# Zoysia Lawn Renovation - Advice Needed



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Hello everyone. New to the boards and looking for some advice to help get my zoysia lawn looking good again. I just installed sod a few years back and it was looking great as recent as last fall. But it's been brutal coming out of green up this spring. I was VERY much a novice when I installed this but have been learning as I go and feel like I've learned a good bit but still have a ways to go (which will be evidenced by these pics).

I have a pretty good idea what my primary issue is. Thatch. It looks bad...1.5" to 2.0" worth. I did scalp it with a rotary mower and "dethatch" using a greenworks dethatcher about a month ago. So basically got rid of a lot of the dead blades from the last season. Several lawn bags worth of it. However, I now realize that did nothing for the thick layer of actual thatch that I appear to have.

2nd issue that I'm having is a pretty serious infestation of common bermuda. For that, I have started the applications of Ornamec 170 and Turflon Ester to help suppress it. I know this will take a few years to completely suppress the bermuda, but plan to stay on top of this with the regular recommended applications.

So I am wondering what everyone recommends for the thatch problem? I'm guessing I need to use a power rake or verticutter of some kind, but I've just been very concerned about how much damage that will cause to the already fragile/damaged turf. For that reason, I am leaning towards core aerating and top dress it with compost sometime in mid to late May (when it is consistently warm). Would that help cure the thatch problem?

As you can tell by the pics, I have a ways to go to get this back to tip top shape. Is that even possible or am I beyond repair?

Please let me know if you see any other issues outside of thatch and bermuda and if you have any other tips to help me out. Please let me know if you need any additional pics or information. I greatly appreciate any advice that anyone can offer.

*Please note it rained 2-2.5" in Charlotte last night so I feel like these pics look even worse (and definitely wetter) than usual.

** Some of these pics highlight the bermuda issue (you can see the discolored tips, as it is been cool quite a bit in CLT still this spring)


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Zoysia is a dog of a grass in cool, cloudy and rainy weather. I see signs of disease caused by such weather. Not much should be done to Zoysia until the weather stabilizes to a warm and dry pattern. At that time, I suggest a down to the dirt scalp. Conventional dethatching is wasted work on Zoysia.


----------



## greg_n_sd (Jul 17, 2019)

You need a true scalp down to the dirt. A verticutter (In my experience) is not the answer. After my first year of mowing Zoysia with a rotary mower at around 1.5-2", I probably filled 10+ large green recycling bins of thatch. Once I got a reel mower and took it to dirt it greened up right away.


----------



## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Thatch as in pic three?


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

jayhawk said:


> Thatch as in pic three?


That is not thatch. Those are the normal stolons and rhizomes. But, the best thing for a Zoysia lawn is a down to the dirt cutting right before summer.


----------



## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> jayhawk said:
> 
> 
> > Thatch as in pic three?
> ...


Trust ya. I see a lot of zoysia struggle when drainage isn't right or conditions are not perfect (80F+). I can see how fun it must be in Hawaii where you hover in that fungal zone for longer than many.


----------



## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Aeration does help dethatch, technically. Ideally you want to take it lower for a scalp but I understand, you have 1100 SQ ft so maybe hard to justify a powered reel.

Don't be too discouraged, last few weeks haven't helped it grow (temps). Beyond repair, not even close.

If you want better odds of a cleaner green up ... consider a fungicide program, especially in the fall


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Thanks, @Greendoc , @greg_n_sd and @jayhawk ! I appreciate the feedback and advice.

It sounds like the key is just a scalp down to the dirt, and a core aeration is not necessary. Could you possibly provide some detail as to the best method to scalp down to the dirt? Best equipment to use for the job, etc? (Is there a good YouTube video on that process possibly?). I likely don't have the best equipment for the job, but am willing to invest in it.

I just want to make sure I go about it the right way and not damage the lawn more than needed. Sounds like one key is the appropriate weather for a quicker recovery (warmer and dryer), which will likely be mid to late May around here. I have a bag of soil3 compost getting delivered in a few weeks. So once I scalp, I can spread a light layer of that with a compost spreader, as I'm assuming that will help?

One thing I do want to point out is that my lawn is unfortunately not very level (the large maple tree and it's root system are the main issue), so it is hard to get a uniform cut or scalp. I am working on that with a sand/level mix and plan to work on that once it recovers from the scalp.

Also good advice on the fungicide. I did put some down already this spring and used it last year, but it sounds like one of the key things I failed to do was use it into the fall for the next season.

