How to Plant Zoysia Grass? Latest Planting Techniques and Methods Tutorial

Zoysia grass, also known as awl grass, creeping green, etc., is a perennial herbaceous plant of the grass family, Zoysia genus, distributed in Korea, Japan and China, growing in areas at altitudes of 200 m to 500 m, mostly on hillsides, plains and seaside grasslands, mainly used for sports turf. Let's take a look at the planting techniques of zoysia grass!

Growth Habits of Zoysia Grass

Zoysia grass grows on plains, hillsides or seaside grasslands. It prefers a warm and humid climate, and coastal areas influenced by oceanic climate are most favorable for its growth. It likes light and grows robustly on well-aerated open ground, but it also has a certain tolerance for shade. It has strong drought resistance, salt-alkali resistance and pest and disease resistance, and tolerates barren soil, trampling and a certain degree of waterlogging.

Propagation Methods of Zoysia Grass

1. Seeding: The sowing period for zoysia grass is best after the rainy season, that is, late July to early August. Before sowing, the seeds must be treated first by soaking them in a 0.5% sodium hydroxide solution for 24 hours, then washing them clean with water, drying them and sowing. They germinate 10 to 13 days after sowing, and the seedlings are fully emerged after more than 20 days.

2. Division: Division can be carried out from mid-May to mid-August. First dig out the zoysia grass, separate the intertwined branches and vines, and bury them in a pre-prepared soil bed, planting them in rows with a row spacing of 15 to 20 cm. They can grow to full coverage after 3 to 4 months.

Planting Techniques of Zoysia Grass

1. Planting time: Zoysia grass is generally planted in April to May or August to September. One month before planting, fertilize, prepare the land and water it, and spray herbicide (sodium pentachlorophenate) on the soil surface. Water again one month later, and when the soil surface is half dry and half wet, rake it level and sow.

2. Timely sowing: For zoysia grass, 5 to 6 kg per mu is appropriate. After sowing, gently pull a rake over it once, spread a layer of compost or cover it with a layer of sawdust soil on the ground surface, and if conditions permit, cover it with a thin layer of rice straw, which can prevent direct sunlight and increase the germination rate. After sowing, spray water to maintain a certain humidity. After germination in about 10 days, remove the rice straw cover.

3. Planting management: When zoysia grass seedlings are 6 to 8 cm tall, cut off the upright stems of the young grass to promote sprouting and tillering and accelerate the spreading speed of the lawn. Regular rolling and cutting is an important task in seedling management. From April to October, use mechanical rolling twice a month, so that annual and biennial weeds lose their tender tips or flower stems, lose the ability to set seeds and reproduce offspring, and accelerate the spread of turf.

Pest and Disease Control of Zoysia Grass

1. Rust

[Symptoms] The yellow powdery substance produced on the leaves when the disease occurs is the summer spores of rust. The dark brown powdery substance produced in the later stage of the disease is the winter spores of rust. April to June and late autumn to early winter are the two peak periods of the disease. It usually occurs severely on lawns with insufficient sunlight, barren and compacted soil, and excessive nitrogen fertilizer application. After the disease occurs, blister-like small spots first appear on the surface of the diseased leaves, and later develop into round or strip-shaped yellow-brown lesions that are slightly raised. In the later stage of the disease, the blister-like epidermis ruptures and releases yellow powdery matter. When the disease is severe, the leaves turn yellow, curl, dry up and die.

[Control] ① Agricultural control: Strengthen the cultivation and management of the lawn. Before planting the lawn, the soil should be reasonably improved according to its nature. Heavy clay soil can be appropriately mixed with sandy soil, while heavily sandy soil can be mixed with an appropriate amount of river mud or pond mud. If soil fertility is insufficient, increase the application of farmyard manure as base fertilizer, but do not apply too much nitrogen fertilizer alone; appropriately increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to promote robust plant growth and enhance the plant's resistance to stress and disease. ② Chemical control: After rust occurs on zoysia grass lawns, spraying should begin at the early stage of the disease. You can choose 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 800 to 1000 times dilution, or 0.3 Baume degree lime-sulfur mixture, or sodium aminobenzenesulfonate at 250 to 300 times dilution to spray evenly on the lawn, once every 10 days or so, until the disease is completely controlled.

2. Leaf blight

[Symptoms] The young and tender tissues (such as leaves and leaf tips) of plants infected with leaf blight are severely damaged. In the early stage of the disease, water-soaked and yellow-brown small spots appear on the leaves and leaf tips near the ground, and white filamentous matter can often be seen at the diseased plants on the lawn. Then the diseased part gradually expands, and the leaves quickly dry up. In severe cases, the disease can also infect the stems, causing them to turn black and rot. It can cause lawns to dry up and die in patches.

[Control] ① Agricultural control: Before planting grass, the ground should be plowed and raked level, and pits and depressions should be eliminated to avoid water accumulation and induce disease. Compost, garbage manure, etc. used should be fully decomposed to avoid spreading the disease through diseased plant residues carrying pathogens. If diseased plants are found, they should be thoroughly cut off and destroyed immediately. ② Chemical control: In the early stage of the disease on the lawn, you can use 50% tebuconazole wettable powder at 500 times dilution, or 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 600 to 800 times dilution to spray evenly. When spraying, it is also necessary to appropriately spray the ground so as to also disinfect the soil, which can achieve good control results.

3. Mole crickets

[Symptoms] Zoysia grass is susceptible to damage from underground pests such as mole crickets.

[Control] Use manual capture. After flooding the lawn with a large amount of water, mole crickets will float on the surface of the turf, and at this time they can be captured manually. For chemical control, 50% phoxim granules can be used at 2 kg to 2.5 kg per mu to treat the soil, or 5% chlordane powder at 0.5 kg to 1.5 kg per mu, mixed with 25 kg to 50 kg of fine soil and fully mixed to make poisonous soil, evenly spread on the ground or dusted on the ground, applied before sowing along with pesticide application, plowing and raking.