INTRODUCTION
The following management practices will help you care for your lawn throughout the year. Location, terrain, soil type and condition, age of the lawn, previous lawn care, and other factors affect turf performance, so adjust these management practices and dates to suit your particular lawn.
MARCH THROUGH MAY
Mowing
Mow the lawn when it first turns green in the spring using a rotary or reel mower set as low as possible without scalping the lawn. Mow the grass before it grows taller than 11⁄2 to 21⁄2 inches. This initial mowing will remove excess dormant tissue and establish the desired mowing height for the year. Leave nutrient-rich grass clippings on the lawn unless they are unsightly or in clumps.
Fertilization
Apply nutrients based on soil testing. In absence of a soil test, apply 1⁄2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet approximately three weeks after greenup. In the absence of a soil test, use a complete nitrogen-phosphorus, potassium (N-P-K) turf fertilizer with a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio (for example, 12-4-8 or 16-4-8). If this ratio is not available, substitute with another complete analysis fertilizer for this first application. Do not apply more than 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet per year.
You need to apply 1⁄2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, but how much fertilizer do you need to buy? Divide 50 by the first number on the fertilizer bag. For example, if you’ve got a 5-5-15 fertilizer, you divide 50 by 5 and you get 10. That means you need to buy 10 pounds of fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of lawn.
Zoysiagrass needs 0.5 to 1 inch of water a week. If you don’t get enough rain, water your lawn. A dark bluish-gray appearance, footprinting, or wilted, folded, or curled leaves indicate that it is time to water. Irrigate the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches; this can be determined by probing the soil with a screwdriver or similar tool. On sandy soils, zoysiagrass may require up to 1⁄2 inch of water every third day. Proper irrigation now will help reduce problems later in the summer.
Weed Control
Apply preemergence herbicides mid-February to early-March. Apply postemergence herbicides in May as needed to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds like white clover, knotweed, spurge, and lespedeza. Products containing two or three different broadleaf herbicides are more effective in controlling broadleaf weeds in a lawn. Be sure the product you choose is labeled for use on zoysiagrass. Wait three weeks after the grass has turned green, and then use it only if weeds are presentGlyphosate should not be sprayed on dormant zoysiagrass, as it will cause injury.
Insect Control
White grubs may be active at this time but spring curative applications are not effective. Make note of areas with white grub activity and plan to apply a preventive application in the spring or early summer. Specific timing will vary depending on white grub species, so plan to make an application when adult flight is at its peak (see White Grubs in Turf for specific recommendations).
Disease Control
Circular patches of tan or brown sunken turf 2 to 10 feet in diameter may appear as zoysia greens up, especially if there is extended rainy or overcast weather. Turf within the affected area thins, and most of the shoots die. As temperatures increase, recovery begins but is slow. Do not apply nitrogen until you see that the lawn has started to improve. Control large patch disease by mowing to the proper height, mowing when the lawn is dry, and controlling thatch. A spring application, when zoysiagrass is emerging from dormancy, may be necessary after a warm, wet winter.
Thatch Removal
After the grass has turned green, use a vertical mower (power rake) to remove thatch (a layer of undecomposed grass stems) if it is more than 1⁄2 inch thick. Do not attempt to remove too much thatch at one time because zoysiagrass recovers slowly. Several thatch removals over several seasons may be needed.
Renovation
Replant large areas using zoysiagrass sod or plugs. Plugs should be planted on 6- or 12-inch centers. After plugging, apply a preemergence herbicide that does not interfere with zoysiagrass root growth to help prevent weeds.
JUNE THROUGH AUGUST
Mowing
Follow March through May guidelines.
Fertilization
Apply 1⁄2 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in late June or early July. Repeat in mid-August.
Watering
Follow March through May guidelines.
Weed Control
Apply postemergence herbicides as needed to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds. Do not apply postemergence herbicides unless weeds are present, grass is actively growing, and the lawn is not suffering from drought. Crabgrass species, goosegrass, dallisgrass, purple and yellow nutsedge, annual sedges, and sandbur can be controlled with postemergence herbicides. However, two or three applications will be necessary for satisfactory control. Zoysiagrass can be sensitive to some postemergence herbicides, so select the products carefully.
Insect Control
Preventive treatments for white grubs can occur in June, when adults are flying and starting to lay eggs. Curative treatments for white grubs are applied after the larvae have hatched from the egg stage. The best time to apply curative treatments is when grubs are actively feeding near the soil surface, approximately 24 hours after significant rainfall
Thatch Removal
Vertically mow in June or July as needed using the March through May guidelines.
SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER
Mowing
Follow March through May guidelines.
Fertilization
Do not apply nitrogen at this time. Do apply 1 pound of potassium (potash K2O) using 1.6 pounds of muriate of potash (0-0-60), 2 pounds of potassium sulfate (0-0-50), or 5 pounds of sul-po-mag (0-0-22) per 1,000 square feet.
To determine the amount of product needed to apply 1 pound of potash per 1,000 square feet, divide 100 by the third number on the fertilizer bag. For example, if you’ve got a 6-6-12 fertilizer, divide 100 by 12 and you get 8.3. That means you need to apply 8.3 pounds of product for every 1,000 square feet of lawn.
Watering
You won’t have to water much once the lawn is dormant (has turned brown), but do water if the soil is powder dry.
Weed Control
Apply preemergence herbicides to control winter annual and perennial broadleaf weeds like chickweed and henbit. Apply postemergence herbicides only when weeds are present.
Insect Control
Check for and control any white grubs.
Disease Control
If large patch disease is a chronic problem, apply a fungicide as a preventive. Fungicides should be applied in the fall when soil temperatures consistently reach 70°F. Two applications in the fall, 21 to 28 days apart, is usually sufficient to prevent large patch.
DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY
Mowing
It is not necessary to mow, but do remove rocks, sticks, and leaves.
Fertilization
Do not fertilize zoysiagrass at this time. Soil should be tested every three years; contact your county Extension center or the NC Department of Agriculture for details. Apply lime as suggested to modify soil pH.
Watering
Water occasionally if a drought occurs.
Weed Control
Apply broadleaf herbicides as necessary to control winter annual weeds like chickweed.
arge patch, and dollar spot. They are also susceptible to damage by nematodes, particularly in the coastal plain.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Riverside Turf would like to thank the turfgrass staff of North Carolina State University for developing teose guidelines. You may also read this publication on the NC State website at: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/zoysiagrass-lawn-maintenance-calendar
This publication has been revised from an earlier version. The authors would like to thank Arthur Bruneau, Henry Wetzel, Daniel Bowman, Richard Cooper, and Cale A. Bigelow for their prior contributions.
Authors
Grady Miller
Professor
Crop & Soil Sciences
Jim Kerns
Associate Professor and Extension Specialist (Turfgrass Pathology)
Entomology & Plant Pathology
Terri Billeisen
Extension Associate
Entomology & Plant Pathology
Charles Peacock
Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist
Crop & Soil Sciences
Rick Brandenburg
Extension Specialist (Peanuts & Turf) & Department Extension Leader
Entomology & Plant Pathology
Fred Yelverton
Extension Specialist (Turfgrass/Forage Crop Weed Mgt)
Crop & Soil Sciences