Thanks again, guys. Here are some pics of my lawn from just last October. Hopefully I'll have it back to that shape here in a few months. I'll be sure to follow up with progress.


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

What is needed is a preventative program for Pythium and Large Patch that starts in the fall and resumes in spring unless you are like me and Zoysia never goes dormant. In that case, it is preventative applications starting in fall and continuing through spring. In absence of a mower capable of cutting down to 1/4" other way to get the scalp done is with a string trimmer. Yes, tear off everything. Do not bother with a dethatching machine or power rake. You might break the machine running it low enough to do anything on Zoysia. Best machine for a small area like yours is the Rotary Scissors. That is also the best tool for trimming after mowing.

1100 sq ft is definitely power reel mower territory. Manual reel mowers are for cool season grass or else small areas of St Augustine. Keeping Zoysia higher than 3/4 is also trouble in my experience


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Greendoc said:


> What is needed is a preventative program for Pythium and Large Patch that starts in the fall and resumes in spring unless you are like me and Zoysia never goes dormant. In that case, it is preventative applications starting in fall and continuing through spring. In absence of a mower capable of cutting down to 1/4" other way to get the scalp done is with a string trimmer. Yes, tear off everything. Do not bother with a dethatching machine or power rake. You might break the machine running it low enough to do anything on Zoysia. Best machine for a small area like yours is the Rotary Scissors. That is also the best tool for trimming after mowing.
> 
> 1100 sq ft is definitely power reel mower territory. Manual reel mowers are for cool season grass or else small areas of St Augustine. Keeping Zoysia higher than 3/4 is also trouble in my experience


Thanks, @Greendoc . My grass does go dormant in the winter here in Charlotte, NC. I will research the appropriate fungicide application program for those. If you know if any good resources online that would give me a head start there, I would greatly appreciate it.

Yep, sounds like I need to go ahead and buy myself a power reel mower so I can use that for my scalp to the dirt (not to mention it will just be better to use throughout the season). Then I will use my trimmer to get the low and uneven spots that the reel mower can't get to. I'm going to research power reel mowers now on the equipment board to figure out the best fit.

If you have any tips for getting the grass to grow back and recover after the scalp, I would appreciate it. For now, I just plan to use a light layer of organic compost. From reading your other posts, too much nitrogen on zoysia is definitely a bad thing. That is something I was probably overdoing previously.

Also, from reading some other posts on this topic; it sounds like this scalp to the dirt should NOT be an annual process? If I keep my grass disease free and cut low enough, I should not have to do this again next spring, correct? I am always unsure of the best process for a smooth green up when it is coming out of dormancy. I know you don't have to deal with that issue in Hawaii.

BTW, I love Hawaii. Was just there in November spending time on Kauai and Oahu. I loved the lawn at the place we stayed in Kauai...


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

You will need an annual down to the dirt scalp to remove the dormant brown growth. In my area, Zoysia never goes brown. But, if not mowed low enough, it produces an epic amount of thatch that gets to the point of it being impossible to mow, never mind walk on.


----------



## lawn789 (Jun 16, 2019)

Greendoc said:


> You will need an annual down to the dirt scalp to remove the dormant brown growth. In my area, Zoysia never goes brown. But, if not mowed low enough, it produces an epic amount of thatch that gets to the point of it being impossible to mow, never mind walk on.


Im in the process of renovating my lawn with zoysia. Will scalping that low not kill the turf? (keep in mind I'm new to zoysia). What height would you keep zeon zoysia?


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

No. Zoysia regenerates from rhizomes that are up to 8" below ground. You won't kill it by chopping off the tops. Zeon Zoysia is best between 1/2-3/4" no higher. I also do not recommend rotary mowers or string trimmers as implements to mow or maintain.


----------



## lawn789 (Jun 16, 2019)

Greendoc said:


> No. Zoysia regenerates from rhizomes that are up to 8" below ground. You won't kill it by chopping off the tops. Zeon Zoysia is best between 1/2-3/4" no higher. I also do not recommend rotary mowers or string trimmers as implements to mow or maintain.


Thanks for your time sir. Guess i need to budget in a reel mower down the line.


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

A less than down to the dirt scalp looks ugly until the new green grass covers all of the brown material up. Furthermore, once the green part of Zoysia is cut off, it dies down to the ground anyway.


