Please help with Zoysia question

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JerseyMarine
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Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » May 15th, 2020, 5:11 pm

Hi:
First post of the forum as I just joined. I am looking for some information regarding the maintenance of Meyer Zoysia. I reside in Northern NJ and just planted zoysia plugs to 15,000 square feet of lawn approximately 3 weeks ago. It was a project and a half to say the least as each plug is planted 12 inches apart. We are experiencing an unseasonably cold spring and the plugs are just beginning to come out of dormancy. My question is should i Milorganite the lawn this weekend? If not Milorganite what fertilizer would be recommended? How often should it be fertilized? What other maintenance should be done to allow these plugs to take off and take over my existing lawn. The plugs were bought from a Meyer Zoysia farm in NJ so I’m hoping the plugs take nicely due to the same climate. Any information and a maintenance schedule would be more than greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » May 15th, 2020, 7:46 pm

Sorry for the double post. I didnt realize my initial post had to be approved by a moderator and didn’t see it so I posted another one thinking the first one didnt work

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gtnike
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by gtnike » May 16th, 2020, 10:01 am

I did a similar project in 2011, although in TN so a bit warmer. My recommendation is do nothing. Milo won't hurt and is good for the soil. Just don't expect to see much action this year. You'll think it failed and then next year your plugs will come in much bigger. It is a slow process for sure but just keep them watered and remember it's a marathon not a sprint. Good luck!

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » May 16th, 2020, 2:05 pm

Thank you very much. I was starting to get nervous that they arent taking because they are still brown. They are definitely getting the water they need as i have a sprinkler system and its been raining here quite a bit

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Dchall_San_Antonio
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » May 16th, 2020, 2:55 pm

Several years ago I plugged zoysia in early May. It looked like nothing was happening and then, suddenly in July, I had zoysia popping up everywhere in a 10-ft area around where I plugged it. That was an unpleasant surprise, because I had hoped to contain it in a small area. Most zoysia is a slow, but persistent spreader. Point is...wait it out.


JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » March 27th, 2022, 8:05 am

Hi:
I am going on summer of 2022, 3rd season after planting the zoysia. Yesterday i did a good spring clean up and you can really see where the zoysia is because of its dormancy. Some spots are still clumped and doesn't look like they spread at all. Since it’s still chilly in March here in NJ, when do you guys recommend I fertilize or do anything to help the zoysia to take off? What can I expect this year? Thanks in advance

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turf_toes
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by turf_toes » March 27th, 2022, 11:47 am

I’d cut it low now while it’s dormant. I’d also give it a good raking.

Even better, I’d rent a dethatcher. Zoysia is about the only grass you could grow in NJ that will ever need dethatching. You should probably plan to do that yearly

Zoysia is a low input grass. Don’t go crazy with the fertilizer. You’ll need to do that maybe twice a year. Wait until the grass is awake.

Over fertilizing and over watering Zoysia is not good for the grass. You’ll just be loving it to death.

Disclaimer: most of what I know about Zoysia is from efforts to get rid of it. It’s one of those grasses that when you choose to grow it, you’re making that same decision for your adjacent neighbors.

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » March 27th, 2022, 12:36 pm

turf_toes wrote:
March 27th, 2022, 11:47 am
I’d cut it low now while it’s dormant. I’d also give it a good raking.

Even better, I’d rent a dethatcher. Zoysia is about the only grass you could grow in NJ that will ever need dethatching. You should probably plan to do that yearly

Zoysia is a low input grass. Don’t go crazy with the fertilizer. You’ll need to do that maybe twice a year. Wait until the grass is awake.

Over fertilizing and over watering Zoysia is not good for the grass. You’ll just be loving it to death.

Disclaimer: most of what I know about Zoysia is from efforts to get rid of it. It’s one of those grasses that when you choose to grow it, you’re making that same decision for your adjacent neighbors.

Thank you for the reply. I thought of dethatching it but was afraid ripping some of the plugs out that arent really spreading yet and was always told dethatching in the spring hurts the new grass head from flourishing. As for my neighbors, i installed a belgian block curbing between the one neighbors yard and went 3 feet down with the cement and installed a 3 foot wide by 12ft long flower bed between my yard and the other neighbors. I spade the edges of the flower bed yearly to prevent the zoysia from encroaching into the bed or my neighbors grass. I thought of all this before i planted it. I attempted to add 2 images of the lawn where you can see the zoysia plugs. Not sure if it will work…


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turf_toes
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by turf_toes » March 28th, 2022, 8:54 am

Yeah. Dethatching is not suggested here in general for cool season lawns. But since you are growing a warm season lawn (in a cool season area), you can forget almost anything your local friends and neighbors tell you about lawncare.

You plugged two years ago, right? If that’s the case, your plugs should be established. You aren’t Rototilling. So if it were my own lawn (and I wanted it to stay Zoysia), I’d probably dethatch it.

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » March 28th, 2022, 3:37 pm

turf_toes wrote:
March 28th, 2022, 8:54 am
Yeah. Dethatching is not suggested here in general for cool season lawns. But since you are growing a warm season lawn (in a cool season area), you can forget almost anything your local friends and neighbors tell you about lawncare.

You plugged two years ago, right? If that’s the case, your plugs should be established. You aren’t Rototilling. So if it were my own lawn (and I wanted it to stay Zoysia), I’d probably dethatch it.
I’m going to dethatch tomorrow. I have a tool i used to dethatch with that gets pulled behind my quad since my property is rather large. It took 18,000 zoysia plugs at 12” apart to cover my lawn. What do you think about my pics?

