Zach's FY16 RENO-Rye to Zeon Zoysia

[Main_sail22]

Hey all,
After scouring these forums for many months I believe I have formulated a battle plan for my lawn reno. Now for a brief history of my lawn:
Late Oct. 15 I moved into my new construction home in South East Virginia (transition zone/ Zone 8). The home came with 4,800 sq. ft. of builder grade Bermuda (not sure on type), which I tore up on the second day. Because it was getting cool, the farms wouldn't cut Zeon Zoysia sod, so I planted perineal rye for the winter
RYE INSTALL: I completed a soil test, courtesy of Virginia Tech, with results showing my PH was sitting at 7.1 and more than half of the soil material was clay...K and N seemed to be sufficient. Raked existing soil to create a more smooth surface, added Milo per instructions throughout the winter + starter fert + sulfur to lower pH (for future install of Zoysia). Dropped Rye seed and topped with peat moss, watered 4x / day ~10 min. Waited 2 weeks after germination to mow, and began mowing 2-3 times a week (@ 2" via Toro Recycler) along with watering once every 4 days (2x / day ~ 20 min). December 2015, I added a generic 1-2-1 fertilizer, and the Rye continued to explode. The pictures shows the current state of the yard (I believe I posted this one before).

Fast forward to current:
I am prepping to send my soil samples off to Logan Labs this weekend to see if the nutrients I added during my Rye install did anything to the chemical levels (if so, I am sure it's minimal). Future weather temperature outlook for my area for the next month is high's in the upper 50's-lower 60's, with the lowest low being 38 ( most low's are low to mid 40's). I have continued to water the yard so as to help some of the small patches of Creeping Charlie grow (tearing them out by hand when possible). I will probably wait roughly 2 weeks before I begin my first round of nuking the rye with glysophate. Wait another two weeks before my second round, spray again, wait another week or two, then rake up the dead stuff. Currently, my lawn lays roughly 1" below the sidewalk/ driveway. I plan on renting a sod cutter and taking everything up creating a somewhat level surface to start the project. After the sod cutter does it's job, I am thinking of renting an aerator and doing 2 passes (one N to S, another E to W). This is also the time I will be installing a well, pump, and a Hunter in ground irrigation system (building/ installing system myself minus the well), and piping my downspouts using 4" PVC to the street via pop up drain. I then plan on dropping around 13 yards of topsoil/ compost mix on the yard,(and even a little sand) spreading at roughly 1" along with adding sulfur, milo, and starter fertilizer. Grading will take an entire weekend ( doing this with line of site, level, string, myself...I am thinking of grading 1" every 4 ft?). I have made my own Levelawn Lute using 2x4's and will be using that to help smooth things out, with a final couple of passes using the local high school baseball team's drag mat. Finally, I will be installing 10 Pallets of Zeon Zoysia from Pinehurst sod farm (NC) with the help of some friends and a lot of beer, watering before and after each zone of sod is put down.
I am sure I have missed a few step but that is the overall plan, though I am contemplating trying out the shampoo thing I keep reading about. I have continued to eye the ads in my area for a reel mower (Cheapest I found was $600 for a 20", 7 blade Mclane Front-Throw Reel mower). I would ultimately like my HOC around .4"-.5" (must make sure when I grade, it butts up perfectly against the sidewalk/ driveway...maybe have the grass sit slightly higher?). Any comments or insight would be greatly appreciated from this great crew...you guys truly rock! I will continue to update this specific thread with the latest in my project (yes, I will add pics). As a final afterthought....if I get some low spots ( I most likely will)...is it common practice to add sand to Zeon Zoysia and spread with a broom, like many of you Bermuda heads typically do? I know this is usually done after establishment and I will follow that, but just curious. Thanks again for all advise and help!

[Redtenchu]

Sorry I can't help with your zoysia questions, but the reel mower purchase sounds too high. If you haven't pulled the trigger yet, you can get the same mower NEW for $40 more on Amazon.

