Archive for the ‘ Care & Maintenance ’ Category
Grasscycling
posted on October 14th, 2010 by John
Grasscycling is a simple and “green” way to nourish your Zoysia lawn. This process is the natural recycling of grass by leaving clippings on the lawn when mowing. Grass clippings quickly decompose, returning valuable nutrients to the soil to nourish your Zoysia lawn.
Advantages of Grasscycling
- No bagging or raking of the lawn required.
- Plastic bags full of lawn clippings don’t end up in the landfill.
- Clippings help your Zoysia lawn reach its fertilizing needs, reducing both time and money spent fertilizing.
- Grasscycling reduces the need for fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides, reducing pollution to the environment and chemicals in your yard.
- Does not cause thatch, making your lawn more durable.
How to Grasscycle Effectively
- Cut up to 1/3 of the leaf surface while mowing, but no more.
- Mow when the lawn is dry.
- Mow using a sharp mower blade. Dull blades bruise and tear at grass, leading to a ragged tip on the top of the blade.
- Aerate your lawn. This will open up the soil and increase the movement of water, fertilizer, and air by speeding up decomposition of the grass clippings and enhancing deep root growth.
- Follow the lawn care schedule for your type of Zoysia grass.
Grasscycling is environmentally responsible, and an opportunity for homeowners to reduce their waste while saving both time and energy. For more information about what you can do to protect the environment while caring for your Zoysia lawn, learn about organic lawn care.
Say Goodbye to Weeds
posted on October 6th, 2010 by John
One of the many benefits of growing a Zoysia lawn is its ability to easily choke out weeds. Zoysia is even considered to be a “weed fighter” grass, keeping your lawn healthy lush and weed free.
How does this work? Zoysia grows with a horizontal stem called a rootstalk (stolons). This growth pattern allows Zoysia to grow and spread over an area, overgrowing any weeds or unwanted crab grasses. The thick, firm, and dense turf prevents new weeds from sprouting and takes over existing weed growth. The leaves of the grass grow freely in the summer, and after a few mowings can crowd out weeds all together. Because of this, less herbicide is needed to maintain a plush and green Zoysia lawn.
Should a weed happen to pop up in your Amazoy lawn, read more about on the spot weed removal. We hope you enjoy your beautiful Zoysia lawn!
Composting, Part II
posted on September 27th, 2010 by Steve Schug
Composting is the natural process that turns organic material like leaves, grass clippings, and twigs into a dark rich substance. By adding compost to your Zoysia lawn, it will help the grass grow in thicker and healthier. This is because an organic matter in the compost helps soil retain nutrients and water, to help benefit your plants.
Uses of Compost
- soil conditioning
- lawn dressing
- erosion control
- a potting soil component
- mulching
As opposed to some fertilizers, composting won’t burn your grass if you accidentally use too much. Also, it won’t stain your walkways or concrete patios around your lawn. It is also prone to show results quickly.
Placing Compost on Your Zoysia Lawn
Compost can be used as a natural fertilizer when planting new lawns as well as maintaining your existing lawn.
When distributing compost across a new lawn, use generous amounts of compost. Mix 4 to 6 inches of compost into the soil. Once the grass plugs are planted, thoroughly water the area.
When distributing compost across your existing lawn, place piles of about one shovel-full throughout your lawn. Using a rake, spread the compost throughout the lawn until the compost is in a thin layer about 1/2 inch thick. A thin layer of compost will break down quickly, releasing nutrients into the lawn without smothering your grass. After the compost is distributed, water your lawn well.
Compost works as a conditioner to your lawn, keeping it healthy and green. It is safe, organic, and with just 1 – 2 applications per year it can make a significant positive impact on your lawn’s health. Interested in composting? Read more about how to create compost from grass clippings to use on your Zoysia lawn.
Tools for Your Zoysia Lawn
posted on September 22nd, 2010 by Julie
Once you’ve decided to grow Zoysia grass in your yard, it’s time to plan for planting and maintaining your grass plugs. Knowing the right tools and how to use them can help you create a luxurious lawn that is easy to maintain!
Where to Begin When Planting and Maintaining Your Zoysia Lawn
Using the most efficient tools to care for your Zoysia lawn will save you both time and energy, while leaving your lawn in the best shape possible for you and your family to enjoy.
