N
Velvet Digest

What do you put on Zoysia grass in the fall?

Author

Ava Hall

Updated on April 29, 2026

Apply between 2 and 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet annually, during the growing season. Select a fertilizer that is labeled for use on Zoysia grass lawns. Do not apply fertilizer to wet turf to avoid burning. Too much fertility will result in a thatchy, unhealthy lawn and increased disease risk.

.

In respect to this, should you fertilize zoysia grass in the fall?

Zoysia grass should not be fertilized in early spring or fall. Fall fertilizer (after August) can delay the natural dormancy period of warm-season grasses and make them more susceptible to winter injury.

Subsequently, question is, how do you take care of Zoysia grass? Maintaining Zoysia Lawns:*

  1. Water your new lawn to keep it moist for a period of 2 weeks or until sod is rooted.
  2. Mow as soon as your new lawn is rooted - at the recommended height (see table below) - Or mow in 3-5 weeks when height is 2-3 inches (weeds and/or grass).
  3. Fertilize your lawn once rooted.

Then, what type of fertilizer is best for Zoysia grass?

Fertilizing Emerald Zoysia

  • Fertilize with Super-Sod's Total Lawn Food 16-4-8 + Iron and Pelletized Dolomitic Limestone, which can be purchased at your local Super-Sod store.
  • Apply between 2 and 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet annually, during the growing season.
  • Read about How to Calculate Fertilizer Rates.

How do you kill weeds in Zoysia grass?

To help reduce disease problems, fertilize the zoysiagrass lawn according to recent soil test recommendations and water infrequently. Broadleaf summer weeds, such as spurge and annual lespedeza, are controlled by using a 3-way, broadleaf weed herbicide. These 3-way mixes typically contain 2,4-D, dicamba, and mecoprop.

Related Question Answers

How long does it take for Zoysia grass to fill in?

A common complaint is that zoysia is how slow it is to establish and spread. If you are planting a lawn by seed it can take a long time. Some seeds will not even germinate the first year. If started by plugs or sprigs planted 6 inches apart, it will take up to two years to fill in.

When Should I aerate my Zoysia lawn?

ZoysiaAerating. The best time to aerate zoysiagrass is in early summer, when the grass is growing rapidly. On very compacted soils, aerating twice a year would not be out of the question. Apply fertilizer and water after aerating so the turf recovers rapidly.

Can you overwater Zoysia grass?

Over-watering really screws up zoysia (and virtually every other grass, for that matter). It rots the roots, promotes fungus, makes the bugs happy. You will KNOW without a doubt, when zoysia needs watered. You will look across your lawn and see areas which look slightly “off” or darker in color.

How short should you cut Zoysia grass?

Mowing. You will not need to mow nearly as often because zoysia doesn't grow tall quickly. A healthy zoysia lawn should be mowed to a height of 1 1/2" to 3". A golden rule when mowing any turf is "never cut more than 1/3 of the leaf height."

Why is my Zoysia grass yellow?

Zoysia grass will begin to turn its dormant color as soon as temperatures cool. The grass develops yellow and brown lesions on the blades, when the sod is overly dry and there has not been proper fertilization high in nitrogen. The lesions develop into spots with distinctive shapes and patterns.

Do you water Zoysia in the winter?

Zoysia grass is unusually drought tolerant and once established rarely needs watering. Orchard Supply recommends watering zoysia in the winter if there is a prolonged period where there was no snow or rain. Check the moisture content by digging down a few inches to see whether there is moisture.

How do you make Zoysia spread faster?

Way to get zoysia to spread
  1. Rent core aerator.
  2. Go over existing grass, lots.
  3. Rake up material.
  4. Spread into the area you want to grow.
  5. Topdress a bit?
  6. Water to keep it moist.
  7. Profit.

How often do you water Zoysia grass?

To avoid the pitfalls of frequent light watering, it's much better to water your zoysia lawn thoroughly once per week or every other week rather than several times per week. Each watering should penetrate the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches.

Will Zoysia grass choke out weeds?

Chokes Out Weeds Once established, the dense turf created by zoysia significantly reduces summer weeds. Amazoy will choke out all existing cultivated and wild grasses, including Bermuda (often called wire grass) and St. Augustine. For best results keep these grasses away from newly planted zoysia plugs.

Can you use Scotts Turf Builder on Zoysia?

Answer: Scotts Turf Builder Weed and Feed 1 should not be applied to Zoysia lawns as it could cause discoloration. We do offer Ferti-Lome St. Augustine Weed and Feed 15-0-4 safe for zoysia.

Why is my Zoysia grass dying?

Brown patch is probably the most prevalent zoysia grass disease, with patches of zoysia dying off. These dead patches of grass start small but can quickly spread in warm conditions. Although fungal spores of brown patch cannot be fully eliminated, keeping zoysia healthy will make it less susceptible to the disease.

How do you keep Zoysia grass green in the winter?

The best thing you can do to maintain a healthy zoysia lawn over winter is to overseed and use a cold weather grass type for the winter months. The cold weather grass (usually tall fescue) will spring to life in winter and let the zoysia rest, only to go dormant in summer when your zoysia comes back to life.

Can you put lime on Zoysia grass?

When to Apply Lime to Zoysia Grass. Zoysia is often used as a residential grass lawn because it is drought resistant, requires little fertilization and is slow growing. Like all grasses, zoysia prefers a pH balance higher than 5.5, and often times lime must be added to the soil to raise it to the proper balance.

Why is my Zoysia grass not turning green?

Some areas in your yard may not be greening up as normal and may appear dead. This is being caused by Zoysia Brown Patch. Zoysia Brown patch is the most damaging disease to Zoysia. Excessive moisture and high nitrogen fertility levels often lead to the outbreaks.

Do you scalp Zoysia grass?

SCALPING. All Bermuda and zoysia lawns (only) should be scalped each spring. Scalping is the removal of dormant, straw-colored turf, and it promotes earlier green-up and helps prevent thatch and weed problems throughout the summer. March 15 through April 30 is a good time to scalp your yard.

What do you do with Zoysia grass in the spring?

SPRING
  1. If you have a mature, established zoysiagrass lawn, drop your mower a notch and give your lawn a “buzz-cut” in the early spring. Bag up all the material.
  2. After your initial “buzz-cut,” begin mowing your zoysiagrass at the desired height.
  3. Apply pre-emergent herbicide.
  4. Don't overwater.
  5. Apply fungicide if needed.

Should I fertilize new Zoysia sod?

Fertilizing Established Zoysia Grass In general, zoysia grass is fertilized about four times, or approximately every six weeks, from April through October with 1/2 to 1 pound of nitrogen applied per 1,000 square feet during each application.

Will Zoysia take over other grasses?

The reason you can plant plugs and not have to seed the lawn is because zoysia grass will crowd out all other species in the lawn. Then when it has taken over your lawn, it will start in on your flower beds and your neighbor's lawn. If you decide to plant zoysia grass, you are making the decision to grow it for life.

Will Zoysia take over fescue?

The problem you have is fescue is a cool season grass and zoysia is a warm season grass. You may have an areas of fescue that doesn't look good now, but if you replace it with zoysia and you are in a cooler season zone your lawn will look dead all winter.