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Mowing
Mow the lawn when it first turns green in the spring using a reel mower set at 3/4 to 1 inch or a rotary mower set as low as possible without scalping the lawn. Mow before the grass grows taller than 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Recycle nutrients by not collecting clippings unless the are unsightly or in clumps.
Fertilization
Apply 1/2 pound of nitrogen per thousand square feet three weeks after the grass turns green. In absence of a soil test, use a complete (N-P-K) turf-grade fertilizer with a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio (for example, 12-4-8 or 16-4-8). Submit a soil sample to determine nutrient requirements, if you haven't already.
To determine the amount of product required to apply 1/2 pound of nitrogen per thousand square feet, divide 50 by the first number in the fertilizer ratio. For example, for a 5-5-15 fertilizer, divide 50 by 5. The result is 10 pounds of product per thousand square feet.
Irrigation
Water to a soil depth of 4 to 6 inches. Probe with a screwdriver to determine moisture depth. Zoysia grass needs a weekly application of 1 to 1 1/4 inches of water. On sandy soils, it requires more frequent watering, for example, 1/2 inch of water every third day. It is often necessary to irrigate an area for three to five hours to apply 1 inch of water. (It takes 620 gallons of water to apply 1 inch of water per thousand square feet.) Because clay soils accept water slowly, irrigate these areas until run off occurs; wait one-half hour until the water has been absorbed, and then continue irrigating until the desired depth or amount is obtained. A dark, bluish gray color, footprinting, and wilted, folded, or curled leaves indicate that it is time to water.
Weed Control
Apply preemergence herbicides to control crabgrass, goosegrass. and foxtail by the time the dogwoods are in full bloom. Apply postemergence herbicides in May as needed to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds such as knotweed, spurge, and lespedeza. Products containing two or three broadleaf herbicides are usually more effective in controlling several different broadleaf weeds in a lawn. Be sure the product is labeled for use on zoysia grass. Apply only if weeds are present and wait until three weeks after the grass turns green.
Insect Control
Check for white grubs and control them if necessary.
Thatch Removal
Vertically mow after the grass turns green to remove thatch if it is more than 1/2 inch thick. Do not attempt to remove too much thatch at one time because
zoysia grass has a slow recovery rate. It may take several years to get thatch under control.
Renovation
Replant large bare areas using sod or plugs planted on 6- or 12-inch centers. Applying a preemergence herbicide that does not interfere with root growth after plugging helps prevent weed encroachment.
Crabgrass, goosegrass, dallisgrass, nutsedge, annual sedges, and sandbur can be controlled with postemergence grass control herbicides. Two or three applications 7 to 10 days apart are required for effective control. Zoysiagrasses are sensitive to these compounds so select the application carefully.
June - August | September - November | December - February
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