----------



## lawn789 (Jun 16, 2019)

Greendoc said:


> A less than down to the dirt scalp looks ugly until the new green grass covers all of the brown material up. Furthermore, once the green part of Zoysia is cut off, it dies down to the ground anyway.


My lawn has had problems with moles past several years making my soil bumpy. Between leveling with sand/top soil periodically, and maybe running my riding mower over it without cutting I can help level the ground before reel mowing. Im just done with trying to maintain st aug or centipede and want to switch.


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

@Greendoc , while "scalping to the dirt" sounds very self explanatory, I still want to play it safe and confirm the small section in the pic below is what it should look like post scalp? I still have to exercise patience before scalping the whole yard due to a well below average cold front coming in my area.

Lastly, any tips for post scalp recovery? Extra watering, etc? I know that too much water and nitrogen on an established zoysia lawn is a bad thing as it creates excessive growth and thatch, etc. But wasn't sure if the lawn needed some extra care after being scalped to the dirt.

Thanks again for your help....I'm looking forward to getting my lawn back in order soon...


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

kem5882 said:


> @Greendoc , while "scalping to the dirt" sounds very self explanatory, I still want to play it safe and confirm the small section in the pic below is what it should look like post scalp? I still have to exercise patience before scalping the whole yard due to a well below average cold front coming in my area.
> 
> Lastly, any tips for post scalp recovery? Extra watering, etc? I know that too much water and nitrogen on an established zoysia lawn is a bad thing as it creates excessive growth and thatch, etc. But wasn't sure if the lawn needed some extra care after being scalped to the dirt.
> 
> Thanks again for your help....I'm looking forward to getting my lawn back in order soon...


That is what it should look like. Post scalp, water as needed but not extra in the name of forcing growth. Also not indicated is excessive fertilization. You see, I do not ever want to see Zoysia or any other warm season grass that is almost blue. That color indicates gross over watering and over feeding. Let the Zoysia come back on its own terms. I have seen scalped lawns come back with nothing extra done to it. In fact, your total N applied per year to Zoysia in areas with winter dormancy should be no more than 1-2 lb per year. That amount should not be applied in amounts in excess of 0.25 lb N per application either.


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Greendoc said:


> kem5882 said:
> 
> 
> > @Greendoc , while "scalping to the dirt" sounds very self explanatory, I still want to play it safe and confirm the small section in the pic below is what it should look like post scalp? I still have to exercise patience before scalping the whole yard due to a well below average cold front coming in my area.
> ...


Thanks! Very helpful. Now I wait....(6 straight days of low temps in the 40's coming up in Charlotte). I'll post some follow up pics of the process to let everyone know how it turned out.


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

@Greendoc , I was taking some core plugs out today to collect soil for a soil test that I will have prior to doing my scalp at the end of this week. I noticed some areas where the zoysia grows pretty thick, that it appears to have some thatch. A spongy area with a lot of dead blades that the rhizomes are growing in. I've attached some pics to illustrate (1st pic is the core plug as pulled right out of the ground).

Should I core aerate in addition to the scalp to the dirt? Wasn't sure if that would be too much trauma to the lawn. I saw some posts where you referenced core aerating with the goal to remove 30% of the soil. I would plan to remove the plugs and follow up with a compost top dressing afterwards. Please let me know if you think this would be a good or bad idea.

Thanks!


----------



## scooter (Jul 30, 2019)

I've also got a zoysia lawn, Zeon. I'm also considering a May scalp to get a lower HOC. Curious if you've done your scalp yet or waiting for the temps to increase?


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

scooter said:


> I've also got a zoysia lawn, Zeon. I'm also considering a May scalp to get a lower HOC. Curious if you've done your scalp yet or waiting for the temps to increase?


I have not. Planning to do it Friday. Low tonight here of 41 degrees. Warming up late in the week and will finally have a long stretch of temps in the 80s+/60s+ for a long stretch. Should hopefully allow for a quicker recovery and growth from the scalp.


----------



## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

I scalped a week ago at 1/2 to maintain at 3/4. Still recovering.


----------



## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

Greendoc said:


> A less than down to the dirt scalp looks ugly until the new green grass covers all of the brown material up. Furthermore, once the green part of Zoysia is cut off, it dies down to the ground anyway.


@Greendoc How long you think it'll take for these scalp spots to look back to normal. I scalped at 1/2 to Mantain at 3/4, lots of bumps got scalped.


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

What did you use to do the scalp?


----------



## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

Greendoc said:


> What did you use to do the scalp?


