Zoysia Problems

turflady – posted 22 March 2005 08:15

My husband and I moved into our newly-built home in July 2004. We live in Austin, TX. We paid major $$ for zoysia sod instead of St. Augustine (we heard it uses less water) and also paid extra to have better soil mixed in with the cheap stuff they offer. It’s already getting into the 80s here so the grass is taking off, however it’s growing in “clumps” as if the lawn was not installed evenly. Maybe they didn’t use a roller or something to flatten it? Also, we do not have the best drainage so our zoysia around the house has completely washed away. I have called the construction company to see what they can do about it, as everything is covered for 1 year. Also, it’s so rocky here that someone said the grass cannot get enough nutrients without adding more topsoil? We really love this fine-bladed variety of zoysia and want to maintain it the best we can. I have also hired Scotts Lawn Service to come fertilize, kill weeds and aerate. Will the grass just grow and fill in the low spots? Should I call in an expert to fill it in with soil?Thanks for your help!

ted – posted 22 March 2005 08:24

sounds like a multiple problem issue. if the original construction on the lawn wasn’t done correctly then everything else you’re doing will not work. try it a few more weeks to see if the grass greens up evenly, if not, then you’re probably looking at redoing the entire lawn. it’s all in the setup and original construction- if that’s off- nothing will work.- i’m down the road from you in houston, so i’m very familiar with the issues you’re dealing with.

turflady – posted 22 March 2005 09:35

Thanks, Ted, for your reply. I have to say I’m sad to hear it might need a complete overhaul. Most of the grass looks nice and is growing nicely, however it’s completely uneven. I remember paying a landscaping company in San Antonio for the soil and sod (the company that our builder selected). I have had a hard time getting a hold of them last year to even get some new sod to replace other sod that died. I really would like to get someone out here that really knows what they are talking about! Our entire home is covered under a 1 year warranty, so the builder should be able to help us get this handled. Is zoysia just not popular around here…everyone else in our subdivision has St. Augustine. Is there a different installation process for zoysia vs. St. Augustine sod?

Empire Z. in FL – posted 27 March 2005 21:02

I had a similar issue with our new house in Central FL. I was working when they installed the Zoysia. It looked great for a couple of weeks. Then my yard started looking like a checkerboard. Zoysia needs to be put down with care. The pieces need to be butted together tightly. I fill a bucket occasionally and walk around to fill some of the “trenches” between the sod. This works well. Using a nice mixed soil, the grass grows through it nicely. Make sure you water it everyday in the morning for the first month. Then water 2-3 times a week with a heavier watering.

CentralFL – posted 16 April 2005 18:38

Empire z in FL – Was this new construction or what were you growing previously?

I have St. Augustine and would love to have the look and feel of a Zoysia lawn, plus all the benefits – more drought resistant, easier care, etc.

I don’t mind having a mixed yard for a while as the Zoysia takes over, if it will take over St. Augustine.

Thanks

RickL – posted 20 April 2005 12:16

I just had a Palisades Zoysia lawn installed on March 10. When it arrived on the pallets it looked very dry. It was also in dormancy so it was mostly straw looking. The temperature here was in the 70’s during installation. I had done a great job leveling the lawn with enriched topsoil and installing drainage before installation.

I noticed they took about 4 hours to place it down and did not begin watering it until the last block was placed. Basically the lawn looks like crap even 6 weeks later.

When I called my installer, he said that Palisades Zoysia and Zoysia in general looks like crap for a while but comes back.

I want to believe them but my lawn just looks about 50 % green at this time and there is an excessive layer of thatch. I raked up two bags full of straw like thatch yesterday.

Am I over reacting? What do you expect as far as a time line for Zoysia establishment and how do you tell if you are over watering?

RickL – posted 20 April 2005 12:20

I have been told that Zoysia is slower growing that St. Augustine so it would have a hard time taking over. The St. Augustine would crowd it out. Once established, Zoysia will crowd out anything because it is so dense. You need to pull out the St. Augustine and lay down Zoysia on soil. They don’t mix.

quote:Originally posted by CentralFL:Empire z in FL – Was this new construction or what were you growing previously?

I have St. Augustine and would love to have the look and feel of a Zoysia lawn, plus all the benefits – more drought resistant, easier care, etc.

I don’t mind having a mixed yard for a while as the Zoysia takes over, if it will take over St. Augustine.

Thanks

Empire Z. in FL – posted 21 April 2005 22:37

A new house in New Port Richey. Very sandy soil. The empire grows very slowly. St. Aug needs to be mowed almost double amount.I don’t think it would ever overtake St. Aug. It may need less water but right now I am watering 2-3 times a week with an irrigation system. I keep it mowed to 1.5 inches wich is pretty short. I use a standard rotary mower. I quickly sharpen the blade every other cut. The zoysia seed heads pop up every where. If the mower is set at 2 inches , I miss more than half of the seed heads. The seed heads are a kind of dark color. I get compliments all the time. I am the only one on the street that sought something other than St. Aug or Bahai. The sod came in great shape last Sept.It came from King Ranch in Fl.