Is Zeon Zoysia Shade Tolerant?

[@aslprobro]

I’m happy to see another home owner in Georgia telling his story about Zoysia. I just had zoysia put in my front lawn and I’m hoping that i can keep it alive! I have the same yard set up. Open in the middle and large tree canopy along the perimeter. Because of this, my landscaper didnt run the zoysia all the way to the edge of the property. We’re going to put pine straw to create a boarder where the zoysia wouldn’t survive under the trees. Wish me luck!

[@nealwhite1474]

Great vid ( I also live in GA). I installed Zeon myself back in May of this year. I aerated, laid down topsoil/compost mix and also put down starter fert before I laid the sod down. It took about a month for all the pieces to take root. Fast forward to Aug and it is beautiful. I talked to Super Sod (where I purchased the sod from) about fert rates and they sent me an entire calendar. I put down a 16-4-8 in June, July and my last app was on Aug 1. After that, nothing. I don't plan on putting pre emergent down because I want those roots to keep growing deep. The only way you're going to burn your lawn is dumping a bunch of fert on it and not watering it in. I've never had an issue with burning my lawn. Also, a HUGE thing you should do is a soil test to see what your grass needs. I have tall fescue in my front lawn and it is thick and green because I knew exactly what to put down. I also use Azoxy/Prop fungicide along with a small dose of nitrogen to help any disease grow out. Keeping the blades sharp and mowing TALL also helps during the hot summer months. When you talk about GA red clay you have to change the PH level of the soil, and that's where a soil test is key.

[@BermudaBrian]

All good stuff. Thanks! I do the whole "9 yards" w the front yard.... I have a quote I always say, "the front is for show and the back is for go" /play. I concentrate most of my time, energy, and $$ on the front. That bit me in the rear w the Zeon in the back. I should have prepped and maintained better. Huge lesson learned. Now, when I had the fescue back there, I did the soil test and the products recommended. I used the recommended micros and macros plus other treatments but it just wasn't meant to be after a 2nd over seeding. Thanks for watching and for the great info in your comment!!!

[@professor_thunder]

Zoysia is like a Ford truck. Not the cheapest, but with proper maintenance nothing compares.

[@SunnyBermuda]

Perfectly timed video. I’m looking for something to go on the slope by my pond. Steep slope that faces north and has trees on south end. Bermuda sod did not survive. 😮 Looking forward to more updates. Do you think you’d had better luck if you had sod in spring vs the fall?

[@BermudaBrian]

YES! I sodded too late. If I were you, I'd throw annual rye down for now and then Zeon over it in spring. BUT, I didn't care for the Zeon like I should have bc I had mentality that Front is for show and back is for Go/play... Huge mistake I learned from

[@BillG3825]

I’m also in GA & put Zeon down on the side where I don’t get enough sun. Similar time frame as you. Dead spot got me too. Fantastic thick turf but yeah can’t quite treat it like my Bermuda. It recovers SLOW. Appreciate your updates!

[@NCGrassPlugs]

Zeon is beautiful but it has issues with thatch accumulation and super slow spread rate.

[@BermudaBrian]

Agree. I verticut and pulled up all sorts of that h back in May or June... Very slow to spread. Unlike my Bermuda

[@NCGrassPlugs]

@@BermudaBrian I can say this about the Zeon that I have. I don’t fertilize or water it and it still looks beautiful all the time, except when it gets too dry. It seems to be a very low input cultivar.

[@BermudaBrian]

Man, that's good info to have!

[@tc6984]

So confused. I have Zeon Zoysia and need what to do in September before it goes dormant toward end of year. I know not to do much with zeon but in February (which i forgot to do) now September. I am looking at 0-0-7 just potash some fertizer

[@BermudaBrian]

I did an app of pre-emergent and I also put out a 10-10-10 + a fungicide bc I had dead spot in one area this year. That's it. I'll occasionally water even while it's dormant (no where near the amt of growing season)

[@geomark8851]

I have Zeon Zoysia on my side yard with about the same amount of shade as your backyard. I used some left over squares under some post oaks with even deeper shade - probably 1-2 hours of sunlight. I'm glad you are stepping up your irrigation because Zeon Zoysia needs more water than bermuda. It will also last longer in the Fall and needs to still be watered if the fall rain isn't enough. My Zeon under the post oaks has really surprised me. After two years it is SLOWLY spreading. I keep it cut over 2 inches and it isn't thick and lush but it is surviving and spreading. The deeper the shade, the longer the blades should be to compensate and if your oaks are like my post oaks, they are huge water pumps in the summer pulling most of the water out of the soil for photosynthesis and cooling. You will see results from watering that area more to compensate. Be careful with the nitrogen - I have Zorro Zoysia in my front yard which is sunny and it is thick and lush. I over fertilized it and had a fungus problem develop in the summer! I can't tell the difference between the Zeon and the Zorro. I suspect that they are nearly identical cultivars and have only been slightly genetically modified for patent reasons.

[@BermudaBrian]

Thx!!!!

