermuda guy through & through, but this journal makes me doubt my allegiance.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

Mowed the zeon a notch lower than usual this morning in preparation for the sand.











Sand progress so far. The R&R leveling rake works fantastic. I used a drag mat last year and I think the leveling rake works a lot better for making sure the low spots are getting hit the hardest.


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## raymond (May 4, 2018)

How low did you mow/scalp before the sanding?


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)

raymond said:


> How low did you mow/scalp before the sanding?


I did not scalp. In my observation, zeon recovers slower when it's scalped. I just cut it on a notch below where I normally cut. Only a few spots had all the green removed.


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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)




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## Atlanta_Zeon (Sep 15, 2019)




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## BobStrauss (9 mo ago)

Bumping a really old thread but I'm curious how you did this… I've got a tiny patch of Zeon I put down about three weeks ago, and despite a lot of effort to level ground beforehand I'm scalping at 1.6" or so. I've got a lawn rake and a push broom.. is that all I'd need to distribute sand well? Any tips on doing this right?


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