Toro Greensmaster


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

I would take it down to 1/4" and maintain at 1/2. The Greensmaster is by far one of the most robust mowers I have ever used. Especially for scalping work. You might need to backlap after using it to scalp, it will keep on going.


----------



## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

Greendoc said:


> I would take it down to 1/4" and maintain at 1/2. The Greensmaster is by far one of the most robust mowers I have ever used. Especially for scalping work. You might need to backlap after using it to scalp, it will keep on going.


@Greendoc even on Palisades Zoysia?


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Should finally be able to utilize @Greendoc's and @greg_n_sd's advice to scalp down to the dirt tomorrow. I ordered a power reel mower but they are back ordered, so unfortunately won't have that in time. I did buy some power rotary scissors that I'll be using for the job. They were supposed to be delivered today but now are arriving tomorrow (so that could push the scalp to Saturday).

My soil test results came back today. This is the first soil test I've ever ordered so it's a bit overwhelming. The pH looks a tad high in the 2nd report. If anyone that is more versed in this has any suggestions for any other glaring issues or deficiencies, it would be appreciated. Of note, I will be topdressing the scalped lawn with soil3 compost after the scalp, so hopefully that helps.





The small patch I scalped about 12 days ago (shown in earlier post in this thread) is starting to come back some already. That is despite it being very cool for about 10 of the last 12 days. Finally warming up now with temps in the 80's. I'll post some pics of the lawn post scalp.

Thanks again for everyone's (esp @Greendoc )advice and help so far!


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

@Greendoc , it seems like a lot of stolons are coming up as I'm scalping. Is that to be expected or does it mean I'm going too low with the scissors?

Thx


----------



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

There is no such thing as too low unless you are tilling up the dirt.


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Redtwin said:


> There is no such thing as too low unless you are tilling up the dirt.


Awesome... that's what I needed to hear! Thanks, @Redtwin :thumbup:


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

If we saw that second picture in Hawaii, we would be getting an actual Verticutter to take off the remaining layer. That is not dirt. That is more dead material on top of dirt.


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Greendoc said:


> If we saw that second picture in Hawaii, we would be getting an actual Verticutter to take off the remaining layer. That is not dirt. That is more dead material on top of dirt.


Thanks... I was worried about that as well. Seems like this section has a layer of dead material/thatch. This area of the lawn grows way faster and thicker due to full sunlight all day.

Ugh....guess I need to rent a verticutter Monday to finish the job.


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

I really hate I couldn't get that reel mower in time because I think I gave myself carpel tunnel using the power rotary scissors so much today. That was some work.

The yard is a mess now but I feel like I'm making progress at least. I laid sand down in April which was a bad idea in hindsight. I should have done this first.

Does this look sufficient or do I need to cut more off?







I know @Greendoc mentioned I need to verticut to get rid of that dead material on top. Going to see what I can find to rent for that on Monday. I fear there won't be great options and I'll be stuck having to aerate instead.

This is a picture where I went deep with the scissors and you can see the dead material pretty well.


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Completed the task of scalping to the dirt yesterday. Fingers crossed this goes well. The layer of dead material in some areas is concerning and I wish I had a solid, sharp verticutter to tear into that. I used a spiked aerator that only went a bit into the ground and it seemed to tear up the thatch layer pretty good. Hope to have the Swardman and with the verticutter attachment in early June if I need to go over it with that...

I put a layer of sand/compost mix on top of it this morning. Of course, we are about to get a ton of rain and cooler weather over the next three+ days. Not sure if that will mess anything up or not. I know if I didn't scalp, I'd likely be dealing with more fungus!


----------



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Looks like a good start. Please keep us updated with photos. I hope this storm moves through quickly with little or no flooding.


----------



## Cramir (Apr 10, 2020)

How is it looking?


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Cramir said:


> How is it looking?


It's actually coming along pretty well. Since I scalped, we immediately had 3-4 straight days of rain (about 6-7" total!) and zero sun with temps in the low 60's (one day the high only reached 56 degrees). So not ideal weather. The sun finally came out this past weekend and we had a few really warm days. Right now the 5 day temp average for the soil is still only 66 degrees.

After reading a thread on here, I decided to go ahead and just level the scalped lawn. I put sand down on Saturday (5/23) and by Sunday you could already see the grass poking through the sand. I didn't water the sand in because it was supposed to rain yesterday, but never did.

