Why didn’t my plugs work, it says they will grow anywhere? When this question is asked we play detective to find the reason why. CSI Zoysia has a list of suspects, let’s investigate.
Suspect #1 – Left in the Box
Plant the plugs as soon as you can. If you cannot plant right away, that’s fine but the plugs must be taken out of the box, laid grass side up, kept out of the direct sunlight and sprinkled daily. The plugs can actually survive 2 to 3 weeds before planting if these steps are followed. Do not leave the grass in the box!
Suspect #2 – Gets Enough Sun
Before planting the grass check out the area and make sure it gets at least 2 to 3 hours of direct sunlight a day or the plugs will not grow well.
Suspect #3 – Not Following Label Instructions
By not stopping and reading the label of products applied to your lawn, such as weed killers, fertilizers, etc you could end up with dead plugs. You want to check and be sure it is safe for zoysia grass, follow their recommend applications and waiting period before planting.
Suspect #4 – Too Much Water
Over watering is the Prime Suspect for the plugs to fail. Amazoy zoysia is very drought resistant, too much water can damage its root system. When first planted the plugs do need to be watered daily but only about 10 to 15 minutes once a day, for the first three weeks. Do not over water the plugs, this can kill them.
Suspect #5 – Covering the Plugs
Do not cover the entire plug. Only cover the roots of the plugs, leaving the blades above ground level. After covering the roots step on the plug firmly to eliminate any air pockets.
Suspect # 6 – Too Many Weeds
Until the plugs have completely filled in, they still need help with weed control. If you let the weeds take over, they can choke out the plugs. Once the plugs are established, they will choke out most summer weeds.
Making sure none of these suspects are threats to your plugs, you should start to see new green blades of grass growing from each plug and you are on your way to a beautiful zoysia lawn!