Here at Zoysia Farms, we take pride in our Amazoy Zoysia that we grow. It can result in a beautiful low-maintenance lawn overtime and is beneficial to the environment. However, we also understand that Zoysia may not be the best choice for everyone’s lawn. Although some may see these as issues, we want you to know that some issues have solutions.
- Spreading Grass- To start off, Zoysia is a spreading grass. This is beneficial for many because they want the Zoysia to overtake their existing lawn and weeds; however some want to be able to stop it from spreading into certain areas. Once established, it can continue to grow into your garden, flower bed, or even your neighbor’s lawn. There is an easy fix. Installing a plastic or metal border 4-6” deep into the ground will discourage the Zoysia from spreading. Even regular edging of flower beds will discourage the Zoysia.
- Dormant in Winter- Like many trees and shrubs, Zoysia goes dormant (turns brown) after the first hard frost of the year. It starts to green back up whenever the ground temperature is consistently above 50 degrees. Zoysia goes dormant in order to protect itself from the harsh weather coming. Dormancy allows the grass to withstand temperatures as low as -30 degrees. If you really do not like the idea of brown grass during the winter, some of our customers have actually spray-stained their lawns green. As silly as it may sound to some, it is possible to keep your lawn green year-round that way. If you do not receive frost in your area, it is possible for Zoysia to stay green year-round too.
- Slow-Growing- Zoysia is a slow-growing grass. For some, this is a good feature of Zoysia because you will not have to mow it nearly as much as you would other grasses. However, some are looking to have an instant lawn soon after planting. Our Amazoy Zoysia takes about 2-3 growing seasons to fill in if you are planting one plug per square foot. Also, the closer you plant the plugs and the bigger you make them, the faster you will see complete fill-in. Remember that you can always lay Zoysia sod, if you are looking for instant coverage.
Overall, there is no such thing as a perfect grass for all conditions and situations, but even some of Zoysia’s limitations can be overcome.