Original scalp was done on 5/16 & 5/17, followed by bad weather. Leveled with a decent layer of sand on 5/23. With some decent weather now, I'm feeling optimistic it should be nice and greened up in a few weeks. Fingers crossed!

5/23, after leveling


5/23 after leveling


5/24, starting to poke through


5/25, picking up steam


5/25


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Quick update. It seems to have made decent progress over the last week. However, it seems to be coming back a bit uneven and patchy. Do I just need to exercise some patience? If @Greendoc or anybody else sees any issues jumping out at them that I need to address, please let me know...

Thx!


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

@Greendoc, my lawn looks a lot better and is on the road to recovery thank to you, but I wanted to see if you had any advice to get me all the way across the goal line.

It's essentially been a month since I scalped and sand leveled. It came back nicely for the most part but there are definitely still some areas that are slow to fill in.

Some is surely due to having to grow through more sand. The rest, based on my guess, is likely due to the amount of thatch/dead material that I unfortunately, couldn't verticut through (don't have reasonable access to a proper one). I also think it lines up with where the Bermuda infestation was the worst. So it could also be a bunch of dead material from where I've been spraying the Bermuda and it's now slowly filling back in with zoysia.

My question is whether it would be beneficial to core aerate aggressively, remove the cores and then sand (with the intent to replace 30%+ of the existing material with sand).

OR, should I just go ahead and continue to sand cap it and just put another layer of sand on top. I've put down 3 cubic yards (1,200sf lawn) since last year, so I have a decent base of sand on top.

I have the sand ready to go. Also, based on the pics below should I wait for the grass to fill in more before doing either option above?

Thanks again for all of your help!

This is from June 10th


This is as of today, June 19th to show progress (I think the yellowing you can see is from the ornamec/turflon application I put down June 5th...slowly going away)


June 19th


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

You are fine to sand it again. Might as well take advantage of the fast growth caused by long days and warmer temperatures


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Greendoc said:


> You are fine to sand it again. Might as well take advantage of the fast growth caused by long days and warmer temperatures


Nice... thanks! Glad that sanding is the way to go. Definitely didn't want to go through the extra work of aerating unless it would have made a big difference.


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

It is hard to go wrong with sanding unless limestone is the sand. If you sand when grass is in a state of fast growth, it is also hard to go wrong


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Greendoc said:


> It is hard to go wrong with sanding unless limestone is the sand. If you sand when grass is in a state of fast growth, it is also hard to go wrong


Yea, I found that out from reading your old posts on the topic yesterday. Searched your username and all posts containing the word "sand" (140 results as of yesterday if you're curious. ha). Probably spent over an hour reading most of the posts/threads to educate myself.

The sand capping technique was probably the most informative thing I learned about and just how the zoysia can grow on straight sand (and that is actually easier to maintain). Had no idea you could cover your warm season turf in up to an inch of sand and it would grow through it. You see and hear so much stuff about "don't smother your lawn" when leveling and sanding, etc. It's really surprised me how much bad info is out there from what you would think are reputable sources.

So yea, seems like it's hard to go wrong with sand this time of year....unless you're the one guy I read about in one of your posts who buried his turf in 3" of sand. :shock: :lol:


----------



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

kem5882 said:


> So yea, seems like it's hard to go wrong with sand this time of year....unless you're the one guy I read about in one of your posts who buried his turf in 3" of sand. :shock: :lol:


I had low spots in my Tifway 419 that were buried under at least 3" of sand during one of my early leveling rounds. It came through just fine but it was Bermuda in full heat of the summer growth mode. It wasn't the optimal thing to do but I just figured if it didn't come back through the sand, it would fill in from the sides. I don't know that I would try that with Zoysia though.


----------



## kem5882 (Apr 30, 2020)

Redtwin said:


> kem5882 said:
> 
> 
> > So yea, seems like it's hard to go wrong with sand this time of year....unless you're the one guy I read about in one of your posts who buried his turf in 3" of sand. :shock: :lol:
> ...


Yea, true that. I'm sure done in spots is fine. Heck, I probably had a few that might have been 2-3". I was thinking the same thing that it would fill in horizontally if I smothered it.

The post I read sounded like the guy literally buried his entire yard in 3" of sand at one time. And the outcome was not good.


----------



## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

I saw a lawn that was buried with at least 4". Struck off level with the surrounding sidewalks. In the winter months. Only thing that grew out of it was Nutsedge. 1-2" is nothing to worry about if you do it during hot weather. 4" or more everywhere is extremely risky.


----------

