How to Seed Zoysia Grass

Zoysia is a warm-season grass that can be grown in some of the southern cool-season states. It is a slow grower. Use zoysia grass for home lawns, golf courses, athletic fields and parks. Plant zoysia seeds in early fall just when the summer heat begins to cool. Seeding a lawn can be a chore, but is not overly difficult. Once the seeds are planted, zoysia grass needs plenty of water and light. Once the grass is established, little maintenance is required.

Grass and weed killer

Fertilizer

Spreader

Roto tiller

Rake

Water hose

Remove any grass growing in the area. Zoysia grass grows best with no competition. Use spray-on grass and weed killer. Follow the directions that come with the product.

Fertilize the area. Type of fertilizer depends on the soil. Do a soil test to find out what fertilizer to use. Apply 9 lbs. of fertilizer for every 1000 square feet of land. Use a spreader and walk at a steady pace. Make sure all of the area receives fertilizer and remember to turn off the spreader if you stop. Otherwise, that spot will be over-fertilized.

Till the soil to a depth of 5 inches. Set the roto tiller to this depth. Walk at a steady pace and remove sticks, stones and other debris from the soil as you go along.

Plant the zoysia grass seeds with a spreader. Apply 2 lbs. of seed for every 1000 square feet of land. Walk with the spreader at a steady pace. Turn off the spreader when stopping so as to not overseed an area.

Rake the seeds and soil lightly, but do not let the seeds get deeper than 1/4 inch into the ground. Zoysia seeds need plenty of light to grow well, and they will not get the light if they are too deep into the soil.

Water the seeds immediately after planting. Use a watering hose to evenly water the soil. The area must be moist, but not soaking wet.

Water the lawn two to three times a day for the first 20 to 30 days after planting the seeds. There will be lots of little seedlings sprouting by this time.

Reduce the watering to once every other day for the next five to eight weeks. Only use enough water so that the soil is moist down to a depth of 1 inch. Overwatering will kill zoysia grass.

Fertilize the lawn six weeks after planting the seeds. Use a spreader and apply 9 lbs. of fertilizer for every 1000 square feet of land.

Spreaders and roto tillers can be rented at hardware stores.

Zoysia seeds have a high failure rate when planted with existing grasses or in shady areas. If you must plant zoysia grass in the shade or with other grasses, use zoysia plugs instead of seeds.