# Am I overreacting on my new Zeon Zoysia?



## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

OK guys.

New Zeon Sod laid mid-June.

I recently cut back to watering from 1x every other day to 1x every 3 days and the month of 100+ degree days quickly started to have it yellow a bit.

So I bumped it back up to even other day a couple of days ago and for the first time in weeks I woke up to rain!

in the 7 weeks I have had it I did lay a preventative fungicide at week 3 and early last week. I also have laid Merit 0.5 G granules both at week 3 and then again yesterday morning. I did not have a grub problem prior to laying the sod but I do come across them while digging and working in the yard sometimes so I wanted to be proactive especially with the watering the sod has received.

I cut every 3-4 days at 5/8" and even that is not cutting frequent enough.

I went out after the rain just now and noticed some yellow areas I don't recall seeing yesterday.

*Pics descriptions:


Pic 1 & 2 - the yellowing area from a distance for perspective. You can see in the top of the pic the scalping area in the pc I posted earlier this week wondering what that area was.


Pic 3 & 4 - closeups


Pics 5 & 6 overall shots of the lawn in general for perspective.
*
I am literally in the yard every day and am wondering if I've done something wrong, is it something I need to address, or is it nothing.?

I'm also wondering is where it is so uneven from the sod, should I raise the HOC a bit?

Thoughts?


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## ThomasPI (May 18, 2019)

No pro but:

Heat stress
What are you mowing with? Seems to be scalped a bit
Sharpen your mower blades(s)
Pull a few blades and snap up close pics - fungus ?
Grubs as you indicated so stay on top of that


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

I am mowing at 5/8" with a new 7 blade manual reel mower. It is definitely scalping as the sod if far from even. I am wondering if I need to raise the mower to 3/4".

I'm hoping it's heat stress as it has been very hot here. 100 degree plus for weeks on end.


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

Here is a spot on the from that first quickly turned brown from lack of water when I reduced watering.

Then I watered it every day with a hose and it started to come back.

Now it looks like this. I do think this may be a scalping area also though.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

IMO, 5\8 is aggressive but kudos. I'm no disease expert or plant specialist....that short seems to make it less obvious in photos what's going on. To be transparent, I have spots where I scratch my head. When I look at 3-4" inch neighbor lawns it's so easy to say, yep....dollar, leaf spot. (For ex)

I see the tree. Is it getting blasted by sun at one hundo? Drought stress, first sign is the blades discolor (diff shade of green), usually during highs of day and curl - don't let it get to the brown/yellow stage.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Succinctly, it's looking good given maturity. To keep it that short and long term success, it needs smoothing out.


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

jayhawk said:


> IMO, 5\8 is aggressive but kudos. I'm no disease expert or plant specialist....that short seems to make it less obvious in photos what's going on. To be transparent, I have spots where I scratch my head. When I look at 3-4" inch neighbor lawns it's so easy to say, yep....dollar, leaf spot. (For ex)
> 
> I see the tree. Is it getting blasted by sun at one hundo? Drought stress, first sign is the blades discolor (diff shade of green), usually during highs of day and curl - don't let it get to the brown/yellow stage.


I think I may raise to 3/4" because due to the unevenness there are areas being scalped.

Only the parts directly under the tree get part shade. All the other spots get full sun. The black spot is a full sun spot.

So you don't think it's a fungus or something?


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

I would do that too. 
I would not think fungus, watering in the a.m., haven't over fert, it's in hot sun.....spot water the scalped by the sidewalk.


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

Thanks. Difficult to adjust my mower so the next best I could do is 1". I just mowed that yesterday and I swear the lawn let out a collective sigh. I think with the unevenness of the sod, the 5/8" was cutting some spots just much too law.

I figure I'll do 1" this year, level next year an then go down to 3/4". By all accounts I think trying to level this year with the sod new as of mid-june is too much too soon on it.


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## drewwitt (Jun 25, 2018)

I don't think its fungus. Yard looks FANTASTIC given how new it is, how hot it is, and no rain. WHALE. DONE. Looks like scalp and heat stress.

That zoysia will recover in those areas. Be patient.

Raise to 3/4. Water in mornings. Don't over fert. Don't over water.

You're doing great.


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

OK guys - cut today at 1" and have been for the last week. I think it looks a bit happier at 1", especially where is it so uneven from the recent sod lay.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Does look good


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## Bobsled_time (Aug 7, 2019)

I think it looks good. I put Zeon in in late April and it definitely goes through a few stages of "meh" as it grows in. It looks awesome after about a month, and then I've noticed a decent amount of browning/thatchiness to it. The blade density has increased a ton during the time that it looked mediocre. I'm now about 3.5 months in and it feels like it's starting to settle in. Much more drought tolerant now and less problem areas than before.

I also haven't been maintaining mine as low as you are, so I think the heigher HOC will make it happier. I'm aiming for a full season of grow in before I start to get aggressive on the height. Planning on hitting it with one sand application in the next month or so and then another once it greens up in the spring, which will hopefully level the turf out enough to accommodate the lower cut. I put down about 3" of topsoil before the sod and I've noticed it getting progressively bumpier over the last month or so. Probably the compost in the topsoil breaking down and starting to lose its volume if I had to guess.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Here is our hoa manged zeon, part/filtered sun.....mowed biweekly (unfortunately)
 as tall as the fan sprays


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

They keep it 4" tall? Or they cut it to 2" and knowing how Zoysia grows, it gets to be 4" in no time at all.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Cut around 3.5 this time. It grates me they skip weeks and it gets at least 5. No accountability, middlemen etc ...I'm just going to get a push reel for easy transport and it won't take long once i get it maintained. Might take a few passes...
Put pgr on the shadier areas and it helped ...I do fear disease (shut off irrigation for now). 
Thankful they don't scalp to the crown, it's a bit bumpy.

Like everything in the construction trade, dumb planning....there were only fan tips along the concrete (not great coverage) and I repurposed the zone along the brick wall to not spray the evergreens moved/buried heads to water the grass for almost head to head coverage.

Sorry for the diversion OP


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

drewwitt said:


> I don't think its fungus. Yard looks FANTASTIC given how new it is, how hot it is, and no rain. WHALE. DONE. Looks like scalp and heat stress.
> 
> That zoysia will recover in those areas. Be patient.
> 
> ...


Thank you!


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

Bobsled_time said:


> I think it looks good. I put Zeon in in late April and it definitely goes through a few stages of "meh" as it grows in. It looks awesome after about a month, and then I've noticed a decent amount of browning/thatchiness to it. The blade density has increased a ton during the time that it looked mediocre. I'm now about 3.5 months in and it feels like it's starting to settle in. Much more drought tolerant now and less problem areas than before.


This was really helpful as that's kind the cycle I seem to be going through. Thank you!


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

jayhawk said:


> Cut around 3.5 this time. It grates me they skip weeks and it gets at least 5. No accountability, middlemen etc ...I'm just going to get a push reel for easy transport and it won't take long once i get it maintained. Might take a few passes...
> Put pgr on the shadier areas and it helped ...I do fear disease (shut off irrigation for now).
> Thankful they don't scalp to the crown, it's a bit bumpy.
> 
> ...


That area needs a PGR too.


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