Listed below are tools you may want to use while establishing your Zoysia lawn:
Planting Grid – Create a planting grid to help aid you disperse your plugs during the planting process.
Step-On Plugger - Cut away unwanted growth while digging a hole for your plugs.
Amazoy Bulb Planter – Leave soil loose for easy planting of bulbs and plugs.
Shears - Cut and separate Zoysia grass plugs.
Easy Edge – Keep grass from creeping into walkways and flowerbeds. Read about the benefits of lawn edging.
Gloves - Protect and cushion palms and fingertips while working outside.
Moisture Meter - Use for on the spot moisture measurement.
pH meter – Measure the acidity or alkalinity of your soil. Read about the benefits of monitoring your soil.
Trowel - Use for moving yard material.
Planting a new lawn takes time, but once your Zoysia lawn is established, you’ll be left with a green, lush, and cushioned lawn. By following establishing your Zoysia lawn with regular care, you will keep it healthy and looking its best.
Caring for Your Zoysia Lawn: The Fall Season
posted on September 15th, 2010 by admin
As the temperature gets cooler and we get closer to the fall season, it’s important to continue caring for your Zoysia lawn. Using these techniques to maintain your grass will get you the best results throughout all seasons of the year.
Mow - During the spring and summer, Zoysia should be cut at the lower setting on your mower to remove dead leaf tissue. By September, this is unnecessary and the mower blade height should be raised by 1/2 to 1 inch for fall.
Aerate Your Lawn – To keep your Zoysia grass healthy, you should aerate your lawn each spring and fall. This helps prevent compaction of the soil and aids in preventing and removing thatch problems.
Dethatch - Zoysia grass can accumulate thatch because of its tough stem tissue. Thatch is a layer of partially decomposed plant material that builds up on the soil’s surface. Dethatching helps keeps the turf healthy by moving excess vegetation from the thatch layer.
Avoid Fertilization – Fertilizing your lawn in the fall (after August) may interfere with the natural hardening process which takes place before winter. Instead of fertilizing, leave your Zoysia in its natural state of preparation for the winter dormant period.
Zoysia responds dramatically well when treated with the right care. By following the plan for watering, fertilizing, mowing, weeding, and maintaining a clean lawn, your Zoysia will develop into a beautiful and inviting thick lawn.
Read more about care and maintenance for your Zoysia lawn.
Lawn Aeration
posted on September 1st, 2010 by John
Lawn aeration is probably the single best thing a homeowner can do for an established lawn.
To look its best, a lawn should be aerated at least once per year. Aeration is the process of mechanically poking holes in the soil to allow water, oxygen, and nutrients to better penetrate to the roots of your grass.
The best time to aerate your Zoysia lawn is in the spring, just before your grass beings to grow rapidly. Aeration machines are generally available from equipment rental stores.
Aerating your Zoysia Lawn Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Make sure the ground is soft enough. Water your lawn the day before you aerate.
- Use an aerator with hollow tines which pull up plugs of earth as the machine travels along.
- Use a criss-cross pattern. Direct the machine over the entire lawn, going back and forth in one direction. Then direct the machine to cross over the first set of rows in the opposite direction.
- Put at least 12 holes per two square feet of lawn.
- If you would like to remove the plugs of soil on the grass surface, let them dry a few days, then drag a small piece of carpet across the lawn to break them apart.
- Aerate in late April, just as the lawn is ready for vigorous growth.
Don’t:
- Use solid-tine spike aerators, which provide less benefits to your lawn.
- Aerate if your Zoysia is suffering from drought, the ground is hard and dry.
- Aerate during a dormant growth period.
- Aerate your lawn within the first year of establishment.
Benefits of Aerating Your Lawn
- Allows oxygen to get to the roots and the soil, allowing it to breathe.
- Increases grass growth.
- Allows organic fertilizers and nutrients get access to the root system.
- Water is able to better soak the soil and reach the root system.
- Helps to break up thatch.
- Loosens compacted soils, allowing the root system to grow.
- Allows pesticides to become more effective.
- Reduces the amount of weeds.
Aerating is ecologically friendly and can significantly improve the quality and consistency of your lawn growth. Read more about organic lawn care for your Zoysia lawn.
