ZOYSIA GRASS INFORMATION PAGE
| Meyer Z-52 Zoysia grass is by far the most popular variety
of Zoysia and is the hardiest for the widest range of growing areas.
Originally developed in Beltsville, Maryland by the United States Department
of Agriculture experimental station it is both winter hardy and drought
resistant. It's thick lush carpet chokes out weeds and requires less
frequent mowings making it both easier and less expensive to maintain.
Less fertilizing and virtually no need for chemical applications are also
pluses of this environmentally friendly grass. This wonderful grass
originally gained popularity with homeowners who found it to be a greatly
superior surface for golfing. Not only did it hold up under foot
traffic it also healed itself. It makes each shot easier as well
because of the denseness of the turf. You really will believe you're
walking on a carpet in all seasons (no more mud being tracked in!). Get
started today! Please compare ours to any others before making your decision.
To see price information or to place your order
click here!
Meyer Z-52 Zoysia is a hybrid and therefore cannot be reproduced by seed. The most popular method for homeowners to establish their lawns is by use of Plugs. This allows the hybrid grass to grow together by rhizomes also referred to as stolens or runners which are extensions of the plant above ground that grow out from the original piece of grass and root periodically as they grow. Each plug is a hefty 3 square inches of grass which is placed in the ground by digging a hole with a plugger. The distance between the plugs determines the length of time it takes to establish your lawn. In order for your plugs to cover in 1 full growing seasons you will want to place them 6 inches apart. To accomplish this, picture the five on a pair of dice. Place the four corner dots on a single square foot of area (12 inches by 12 inches) then place the fifth plug in the middle. Now repeat. This will require 2 plugs per square foot of lawn area. If you have more time to wait placing 1 plug per square foot will result in a full lawn in 2 growing seasons on average. Zoysia will grow in any soil. But to help it along just as you do with fertilizer, we do recommend you do a complete soil test (we offer a low priced test kit but you can also take your sample to your local state agricultural extension agent for testing) however the most important part of the testing is the pH level. So please note the lower priced pH testing kit we offer. Take several samples from different parts of your yard and then mix them together. Try to make sure the dirt is dry when doing this and try not to touch the dirt because the pH of your skin can contaminate the sample. Add either lime or sulfer to adjust the pH level. Then after the first month repeat the test. In order to lower the pH you will want to add sulfer. To raise your pH you want to add lime. The reason we offer the 10 test kit for pH is in order for you to see how things are going throughout the growing season. Your water could be changing the pH level so we recommend you test every 30 days for the first year. An ideal pH level is necessary because pH will not allow the nutrients you are putting down to be utilized by your grass. An ideal pH for Zoysia is 6.8. All of this can be preformed at the same time you are planting your plugs. We offer a Zoysia Plug Booster kit as well. It is a fantastic way to give your grass a tremendous head start. It includes a specially mixed fertilizer and a dipping tray. Prior to planting your plugs mix the booster fertilizer with water according to the directions and dip them in our solution. You will be months ahead of the game! For further planting information please refer to the instruction page. Once you make an investment of both time and money in your new Zoysiagrass lawn you will want to make sure you are caring for it as best you can. To achieve this we recommend the Moisture Meter to determine if you are watering your plugs enough. One tremendous advantage to this device is its ability to determine the moisture level in your house plants and flower beds as well as your plugs. This will last you for many years to come. Additionally consider the Complete Zoysiagrass Care Manual. After 40 years of research by both The Research Station here in both Colorado and Missouri and 20 Universities we've developed the complete and proper way to make your Zoysiagrass lawn last for generation after generation this is truly an invaluable guide. Probably the most wonderful thing about Zoysia is when it is summer it is always green and lush! When you go out in the summer you want to be in your yard, you want to see your children playing and with Zoysia you will. It is a turf designed and bred for that. That is why golf courses use it. It is a VERY wear resistant grass which is what makes it great grass. ALL SUMMER LONG YOU AND YOUR KIDS CAN WALK ON IT PLAY ON IT AND LIVE ON IT WITH NO HARM TO IT! This is not true with Bluegrasses, which would die from this treatment in the summer. Blue = Look At Me and Pay the WATER BILL Zoysia = Play On Me You'll LOVE IT!!! |
| The following are partial reprints of a papers published by the University
of Kansas State Agricultural Experiment Station, one of the premier turf
grass research institutes if not the premier turf grass research institute
in the United States. Reprinted with permisson.
Title: National Zoysiagrass Cultivar Trial Objective: To evaluate 24 cultivars and experimental numbers under Kansas conditions. Personnel: John C. Pair and Ned Tisserat Sponser: USDA National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Introduction: Zoysiagrass is one of the hardiest warm season turfgrass species grown in the transition zone. In addition to common Korean zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica), few cultivars have been introduced that offer advantages of more rapid establishment and higher turf qualities. As water restrictions increase, this drought resistant species may again become a popular choice. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four selections, including the standard Meyer (Z-52) were provided by USDA-NTEP for evaluation. All were established from vegetative plugs on June 11, 1991 on 12 inch centers. Fertilizer was incorporated prior to planting at the rate of 1 lb N-P-K/1000 sq. ft as 13-13-13. An additional application of fertilizer containing Atrazine was made in September. Mowing was at 1 inch with clippings returned. Results: Table 1. Performance of zoysiagrass cultivars at Wichita, KS, 1994. Cultivar or
Green-up
QUALITY
Meyer's Z52 7.7 7.5 7.7 7.8 8.7 8.2 8.0 El Toro 6.0 5.7 8.0 7.2 7.5 7.0 7.1 Emerald 4.7 7.2 8.2 7.8 7.7 7.8 7.7 Korean Common 8.0 5.7 5.3 5.7 5.3 5.7 5.5 Quality based on a scale of 0 - 9 w/9 = best green-up and visual turf
quality.
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| Title:
Drought and Salinity Tolerances of Buffalograsses, Bermudagrass, and Zoysiagrass
Objectives: 1) To determine the relative tolerances to drought and salinity of the three basic types of buffalograsses and compare them to locally adapted bermudagrass and Meyer Zoysiagrass; 2) If differences were found, to determine why or what mechanisms the tolerant grasses use to survive. Personnel: Ken Marcum and Hongfei Jiang Introduction: Drought stress is one of the most important problems facing turfgrass managers. Salinity or water quality problems are also important. However, knowledge is limited concerning the relative tolerances to these stresses among the important warm-season turfgrasses. Also, little is known about how turfgrasses tolerate drought or salinity. Materials and Methods: Midlawn bermudagrass; Meyer zoysiagrass and
Buffalawn, Prairie and AZ143 buffalograsses were compared for drought and
salinity tolerance in these experiments. The 3 buffalograsses represented
the 3 basic genetic types. Grasses were grown hydroponically in a
greenhouse. This was done to reduce interferences of other environmental
factors. Other factors, such as soil water content, temperature,
and diseases, can interact with and affect relative drought and salinity
tolerance.
Results: Turf quality decreased with increasing drought
and salinity stress. Under severe drought stress, the most tolerant
grasses were Meyer zoysia, followed by Midlawn bermuda. The buffalograsses
were less tolerant to drought, with AZ143 being the most and Buffalawn
the least tolerant. Under sever salinity stress, the same trend was
evident. Meyer and Midlawn the most tolerant.
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