During its active growing season, Zoysia typically stays light to medium green. … If drought and heat persist, Zoysia will go dormant, but it greens up quickly when watered again. Zoysia prefers full sun, but it tolerates light shade — unlike Bermudagrass and other sun-loving, warm-season grasses.

Which Zoysia is best for shade?

Zeon Zoysiagrass Is the Best Turf for Shade When it comes to growing warm-season turf in shade, Zeon Zoysiagrass has repeatedly outperformed other cultivars. Zeon Zoysiagrass is recognized by homeowners and professionals alike.

What is the best grass for shaded areas?

The best shade tolerant grass to choose from include St. Augustine grass and Zoysia (warm-season grass). Cool-season grass types for low light conditions would be Ryegrass, tall fescue, and fine fescue. Instead of planting just one species, you could also choose to mix grass seed to get a sun and shade balance.

Is Zoysia good for shady areas?

Zoysia grass is drought and shade tolerant as well as slow growing. Developed to over-take the St. Augustine market, Zoysia forms a dense turf that keeps weeds out and is relatively disease and insect free. Zoysia is highly recommended for home lawns because of its low maintenance.

How many hours of sunlight does Zoysia grass need?

While there are some grasses that are more tolerant of shade, all grasses need sunlight to thrive. Zoysia grass is a shade tolerant species, and that is the variety of sod that was planted in this lawn. The turf in the background receives 4-6 hours of sunlight, so it is thick and green.

Will any grass grow in full shade?

You can grow a pretty swath of lawn in a shady spot, as long as you pick the right grass and take care of it properly. … In the cool-season grass category, the shade-tolerant grasses are rye and fine and tall fescues. Warm-season grasses that grow in shade include zoysia and St. Augustine.

Can zoysia grow under trees?

A tall fescue lawn thrives among big shade trees. A: Growing grass in shaded areas is a common problem for homeowners. … The most shade-tolerant grasses grown in our area are tall fescue and Kentucky blue-grass. The next most tolerant is zoysia grass, which will tolerate light shade (needs at least four hours of sun).

Is Zoysia grass hard to maintain?

Zoysia grass requires frequent mowing, and can thicken and become difficult to mow. … To maintain an attractive lawn, you may have to switch from a rotary mower to a reel mower to avoid scalping or cutting the zoysia grass too short.

How do you grow grass in dense shade?

1. Evaluate the Amount of Sunlight. Even shade-tolerant grasses need at least 3 to 4 hours of direct sun, or 4 to 6 hours of dappled sunlight, per day. …
2. Find a Grass Seed That Works Well in Shade. …
3. Keep It High.

How long does it take for Zoysia grass to spread?

When planting plugs, you can expect to wait two years for your lawn to completely fill in. Planting from seed you may be looking at three years. However, once established your Zoysia lawn will keep weeds at bay and remain thick, lush, and low-maintenance, so if you have patience this is a great choice.

Article first time published on

Should you mow Zoysia grass?

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.”

Is Zenith Zoysia shade tolerant?

Dormancy: Zenith is a warm-season grass that, after first frost, goes dormant for the winter. Shade Tolerance: Zenith performs great from full sun to medium shade.

Will emerald zoysia grow in shade?

Shade Tolerance: Emerald performs great from full sun to medium shade. Drought Tolerance & Water Management: Emerald survives drought conditions by going dormant (leaves roll up and turf turns gray). Try to avoid drought conditions because Emerald recovers slower than other zoysias.

What kind of grass grows under trees?

Summary: If you want the turf to thrive under and around trees, one of the most important factors is the grass variety itself. Supina bluegrass, creeping red fescue, and shade cultivars of St. Augustinegrass offer advantages in the battle between tree shade and turf.

What do you do when Grass won't grow under trees?

1. Lay bricks, wood or cement over the area to make a patio.
2. Swap in artificial turf where grass won’t grow.
3. Add woodchip mulch, particularly in grassless areas under trees, for a cleaner look.
4. Create a small garden with flowers or shrubs. …
5. Cover the area with rocks or pebbles.

