Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was looking for a lawn that was low maintenance and could also grow in salty coastal regions for my second home. These seeds work and the turf it produces is very nice and soft. I love that it continuously spreads out and fills in other areas. I successfully grew the Zoysia in both Northern Virginia (near DC) and coastal central Virginia (Northern Neck) ranging from loamy, very hard, and sandy soil. The seeds may seem difficult to germinate but with some tips from my own failures and successes, you will find it is not so hard. Besides following the instructions provided by the manufacturer, these are things I highly recommend and found needed. I have also included pictures of the growing process to help you identify what Zoysia looks like. -For the regions I planted in, you can start planting in June and July. Try to kill all grass and weeds a couple of weeks before so you do not have to deal with a bunch of weeds and grass trying to grow back (use Roundup or glyphosophate). -Clearing and tilling the ground will promote a LOT of weeds to grow so I recommend these post-emergent weed killers that are Zoysia safe. 2-4D w/ Trimec (for most common weeds), Quinclorac (crabgrass), and SedgeEnder (if you have nutsedge). I have applied these at seeding and after germination with no ill effect. -Test your soil and use some starter lawn fertilizer to help the grass grow quicker. Fertilize again in about four weeks after planting with regular lawn fertilizer; this will help the grass grow much quicker. If your soil is really sandy or hard, I recommend adding some topsoil. -Use straw for slopes to prevent the seeds from washing away; use enough so that you can still see the soil below. Otherwise for flat land, rake or lightly spread some top soil over the seeds. Just make sure you pack it down with a lawn roller which will help keep the seeds in place. I have found that the seeds do not really need to be completely submerged into the soil if you water often and keep it moist. -I watered with water timers and sprinklers. This is one of the MOST important aspects of successfully germinating the seeds. DO NOT use sprinklers or hose nozzles that have very course droplets. Originally, I used impact sprinklers (tried 4 different brands) and had almost a 100% failure to germinate. The course water and side shooting nature of impacts causes the seeds to either sink into the soil or get washed away. I recommend sprinklers that simulate light rain (continuous spray, spinning or gear drive sprinklers). Because you are planting in the summer, on very hot days, you may need to water four to six times for about 4-5 minutes depending on your sprinklers. If the seeds dry out, they will die. Remember, you only need to keep the very surface (half to one-inch depth) moist in order to germinate. Watering too much will either drive the seeds deeper into the soil or wash them away. -If you successfully germinated the seeds, you will begin seeing them in about two to three weeks. Some will continue to germinate for up to four weeks so keep up with the watering! They grow super slow compared to other grasses and weeds so be diligent in removing the weeds. You do not have to be surgical in their removal; just make sure that they do not cover the seedlings. If you do not wish to use chemicals to constantly kill the weeds or manually removing them, use a reel mower to keep everything at 1.5 inches. You may even cut shorter if your zoysia has not reached that height. Keeping the area at 1.5 inches will allow the zoysia to grow and helps promote lateral growth later on. Crabgrass and clovers will most likely be the weeds you face. -Once four weeks has passed. You can water the grass as needed. I normally water every 3-4 days for about 30 minutes per area unless it rains. Water deep so the grass will have deeper roots! You will know if the grass needs water because the leaves will curl and look spiky instead of normally looking like blades. -After about 8 weeks, the grass should be really hardy and not require much maintenance. The grass will start shooting out rhizomes and filling in areas. Keep watering as needed. Hopefully with some of these tips, you can successfully grow your lawn too. If you have questions, feel free to ask!