Plugging zoysia

bled_man – posted 06 June 2007 05:02

Hello everyone. I am going to plug some zoysia in my back yard this weekend and I wanted to make sure I know what I’m doing. I am going to buy a few strips of sod from a local supplier and cut my own plugs. From what I understand, I just need to dig a small hole where I want the plug, put the plug in it and water it in. Am I missing anything? Also, how often should I water the plugs? Lastly, will it help to put some starter fertilizer on them after a week or two? Sorry for all the questions, but I just want to make sure I do this right. Thanks!

TexanOne – posted 07 June 2007 16:57

The procedure you have outlined to plug the Zoysia seems sound, just make sure the plugs to do not dry out by keeping them moist (not wet) for two to three months.

You can try plugging Zoysia, but I have yet to find anyone that had any great success plugging or seeding Zoysia with long-term success. The only success I have had with Zoysia is to completely sod the area in question – and there will still be issues with weeds and slow growth.

The major problem with Zoysia is the stuff is just excruciating slow to spread and fill in. No amount of fertilizer or water will coax it into a faster growth cycle. My personal experience with Zoysia showed that it would spread in bare areas at about 6” to 18” / year with the faster rates in full sun. Plugging will mean that you will be fighting non-desirable grasses and weeds in between the plugs for many months or years depending on how far you space the plugs.

If you still have your heart set on plugging Zoysia instead of a solid sod installation, then get ready to purchase a lot herbicides to curb the undesirable growth in between. In the end, and after countless hours of trying to get the plugs to fill in, I think you are going to wish you had gone ahead and just went the solid sod route. Just my opinion from experience…

However, since you are in North Carolina and I am in Texas, you may have a totally different experience with plugged Zoysia. I just know plugging Zoysia in Texas is almost a worthless exercise. I would research your local area to find someone that has successfully plugged Zoysia and then go take a look to make sure. Good Luck!

TexanOne – posted 07 June 2007 17:05

bled-man, I wasn’t sure if you read this forum thread – it is a worthwhile read for what you are considering doing:

https://turfgrass.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000005.html

saltcedar – posted 09 September 2007 11:05

Funny about how slow Zoysia spreads.(mostly that’s true)I plugged El Toro in on 2Ft centers in late Aprilby October I had complete coverage. Still lookeda bit lumpy but it was completely green! Someof the newer varieties are supposedly even faster than El Toro to cover, but I’ve never beenable to verify that. In warm rainy weather I’ve seenrunners over 3ft long in a month’s time with El Toroso I consider that almost as fast as St Augustine.

Alex_in_FL – posted 20 October 2007 12:32

I had good luck by doing the following:

– irrigate the area the day before planting- cut the sod into about 12 to 15 pieces (about 2 or 3 times the size of regular plugs from the store).- soak the cut pieces in water for about 10 – 20 minutes before planting (I used a wheelbarrow)

Note: you can deal with undesirable weeds by putting down a good pre-emergent before or after you finish plugging.

Sod I treated this way survived best, is spreading fastest, and seems to be doing extremely well. I also planted the stray pieces of turf left in the barrow like you would sprigs.

[This message has been edited by Alex_in_FL (edited 20 October 2007).]