McLane 20-5.5 GT-7 20-Inch 5.50 Gross Torque Briggs & Stratton Gas-Powered Self-Propelled 7-Blade Front-Throw Reel Mower with Grass Catcher https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001SARLJO/re ... 0wb5SH32PE

[Jayhawkmba]

Main, the rye looks pretty.
like your plan to install sprinkler first

my thoughts
before you put the sod down, might consider renting a roller (they are cheap) to make sure the dirt mix foundation is good. try not to get too anxious to put sod down, the better the prep (leveling, rolling etc) the less maintenance, aggravation, stress later. just be meticulous ...easier said than done. some of the sod pieces will be cut a slightly varying levels of depth - from my experience ....may want to have some loose dirt available to remedy those.

sanding (topdressing) zeon, can be done it's just not as 'easy' as a Bermuda lawn. not sure i'd plan on it this season. there is so much (more) material between the blades and the dirt, especially when its ~ 1". i scalped mine last spring and at times i thought "oh no" what did i do. it takes much more time to fill in, especially in a part sun situation. this year i am going to verticut and aerate first and sand later in the season, as in June when it warmer (growing more). last year i sanded too early after it started greening but learned it wasn't growing aggressively enough due to soil temps and when on a slope, rain caused a lot of re-work.

i think i have a reno thread w/images...fwiw
before i used a 2x4 and broom



as for timing of sodding, make sure the soil temps will be warm enough that the sod will actually root and not just sit there. my guess is that is some time in June?

[Main_sail22]

Wow JAYHAWK...Your lawn looks amazing, thanks for the tips! I do plan on buying a nice thick bristle brush, and landscaping rake. I also plan on doing as you suggested and rent a roller prior to installing the sod. Around here, normal temps for the mid/end of May is around mid 80's. We have already had a few days top out at 81. Is that Zeon you have? If so, what is your HOC?

[Jayhawkmba]

I'd recommend soil level with concrete. If above, you'll cus from all the scalping when coming on/off concrete. It'll be a painful experience (long recovery). Roller or not.

Yes, zeon at somewhere just over an inch I think. I don't have gauge.

You'll hear "don't cut off more than 1/3" ....truth. Hard for me to get used to as I grew up cutting fescue in KS. It'll seem like nothing.

[Main_sail22]

Ever think of getting with the Vets here on ATY and creating a "zoysia bible" much like that of the Bermuda bible? I'd be willing to participate in that endeavor and offer what little advice I have. Zoysia is becoming more and more popular with lots of questions but little answer available.

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[Jayhawkmba]

'Main' - even if...i need a few more years of experience to validate 'best practices'. I have experienced quite a few ups and downs, a rollercoaster ride for sure. I resorted to reaching out to Ken Mangum (Atlanta Athletic Club Superintendent - in Georgia Golf Hall of Fame) for some input. I think the challenge is japonica advice might be different for matrella varieties? You'll see a lot of service providers lump zoysia and Bermuda together as far as treatment and behavior - I would challenge that.

you might relate http://aroundtheyard.com/southern/where ... tml?hilit= where are the zoysia experts'

why little answers available - that's a blog in itself

[Main_sail22]

Those Bermuda guys are always gonna' be haters of us Zoysia folk, but competition and saber rattling always help in the progression of lawn management. Plus it's always more fun giving each other a hard time

[Spammage]

Too many different types of zoysia that require different practices. *Most* bermudagrass loves to be kept at 1.5" or lower and everyone will tell you that a reel mower is preferred. Zoysia Japonica grasses can be very happy at 2.5" mowed weekly with a rotary, or be kept at a much higher maintenance level at .5" with a reel. Zoysia Matrella varieties are much thinner blades and prefer the shorter mowing heights typically - especialy Diamond Zoysia. Then there is the hybrid Emerald which is a cross between a zoysia japonica and a zoysia tenuifolia - also should be maintained at around 1" with a reel.

I have only had japonica varieties, so wouldn't be able to assist someone wanting Zeon, Zorro, Cavalier, Diamond, etc, and I'm guessing they wouldn't know the best practices for japonica grass varieties either. Emerald folks live in their own little world, but I would guess that it has more similarities to Matrella varieties even though it was crossed with two different varieties and not a Matrella.

