Zoysia is a slow-growing grass however, once established, can have endless benefits. The good news is that Zoysia is also very low-maintenance. Although it takes a while for Zoysia to fill-in, there is no need to water after the Zoysia has been planted for three weeks. Fertilizing is not necessary either, but can be beneficial to the Zoysia as long as you are using water-soluble, Zoysia-safe products.
The first factor that can determine how long your Zoysia lawn will take is based on where you live and how long your growing season is. The warmer the temperatures you have and the longer the growing season, the faster you will notice the Zoysia spread. If you have a short growing season, the Zoysia will still take off, but it may take a little longer to fill-in completely. The beauty of plugs is the ability to plant within your current lawn and have it transition to a Zoysia lawn.
Some other factors would include how far apart you are planting the plugs and how big the plugs are that you are planting. The closer you plant and the bigger the plug, the faster you will notice the Zoysia fill-in. For example, if you are planting a 1” plug about a foot apart, it can take about 2-3 growing seasons for the Zoysia to fill-in. In another instance, a 1” plug planted 6” apart can reduce the timing to 1 ½ to 2 growing seasons. Lastly, if you plant a 1” plug about 4” apart, you should notice the plugs filling in within 1 to 1 ½ growing seasons. Keep in mind, these comparisons are all using a 1” plug. Therefore, if you are using a bigger plug, you will notice even faster results.
On another note, Zoysia seeds tend to fill-in faster than the plugs. You can notice germination within the first 10-14 days after planting, and they usually fill-in within the first year. However, you must remove your existing lawn completely including all grasses and weeds in order for the Zoysia seeds to germinate. The other major concern is that the temperatures must be consistently above 70 degrees for the seeds to germinate.
Overall, you are really in control when it comes to how fast your Zoysia lawn will spread together. Even though you can’t change your weather and growing season, there are still other planting methods that can help you speed up the slow-growth process of your Zoysia lawn.