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Zoysia Grass Pros & Cons

Zoysia grass is a wiry, fine-to-medium textured, summer-growing grass that once established, becomes an easy, low-maintenance lawn. Originating in Japan, China and Southeast Asia, this creeping perennial grass is heat and drought tolerant and requires less frequent mowing than other grass varieties. Though Zoysia has many positive attributes, it also has a few negatives, such as the fact that this grass turns brown in cold weather.

  1. Pro No. 1: Less Mowing and Watering

    • Once Zoysia grass is established its slow growth gives you more time between mowing. Instead of breaking out the John Deere weekly, with Zoysia it is more of a 10-to-14-day requirement. Zoysia grass is also more drought tolerant than other varieties and thus needs less watering.

    Pro No. 2: One Tough Grass

    • Zoysia's fine-to-medium texture makes it one tough grass. It grows thickly, choking out weeds and other grass types and is perfect for slopes and play areas. Zoysia grass is heat resistant. Since it is a perennial grass, you will likely never have to re-seed. It also naturally repels insects and reduces costs for chemical pesticides.

    Con No. 1: Brown Lawn In Winter

    • By far the biggest negative aspect of Zoysia grass is that at the first hint of cold the lawn turns a golden brown color and stays that way until temperatures return to over 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that from about September to April the lawn looks dead. For this reason, Zoysia grass is best suited for planting in states south of Michigan. It is a warm-climate grass that also requires full sun. So even if you live in the right zone, if your yard gets inadequate sunlight, this type of grass will not thrive. The website zoysias.com offers a detailed map of Zoysia grass planting zones.

    Con No. 2: Difficult to Start From Seed

    • Zoysia grass is hard to start from seed. For a while, it was only available as sod or plugs for this reason. Recently, new Zoysia varieties have been developed in seed form, but it is only recommended that seed be used in completely bare soil. You cannot mix in Zoysia seed to fill in an existing lawn. Because of the slow germination of Zoysia seed, the easier method is still sod or plugs. It is recommended that you buy enough sod to cover the whole lawn area because it can take up to a year for sprigs or plugs to merge and cover the site.

    Con No. 3: Thatching and Invasiveness

    • Oddly, since Zoysia grass becomes so thick it is often considered an invasive plant since it tends to get into places where it is not wanted, like flower beds and neighbors' lawns. The thickness of Zoysia also leads to its tendency towards thatching. For this reason Zoysia lawns need to be aerated frequently so that its surface is still in contact with the nutrient-rich dirt.

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Lawn Planting
  1. Pros & Cons of Counter-Height Tables
  2. Zoysia Plugs vs. Seeds
  3. Do Zoysia Plugs Work?
  4. Ryegrass Vs. Zoysia
  5. Zoysia Grass Growth
  6. How to: Zoysia Grass
  7. Care of Zoysia Grass
  8. Pros & Cons of Hydroseeding
  9. Zoysia Vs. Fescue Grass
  10. Zoysia Grass Vs. Bermuda
  11. How To Buy Zoysia
  12. Zoysia Grass & Weeds

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