If you have survived this post to this point you probably understand why there isn't a Zoysia Bible. There are probably also about 10000 bermuda lawns to every zoysia lawn in the US (just guessing).

Following the Bermuda Bible is fine with the exception of the Nitrogen fertilization. Zoysia requires much less N than bermuda and you can actually push fungal problems with to much N due to excessive thatch. From my experience, Zoysia is a little more hungry for phosporous than bermuda is and is happier with a little more balanced fertilization approach. Zoysia also seems to thrive on organics, where bermuda doesn't seem to be able to get enough N to be happy with that approach.

[Main_sail22]

Thanks spammage for the useful insight. I'm super new to the lawn game so any bit helps! What's your take on HOC for Zeon Zoysia? I'm thinking of cutting at 3/4"-1"...we will see once I have it layed and established

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[beedix]

There is a lot to learn with zoysia. Eventually I plan to switch out my front Bermuda lawn to zoysia because it does so well in my crappy soil with much less maintenance, but I've got a few seasons more to learn.

Zoysia totally responds differently to nitrogen, milogranite/iron, environmental conditions that promote fungus, water, and soil condition.

As spammage describes, varietals differ....I don't see a bible like guide.


Sent from my iOS device using the Yard Help App

[Spammage]

What's your take on HOC for Zeon Zoysia? I'm thinking of cutting at 3/4"-1"

Well, not having had a matrella, I will defer to Jayhawk and/or LittleTino (who I think also has zeon) to better help you. You might look for some posts from LittleTino as he has posted some good info and pics on here.

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[LittleTino]

It looks like you have a good game plan and have received some good advice. I'll throw in my two cents. I have really low phosphorus and have been dumping it on top of my lawn for three years now and it slowly creeping up. In 10 years I may get it to where it needs to be. P just doesn't move down from the surface to the roots. So if your soil test shows that you are deficient, I would definitely put down 1lb per 1k of P (using triple super phosphate) prior to adding the top soil so it will be near the roots.

The biggest issues I have with level are where my irrigation lines where trenched. I can visible see how those trenches settled down 0.5"-1" compared to the undisturbed grade. So make sure you roll those are very thoroughly.

My zeon is already green right now but it is not actively growing. I doubt I will have to cut before mid-late April. Once overnight soil temps stay above 65F, it takes off. If you lay the sod prior to the soil warming up enough, you will need to be careful of not disturbing it until it starts rooting.

My first year I put down bag rate of Milo twice a month until August and the lawn responded very well. I also corrected a potassium deficiency pretty quickly by drop SOP monthly. Second year I went to bag rate of Milo monthly, which is probably too much N. But I like the iron and the organic supply of N hasn't caused any issues.

I started at 7/8" HOC as anything much lower caused my Tru-Cut reel to scalp uneven areas. Adding a front roller allowed me to drop it to 3/4". Then getting the greens mower allowed me to go to 1/2" or possible less due to the rollers front and back and a very narrow c/c distance between the rollers. To be honest, once I got past the cool factor of 1/2" HOC, I found that I liked how 5/8"-3/4" looked better. At this HOC the density is absolutely insane. You have no idea there is any soil below the green mat no matter how close you look. At 3/4" I cut every 4-5 days. I started using generic Primo last year which took that to 7 days easy. You shouldn't think about using that until next year.

The biggest knock on zeon is its repair rate. It can take months for a dead patch to repair. I downplayed the dog urine vulnerability when I was choosing it and was very surprised to see how bad it actually is. If one of my dogs pees on it, that patch will die and it will take over a month to repair.

Good luck with your reno. If you water right, you should have a fairly good looking lawn by June.

[Main_sail22]

Thanks for your input Tino...I well definitely save the advice! My P is sitting at around 21(lb/A)...not sure if this is sufficient or not. I posted a soil test from VT in the soil management forum if you care to take a look. I am becoming more and more anal regarding my prep work the more I read these forums and the more I learn about how much this project will cost. But hey, to the victor goes the spoils. Thanks again for your feed back.