How To: Compost Your Grass Clippings
posted on August 26th, 2010 by Steve Schug
Everyone enjoys a beautiful, green lawn. However, lawns can create large amounts of grass cuttings which need to be disposed of. A great way to make good use of your Zoysia clippings that is both easy and environmentally friendly is creating a compost bin in your yard. A few simple steps can help your compost bin be productive, and prevent it from turning into a slimy problem that some may associate with composting.
Tips for Composting
- Mix grass cuttings with a tough more fibrous material like hedge clippings, wood chips, and leaves. The layers of grass clippings and brown material should be alternated. This balances the nitrogen level and provides air pockets that assist the breakdown process.
- Check the moisture of the compost. The material should be like a wrung out sponge. If the compost is too wet, add dry leafy material. If the compost is too dry, add water and thoroughly mix it in.
- Aerate the compost bin occasionally. Using a garden fork, turn the compost to aid the composting process. Mix the materials to avoid packing, and to increase the air pockets.
- If you have recently applied chemicals or herbicides to your lawn, wail until the rain has washed them clean before you add them to your compost pile.
- Add lime to your compost. This will jump start the decomposition process and prevent your pile from developing an unpleasant odor.
If all goes well, you will have a nice layer of compost at the bottom of your bin. Find out more about composting, or read more about maintaining your Zoysia lawn the right way.
Lawn Edging
posted on August 4th, 2010 by Steve Schug
Installing borders in your yard is a great way to separate your Zoysia lawn from your garden beds, patio, neighboring lawns, and driveway. Our Easy Edge® is a decorative lawn edging system specially designed for defining your Zoysia grass.
Benefits of Lawn Edging
- Defines your yard.
- Creates practical borders.
- Gives you a neat mowing and trimming line, while saving time.
- Provides a root barrier to prevent grasses from entering flower beds.
- Adapts to straight or curved areas with ease.
Putting a lawn edging system in place is a practical way to give your yard a clean and finished look without a great deal of work. Plastic or metal borders can be inserted six inches into your Zoysia lawn to keep it from growing in unwanted areas of your yard.
Installing Easy Edge®
- It is flexible and easy to install.
- Made of durable plastic, Easy-Edge® is corrugated for extra strength.
- Withstands -30° temperatures and will last for years.
- Our Step-On Edger is helpful for installation.
Watch our instructional video on installing an edging system into your Zoysia lawn.
Watering Needs of Your Zoysia Grass
posted on July 28th, 2010 by Steve Schug
In order to keep your Zoysia lawn looking fresh and healthy, it’s important to make sure your grass is receiving the right amount of water.
When to Water Zoysia
The best time to water your lawn is in the morning, preferably before noon. This allows the grass to dry before nightfall, reducing the risk of disease.
One benefit of Zoysia grass is its ability to stay thick and green with much less water than many other types of grasses, helping you save on your water bill! Amazoy will require up to 80% less irrigation than other types of grass, and will only need supplemental watering if there has been little rainfall.
A good way to test if your grass needs watering is to look at the surrounding ground. If the dirt is dry and cracking, its time to water your Zoysia grass. Be sure to avoid over watering, because excessive watering can damage the roots. If you have questions, check out our Moisture Meter to determine your grass’ watering needs.
Moisture of Zoysia
To maximize growth of Zoysia grass, the plug roots should not be saturated. Because Zoysia’s vigorous root system is so deep and extensive, once the lawn becomes established, little, if any, supplemental watering will be needed to maintain your lawn.
Try these items geared specifically for watering your Zoysia lawn.
Fertilizing Your Zoysia Lawn: Granular vs. Water Soluble Fertilizers
posted on July 14th, 2010 by Steve Schug
There are many different types of fertilizers that claim to help nourish your lawn. With all the options that are out there, it is difficult to know which is right for your lawn. You should be aware of what kind of fertilizer is right for an Amazoy zoysia lawn.
Granular Fertilizers
Granular fertilizers are probably the type of fertilizer you are most familiar with. While these are most common and popular with homeowners, they are not best for your zoysia lawn.
Granular fertilizers tend to simply sit on the surface of grass, causing burns that could damage your plugs. The nutrients never reach the roots, where they are most needed.
Water Soluble Fertilizers
Water Soluble Fertilizers allow for the fertilizer to dissolve in the water, which takes the nutrients directly to the roots. This provides your grass with vital food elements that help it grow to become lush and healthy.
Read more about our own fertilizer, Nutri-20, and how to apply it.