Spring is almost here! The birds are chirping, bees are buzzing and life begins to return to outdoor lawns and gardens. The time for zoysia spring care and maintenance is right around the corner! As temperatures start to slowly warm up again, it's important for us lawn and garden lovers to provide our tender love and care to our beloved zoysia lawns.
When it comes to seasonal turfgrass maintenance, spring lawn maintenance slightly differs from the summer or fall seasons. Temperatures rise and soil conditions change. Zoysia is just starting to come out of dormancy and turn green again.
Depending on where you may be located, your zoysia lawn may not have even gone dormant at all! Regardless, this is a time to help your zoysia grass transition into the warmer months.
Spring Lawn Care Tips
Watch our series of spring zoysia grass maintenance tips in the playlist below. Select the icon in the top right-hand corner to navigate through the playlist.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXNGBwPrZQQqimmFcuOJxU0aPNnxU56i1&si=SQmHQHeb0YUS7bhe1. Proper Spring Zoysia Mowing
Timing:
Begin mowing when zoysia shows signs of growth, typically in mid-March for many regions. Avoid mowing while the grass is still dormant.
Height Adjustment:
Initially, cut zoysia slightly shorter than usual to remove excess growth—about an inch high. After this, maintain a height between 0.5 and 2 inches, depending on the zoysia type.
Equipment Care:
Sharpen mower blades to ensure clean cuts that prevent disease.
Pictured above from left to right: An EMPIRE lawn in the spring and a lawn mower setting.
2. Choosing the Best Zoysia Lawn Fertilizer for Spring
Timing is Key:
Wait until after the last frost to fertilize to prevent damaging new growth.
Product Recommendations:
Use a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer like the Lawnifi Spring Fertilizer Box, which is specially formulated for zoysia's needs. Apply it only after ensuring there's no risk of frost, typically after Easter in cooler climates.
3. Setting Up Your Spring Irrigation Schedule
Water Requirements:
Zoysia needs about 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall. Begin regular watering once the grass exits dormancy.
Efficiency Tips:
Conduct an irrigation audit to ensure even distribution and avoid wastage, especially important in areas like South Florida where watering needs may decrease in winter.
Pictured above: An irrigation head watering Innovation Zoysia.
4. Fixing Bare or Damaged Spots
Using Zoysia Grass Plugs:
Use zoysia plugs to fill in bare spots. Prepare the soil properly with a mix of sand and topsoil, ensuring it's loose and nutrient-rich.
Soil Preparation:
Before planting, prepare the soil by loosening it and adding a light layer of compost to provide nutrients. Do a soil test to make proper amendments to your soil to set it up for success this season.
5. Aerate Your Lawn
Why Aerate?
Aeration helps relieve soil compaction, allowing roots to breathe and absorb nutrients more effectively.
Best Practices:
Aerating is best done during your lawn’s peak growing season. For cool-season grasses, early spring or fall is ideal, while warm-season grasses benefit most from late spring aeration.
Spring Lawn Treatment
6. Weed Control Strategies
Preventive Care:
Apply a pre-emergent herbicide when soil temperatures consistently reach about 55 degrees Fahrenheit to stop weed seeds from germinating. Learn more here.
Active Management:
Use post-emergent herbicides to tackle visible weeds like dandelions and crabgrass. Ensure selective herbicide use, as non-selectives will kill any and all vegetation it comes into contact with
Apply post-emergent weed contrl throughout the spring as needed to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds like:
- Crabgrass
- Goosegrass
- Sandspur
- Dallisgrass
- Dandelion
- Chickweed
- White Clover
- Knotweed
- Spurge
- Dollarweed
- Doveweed
- Lespedeze
Post-emergent products containing multiple broadleaf active ingredients like SpeedZone Broadleaf Herbicide for Turf are the best spring lawn treatments as they’re more effective in controlling broadleaf weeds.
If you start to notice grassy weeds such as crabgrass or goosegrass, post-emergents like Quintessential will treat them. Be sure to follow product labels for any control product appropriately during application.
If you notice weeds and you aren’t sure which type of weed it is, check out our Identifying Common Lawn Weeds blog.
Pictured above from left to right: Crabgrass, goosegrass and clover.
7. Spring Zoysia Pest Management
5. Monitoring for Insects
Common Pests:
White grub worms and billbugs are typical in spring.
Use targeted insecticides like Dylox 6.2 for grubs or Bifen L/P for billbugs, and apply as needed based on past pest activity.
You can read more about these insects in our Insect Identification blog. Be sure to follow product label instructions before application.
Pictured above from left to right: White grub worms and a hunting billbug.
6. Prevent Disease as Temperatures Begin to Warm Up
As previously mentioned damaged brown spots may start to show up as zoysia comes out of dormancy. This is a sign of disease and you may need to make applications of a systemic fungicide.
Large patch can be found in zoysia lawns during the spring season.
Use a systemic fungicide like Heritage G or Propiconazole preemptively if your lawn had issues in previous years.
Systemic fungicide applications should take place before you apply any spring fertilizer. If you have fungus in your lawn, the nitrogen found in fertilizers oftentimes feeds it and helps it spread. Apply a systemic fungicide and wait a few weeks before applying any fertilizer. Follow product label instructions before application.
Pictured above: A turfgrass disease.
What Should I Do for My Zoysia Lawn This Spring? - Answered
- Mowing: Begin mowing as zoysia starts growing. Adjust the mower to cut no more than a third of the grass blade and ensure blades are sharp for a clean cut.
- Fertilization: Use a suitable fertilizer, such as the Lawnifi Spring Fertilizer Box, after the last frost to promote robust root development and leaf growth.
- Watering: Increase watering to about an inch per week, including rainfall, and perform an irrigation audit to ensure efficiency, particularly as zoysia comes out of dormancy.
- Repairing Bare Spots: Fill in bare spots with zoysia plugs or sod, preparing the soil with a mix of sand and compost for optimal root growth.
- Aeration: Aerate to relieve soil compaction, which is crucial for healthy root expansion in the growing season.
- Weed and Pest Control: Apply pre-emergent herbicides to prevent weed emergence and use targeted insecticides for pests like grub worms and billbugs as needed.
- Disease Prevention: Keep an eye out for signs of turf diseases such as large patch, and apply systemic fungicides preemptively if your lawn has a history of disease issues.
By adhering to these steps, your zoysia lawn will not only maintain its health but also its aesthetic appeal, ensuring it remains lush and vibrant throughout the spring and into summer.