What is considered dense shade?

Bad shade could also be called dense shade and can be defined as areas that get no direct sunlight but still get reasonable light, are too dark to be considered dappled shade and/or have complicating factors such as abundant surface tree roots that make gardening difficult.

How do you make Zoysia grass greener?

1. Mow your zoysiagrass the first time in the spring before it turns green — around mid-April — to clean out the old blades of grass, leaves and other debris. …
2. Cut the grass to keep it shorter than other turf grasses. …
3. Irrigate the zoysiagrass as needed to keep it looking green.

How often should Zoysia grass be cut?

GRASSMOW WHEN THIS TALLMOWING INTERVALEmerald Zoysia1.5 to 2 inches7 to 10 daysZeon Zoysia1.5 to 2 inches7 to 10 daysZenith Zoysia1 to 2 inches7 to 10 daysTifTuf Bermuda0.75 to 2.5 inches4 to 7 days

Can you overwater Zoysia grass?

Do not overwater the grass. Zoysia grass only needs about one inch of water weekly. Water for longer periods of time, less frequently and in the early morning hours.

What is the best time of year to plant Zoysia grass?

The best times to plant zoysia grass are in late spring (once all chances of frost have passed) to early summer. Plant when daily temperatures are consistently in the 70s. Zoysia planting can also be done in early fall, but make sure to plant at least 60 days before the first fall frost.

Can you plant Zoysia in an existing lawn?

Do you plan on planting Zoysia Plugs in an existing lawn? These are nice grass types that are fairly easy to maintain, making it a great choice to grow. Don’t worry, as it’s pretty easy to plant them on your existing lawns as long as you follow the instructions properly.

Should you scalp zoysia grass?

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.

Why is my zoysia grass dying?

Zoysia grass is intolerant of standing water and may die out in low areas where water can collect. Although root rots may be obvious, many other problems may not be as obvious. Shallow rooting, increased susceptibility to disease, and attractiveness to grubs are a few of the other problems improper watering can cause.

How do I get rid of weeds in zoysia grass?

Post-emergent herbicides are a good spot-treatment for weeds that have already established themselves in your lawn. Hand-pulling weeds is very effective. This may be the most time-consuming way to get rid of weeds, but it’s also fairly foolproof with no need to utilize chemicals.

Which Zoysia is best?

Emerald zoysiagrass is a fine-textured hybrid that is possibly the most attractive zoysia. It is well-suited for top-quality lawns where a good maintenance program is provided. Emerald zoysia has less winter hardiness, but more shade tolerance than Meyer.

Is El Toro Zoysia shade tolerant?

El Toro sod is the most drought tolerant Zoysia variety and also tolerates shade well. It is easy to maintain with a rotary mower and requires less nitrogen than other grasses. El Toro’s dark green color and density provide a high quality turf, perfect for residential and commercial installations.

How do you green up Zenith Zoysia?

Fertilizing Zenith Zoysia Apply between 2 and 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 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.

What is Zenith Zoysia?

Zenith Zoysia® is an improved zoysia cultivars designed and sold by Patten Seed Company/Super-Sod. Zenith is similar to Meyer in many respects, including blade width and color. … Zenith Zoysia can be planted during the winter time when it is dormant and is also the only zoysia variety that can be planted using seed.

Is Zeon Zoysia shade tolerant?

Dormancy: Zeon is a warm-season grass that grows best in hot climates. In the upper south, it stays green longer into the fall than other varieties, eventually going dormant for the winter. Shade Tolerance: Zeon performs great from full sun to partial shade, requiring at least 4 hours of direct sunlight.

What are the different kinds of Zoysia grass?

The History of Zoysia These three types of zoysia grasses are: Zoysia japonica, Zoysia matrella and Zoysia tenuifolia. Each of these three zoysia grass types differ by cold tolerance, texture and aggressiveness. Zoysia made its first appearance in America when botanist C.V. Piper brought it over from Manila.