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » March 28th, 2022, 3:48 pm

By the way. What is your suggestion on watering? I have a sprinkler system that goes off automatically Mon/Wed/Saturday for 20 minutes a zone and I have 11 zones (33 heads). Is that too much water?

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turf_toes
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by turf_toes » March 28th, 2022, 3:56 pm

That’s way too much water for zoysia. It is a low-input grass.

Too much fertilizer and too much water is going to be really bad for your lawn.

Again, forget most of what you know about lawncare. This is not a cool-season grass.

If I were you, I’d spend a lot of time reading up on what you’ve planted.

Start at the link below. The Rutgers site should be your main resource. As noted, my goal has been to remove zoysia. I’m not growing it. But I’d trust the Rutgers site for advice on this stuff. It should be your source of truth. Learning how to kill Zoysia doesn’t make me an expert on growing it.

I’d even suggest reaching out to the folks listed in that article if you aren’t sure of something.

Most of us have done that ourselves.

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs521/

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » March 29th, 2022, 12:48 pm

turf_toes wrote:
March 28th, 2022, 3:56 pm
That’s way too much water for zoysia. It is a low-input grass.

Too much fertilizer and too much water is going to be really bad for your lawn.

Again, forget most of what you know about lawncare. This is not a cool-season grass.

If I were you, I’d spend a lot of time reading up on what you’ve planted.

Start at the link below. The Rutgers site should be your main resource. As noted, my goal has been to remove zoysia. I’m not growing it. But I’d trust the Rutgers site for advice on this stuff. It should be your source of truth. Learning how to kill Zoysia doesn’t make me an expert on growing it.

I’d even suggest reaching out to the folks listed in that article if you aren’t sure of something.

Most of us have done that ourselves.

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs521/

Thatching all complete and property blown off really good. Going to set the speinklers to only go off twice a week. Sunday and Thursdays. Any more suggestions not mentioned in the Rutgers artice?


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turf_toes
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by turf_toes » March 29th, 2022, 3:58 pm

As noted previously, I think you’ll be overwatering it

Think about it like this.

You’re trying to replace your cool season grasses with a warm season grass. You need to back up and research the differences between the two.

If you just continue doing what you’ve always done with your cool season grasses, your cultural practices will favor the cool season grass.

You need to know the proper height to grow zoysia. (Hint, it differs from cool season grass)

You need to know how to properly fertilize Zoysias. (It differs from cool-season grasses)

You need to know how to irrigate Zoysia (it differs from cool season grasses)

Follow the practices that encourage the grass you hope to grow.

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » March 30th, 2022, 10:36 am

turf_toes wrote:
March 29th, 2022, 3:58 pm
As noted previously, I think you’ll be overwatering it

Think about it like this.

You’re trying to replace your cool season grasses with a warm season grass. You need to back up and research the differences between the two.

If you just continue doing what you’ve always done with your cool season grasses, your cultural practices will favor the cool season grass.

You need to know the proper height to grow zoysia. (Hint, it differs from cool season grass)

You need to know how to properly fertilize Zoysias. (It differs from cool-season grasses)

You need to know how to irrigate Zoysia (it differs from cool season grasses)

Follow the practices that encourage the grass you hope to grow.
I am well versed on cool season grasses as my lawn was like a completely weedless carpet before I decided to switch over to zoysia 3 seasons ago (this will be the 3rd season coming up). I appreciate your input on the zoysia. The farm where i bought it from had me watering it the first season with nitrogen liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks in which I did. He didnt mention how much water but in my head I assumed the plugs needed water to get established therefore I watered 3 times a week. The individual who owned the farm advised after the first season just leave it alone and let it do it’s thing. As for now I think I will hit it with a good nitrogen based fertilizer the end of May, grub control 2nd week of June and thatch again mid September. That Rutgers article was very good. Thank you for posting it for me.

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » May 16th, 2022, 8:48 am

It is May 16th and my lawn is experiencing a large amount of dandelions and a few other weeds. I was advised dont use a weed killed on the lawn because it will kill the zoysia. Zoysia seems to be spreading nicely but it’s hard to digest seeing all the weeds. End of the month im suppose to fertilize with nitrogen. Should I still fertilize or will that just increase the dandelion and weed growth?

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » May 16th, 2022, 9:04 am

And if fertilizing is still recommended what nitrogen fertilizer is suggested? My lawn is large so I was looking at spectracide 20-0-0 that comes in the bottle you hook on the hose. The one that does not contain weed control.

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turf_toes
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by turf_toes » May 16th, 2022, 9:18 am

If you fertilize it will fertilize everything. That said, Zoysia will eventually create a dense carpet that should outcompete most weeds.

No one but you knows how close that condition is for your current lawn. Have you asked the sod farm about any of these questions?

JerseyMarine
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by JerseyMarine » May 16th, 2022, 10:19 am

turf_toes wrote:
May 16th, 2022, 9:18 am
If you fertilize it will fertilize everything. That said, Zoysia will eventually create a dense carpet that should outcompete most weeds.

No one but you knows how close that condition is for your current lawn. Have you asked the sod farm about any of these questions?
The farm I bought the zoysia farm is run by 1 guy. He is impossible to get in touch with by phone and the farm is 2 and a half hours away from me.

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turf_toes
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Re: Please help with Zoysia question

Post by turf_toes » May 16th, 2022, 10:28 am

Well, if it were my lawn, I would continue following his original advice. I’d probably hold off on the May fertilizer though.

In my part of NJ the zoysia lawns aren’t fully out of dormancy. Fertilizing in those conditions only help your weeds.

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