[@cannonpalms4249]

I don't think that spot along the edge you pointed out at the end is due to competition from the tree for water and nutrients. I think it is (1) dog urine and (2) shade making it more difficult to recover from said urine. The whole border with your slab closest your house looks to have been hammered by your dog. That's okay, it's just the war we have to wage when we own a dog. Just don't want you to think it's something complicated like tree competition.

[@BermudaBrian]

100% competition from tree. Our pup is an inside dog and we watch when/where he goes to the bathroom. He likes to go to the neighbors wooded/mulched area next door (they are ok w it bc it keeps their dog going to the same place also)

[@BermudaBrian]

Thx for watching!

[@Theo_1984]

Great video. I had 750 sqft of Zeon installed 15+yrs ago with a pool. It’s down to 500 sqft since the evergreens matured and way too big for the space (4-5hrs sunlight and less by the tree line). I tried plugging some of the bare spots a few weeks ago and hit tree roots. I thought about renovating with some kind of fescue / shade mix as well. Lee with ReelRollers was on with Ron Henry this past Friday promoting Empire Zoysia I believe. I really don’t want to spend the $ to take these trees down… but in the long run it would be best.

[@BermudaBrian]

I tried 3 kinds of Bermuda and TTTF..... This Zeon Zoysia doing wayyyy better than anything else did

[@johnhamilton9229]

So nice when you learn from a mistake.

[@BermudaBrian]

Yep. Agree 💯

[@IIIlIIIllIl]

Mistakes are a great way to learn :) Keep up the great work 💪

[@BudgetLawns]

👊The update we were all waiting for!

[@BermudaBrian]

It's like a sequel that should have never been made. Just not as good as the original. Lol. Ahhh. I have faith. It's a learning process

[@Striperman]

I think the front is looking great and the back yard really came out nice. You will be very happy with the Zoysia as you get use to maintaining it. Good choice.

[@BermudaBrian]

Thx man! It's definitely different than maintaining bermuda

[@Jmiller31042]

Looking good 👍

[@randyman8984]

Man we had some crazy storms the other night. did Rome make it through ok? I think I heard you say plugger I was going to say if you don't have a proplugger I will highly recommend it. Have you tried reel mowing the back? It may fill in faster??

[@BermudaBrian]

Yeah, we got those storms... A couple nights in a row. Calhoun had a building get damaged. It would be a HUGE pain to get my reel back there bc of all the water breaks/drainage work I had to do. So, it's going to be rotary cut. I'm going to have to get a Pro Plugger. I used a bulb planter. It got the job done but was bent to hell and back when I was done.

[@randyman8984]

@@BermudaBrian yeah that was Firehouse gym. I heard it had foundation problems and the strong winds was too much and it calapsed. You shouldnt be watering your lawn in fall and winter here with all the rain we get and cooler temps. And with all the shade you get in the back you might be causing more problems than helping with to much water?

[@BermudaBrian]

Prob was, I didn't water at all after Bermuda stopped growing... Plus the ground prep. I was so used to just throwing Bermuda sod down and it thriving. Then, no nutrients.... I just did worst loss case scenario... Lol

[@davidscales1464]

I had Zeon installed 4 years ago. Zeon is a SUPER SLOW rooting lawn ( which makes it susceptible to summer burnout & winter kill) After wasting hundreds of dollars on gimmicky liquid macro & micro fertilizer products for 3 years, I switched to the tried & true- SCOTT’s! If you hit your lawn with Scott’s Southern Turf every 6 to 8 weeks during peak growing months, your Zeon lawn will be the envy of the neighborhood. I currently keep the HOC @ 1- 3/16” in central Georgia. The winter months I go to approximately 2” HOC .

[@BermudaBrian]

Awesome!! Thanks !! Greatly appreciate the tips!

[@rwk1994]

Would you put Scott's Southern Turf on a new Zeon lawn? I planted my Zeon in June, so far have put nothing on it. Thanks!

[@davidscales1464]

This late in the season I would put down Yard mastery’s “ stress blend “ 7-0-20. Next growing season when your lawn is out of dormancy, hit it with Scott’s southern every 6 weeks. You’ll have a gorgeous lawn. Don’t waste your TIME( mess to clean up & application ) & MONEY on the liquid fad fertilizers.

[@rwk1994]

Thanks, I'm in Florida, so may not even go into dormancy. It has been super hot here though!@@davidscales1464

[@rwk1994]

The low N content here looks appropriate for Zeon, so I ordered it! How long should it take to start working? Thanks again.@@davidscales1464

[@richardportelli1983]

dude it is Turf type tall fescue, not tall type turf fescue.

[@BermudaBrian]

Long HOT day!!! Lol. Thanks for catching that though. You can tell we don't speak cool season grass in the South! Lol

[@geomark8851]

Dude -It's weeds that die by the fourth of July here in the South (Texas) and not a turf at all!

[@Dubiels]

Glad to see the backyard update

[@BermudaBrian]

Thx!

[@brianallen8091]

If you want that tree gone-wait. Throwing nails will probably invite disease, then you don’t have to worry about that. Copper nails, if you want it gone faster🤣

[@lessforloans]

What do you mean?