About Zoysia
In warmer climates, it can tolerate shade. In cooler temperatures however, it doesn’t handle shade well.
In general, it is a perennial that is sod-forming. It also happens to have both rhizomes as well as stolons. While it does brown up as soon as the first freeze occurs, its also known for being the first to turn back to green when spring finally arrives. Zoysia grasses grow from the beginning of spring and into the later part of autumn; of course, only if the requirements for nutrition and moisture are met. This type of grass is tolerant during drought, but it will turn brown until proper watering returns.
Zoysia is a warm-season grass that has both fine and coarse textured varieties on the market. It grows laterally through rhizomes and stolons and because of this, is often used for golf courses, baseball fields, and residential properties.
This turf will turn brown and go into dormancy in the winter season, but it typically stays green until the first frost.
Zoysia turf is native to China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, but it has been growing in the U.S. since the late 1800s. It is also a popular turf choice in Australia and some parts of the Pacific islands
There are pros and cons to growing zoysia grass and the lists below will outline all of them for you.
Pros
- Repels weeds
- Shade tolerant
- Low fertilization required
- Cold hardy
- Drought resistant
- Pops up quickly in spring
- Does well in many soil types
- Salt tolerant
- Can withstand a heavy amount of traffic
Cons
- Recovers slowly
- Stiff blades make consistent sharpening of mower blades necessary
- Thatch builds-up easily
- Fine textured varieties sometimes develop shallow root systems
- Does not tolerate poorly drained soils
Keep in Mind
Zoysia is a versatile turf that is tolerant of numerous weather conditions. While it can handle a great amount of wear and tear, when it does become damaged, it takes time to recover.
It will hold its color for most of the fall season and begin growing quickly in early spring. The grass blades are stiff because of a high amount of silica.
This quality requires regular sharpening of lawn mower blades. Although, plenty of homeowners feel it is worth the extra time because of the thick, green carpeted lawn that zoysia produces.