[Main_sail22]

In working my Reno, I came across a cool little site for figuring out how many cubic yards of topsoil, sand, etc. one would need and thought I would share it here. http://www.topsoilcalculator.net/how-mu ... hickness=1 . I used it and it is pretty accurate.

[Main_sail22]

For those still following, I took a couple of pictures of the current state of my lawn 2 weeks after nuking with RU. Going from the first pic in this thread to here is killing me but it will all be worth it in the end...I hope next week I'm renting a ditch witch and laying irrigation. 2 weeks from now comes the sod cutter then topsoil.





*Edited to rotate pictures correctly

[Main_sail22]

Rough outline for steps completed/ yet to be completed:
February 6- Applied BLSC for 4,800 sq ft.
March 1- Applied BLSC for 4,800 sq ft.
March 12-Applied RU (41% Glyphosate) throughout front/ backyard
March 18-Applied BLSC for 4,800 sq ft.
March 26-Applied RU (41% Glyphosate) throughout front/ backyard
April 8- Trenching for irrigation
April 9/10- laying main/ secondary poly pipe & heads for irrigation system
April 13- Sod cut yard @ 1", rolled and discarded.
April 14- Aerate E-to-W then N-to-S. Shovel up aeration cores, then apply micronutrients (9 Tablespoons/4500sq ft)/ 1.5 bags of Milo.
April 22- Apply BLSC, and spread 13 cubic yards of topsoil/compost.
April 23/24-Drag net and roll new topsoil/compost. Grade using a myriad of 2x4's and engineer laser.
April 29/30- Lay sod (Zeon Zoysia) and water @ 1"/day for first 2 weeks. Water 1/2"-3/4" throughout 3rd week. Apply water as needed after 3rd week(~2-3x/ week).
June 12- Apply 2nd round of micronutrients/ milo ( 9 Tablespoons/4,500sq ft/ .75 bags of Milo).
June 26- Apply 1st balanced fertilizer

[virginiagal]

Zach, I'm not the best person to advise on this, as I've never sodded and never used zoysia. But it seems to me that you're going to wear yourself out before the grass is put in. You're killing everything and removing turf and aerating and shoveling plugs and adding soil/compost and levelling (beside doing irrigation). That's a lot of heavy dirt to be rearranging. I think this can be done much more simply, and hopefully someone else will chime in. It would be good to get an application of the balanced fertilizer down before sodding. Andy recommended monthly applications of balanced fertilizer, so you'll need a lot this year. Doing the recommended soil amendments can help improve the soil you have. Importing an inch of "improved" soil/compost is a lot of expense and work with not much gain. Balanced fertilizer is a common thing and you should be able to find it at reasonable prices at farm/feed stores. For 20-20-20 you need 5 lb/K. But you could use 10-10-10 at 10 lb./K or 13-13-13 at 7.7 lb/k.

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[virginiagal]

Okay, no one who knows something about sodding is advising, and I have no experience, so we can muddle along with what we can learn on the Internet (if it's on the Internet, must be true, right?) (sarcasm intended). So I looked around and most everyone is recommending tilling after old sod removal. You are planning aeration which would do sort of the same thing (break up the soil) but without messing with soil structure. Anyone out there, what do you think? Till or aerate? I liked this description of the process for prep:
http://www.deltabluegrass.com/pre-sod-prep
I was googling for info on installing irrigation and sodding, as it seemed to me the irrigation system should go in after most of the prep work. If you put the irrigation in before sod removal, you will need to mark your heads and be careful. And be careful about them while aerating or tilling. I read a piece on the necessity of removing the old sod and it makes sense:
http://www.golfdom.com/can-you-lay-new- ... rts-field/
Whether you should bring in topsoil or a topsoil/compost mix will depend on how much dirt is removed during old sod removal, I would think. If you use the mix, allow for settling as the compost gradually is used up. One other thing I got out of my reading, you will need a dumpster to put the old sod in. It's too heavy to be moved by a car or truck.

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[Jayhawkmba]

Perhaps I missed Main's question? I think consensus around here for those working with sod /sterile warm season (hardy) grass, no till.