Zoysia grass is quite an excellent choice for your lawn, but you must put in the work and invest a lot to get that lush lawn you dream about. The dense and soft grass is lovely to the eye, but you need to use the right fertilizers for steady growth.

Fertilizers help the grass withstand harsh conditions, provide nutrients, and prevent weeds from growing. Here, we will discuss the best fertilizers for Zoysia grass, from sprouts to a lush lawn your kids will enjoy playing on.

 Importance of the Right Fertilizer to Maintain a Healthy Lawn

It can be tough to maintain a good-looking zoysia grass lawn. It’s like nature competes against you. Pests, weather, and weeds are trying to subdue your lawn, while all you want to do is keep your lawn healthy. The fertilizers become your best wingmen. Fertilizers have been used for centuries, and you’re probably curious about their importance.

Helps Reduce and Control Weeds

Lawn fertilizers choke weeds and prevent them from growing. At the same time, they provide essential nutrients to your zoysia grass to make it grow healthy and thick. While the grass density increases, the well-nourished plants’ roots penetrate deeper and form a strong base for the grass, courtesy of fertilizers.

Fertilizer is as Crucial as Sunshine and Water

Your zoysia grass needs not just water and sunshine but the correct amounts of these crucial resources. However, even with them, you can’t be sure your Zoysia will grow well unless you feed it. Your lawn needs nutrients that are provided by fertilizers. The right fertilizer contains nitrate, phosphorus, and potassium, aiding your grass with nutrients.

Improves Overall Growth

Sometimes, grass grows unevenly, with one section appearing short of growth. The grass in that section is likely to have struggled to thrive due to a lack of nutrients. The soil might not have nutrients distributed evenly, which is one of the issues fertilizers try to address. They provide your lawn with nutrients that promote even growth.

An Eco-Friendly Solution

You have probably heard people saying that fertilizers are unsuitable for the environment. On the contrary, it’s an eco-friendly solution that facilitates grass growth and protects soil properties. Therefore, not only do you take care of your lawn by applying fertilizers, but you also get to show some love to the environment. The excess fertilizer disappears into the soil.

Creates Resistance Against Pests

A well-fertilized lawn will withstand damage from pests. A think and vibrant lawn makes it difficult for pests and insects to find comfort in the grass and also makes your grass resistant and able to restore itself after a pest attack. In fact, you should apply fertilizer regularly to aid the recovery of the grass.

Best Fertilizers for Zoysia Grass

Every beautiful zoysia lawn you see is adequately maintained. Fertilizer is one of the most crucial elements in lawn development. Using the right one will impact your beloved lawn positively. Even the neighbor’s kids would want to play on it! What are the best fertilizers for your Zoysia grass? We are about to find out.

Scott Green Max Lawn Food

The Scott Green Max Lawn Food is the most recommended lawn fertilizer for the zoysia lawn. The fertilizer is packed with high-nitrogen content and iron, the latter being a micronutrient that helps your grass lawn green up much faster.

With an NPK ratio of 27-0-2, the fertilizer, which comes in a granular form, treats a large area yet budget-friendly. A 33.75 pounds bag is enough for 10,000 square feet of lawn. Brush it off if it falls on concrete, as it might leave a rusty stain.

Hi-Yield Weed & Feed

The “Hi-Yield Weed and Feed” is one of the best gifts you can give to your Zoysia lawn. A 2-in-1 solution, the Hi-Yield combines a weed killer and a fertilizer. The NPK ratio for this particular fertilizer is 15-0-10, and it may not seem to be the ideal fertilizer, but if you want one that can fight weeds, you have a favor in Hi-Yield Weed and Feed. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.

The high nitrogen and potassium content in it helps boost your zoysia growth. Besides, the product eliminates over 200 weeds types without extending its destructive power to your grass. It allows your grass to grow uninterrupted.

Grass So Green Formula

The greener the lawn, the better-looking it becomes. Grab a Grass so Green formula, and use it on your zoysia lawn to earn the bragging “grass is always greener on my side” rights. It contains an NPK ratio of 19-0-0, which means nitrogen is the primary nutrient. Nitrogen is an essential component of chlorophyll – the green coloring matter.

The high nitrogen concentration cannot damage your grass if applied in excess and also works for all grasses. It’s a liquid fertilizer that makes it very easy to apply. You can use a sprinkler to apply it all over your lawn.

Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed

Scotts is a renowned brand, especially lawn-specific ones. The Turf Builder Weed and Feed is an incredible choice if you are looking for a fertilizer that will mean a death sentence for the weeds and revive your zoysia grass and improve its growth. Most weeds thrive in spring, but if you are armed with this fertilizer, the next spring will be different.

The fertilizer contains “weedgrip” technology, a selective feature that helps distinguish between your grass and unwanted weeds. It gets rid of even the most stubborn and budding ones. With this improved formula containing an NPK ratio of 28-0-3, you can always stand at the window and look at your lawn with a smile.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Fertilizer for Zoysia Grass

While you should consider the size of your yard, you should also know the overall health of your soil. Therefore, test the soil before applying fertilizer. When that’s done and dusted, you can start worrying about factors to consider when choosing the most appropriate fertilizer. Here’s what to consider when choosing a fertilizer.

The NPK Ratio

All zoysia grass fertilizers, except some all-natural ones, have an NPK ratio which states the amount of three essential nutrients, namely nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), found in the fertilizer. If you see something like 19-0-0, it means that the fertilizer has high nitrogen content and no phosphorus and potassium contained in it.

Soil PH

Zoysia grass thrives in most soils, including sandy and loamy soils. It does well in slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5 but would struggle to grow in somewhat more alkaline or acidic soil. That’s where fertilizer comes in to help provide a pH balance that favors the growth of the grass. Your soil pH, therefore, should matter.

Type of Fertilizer

Fertilizers are available in liquid, water-soluble, and granular forms. Liquid-applied fertilizers are absorbed faster and can be used with sprinklers. They are absorbed through the grass blades and come ready for dilution with water.

Water soluble fertilizers may look grainy but dissolve in seconds when put in water. They can be sprayed on the grass or spread using a sprinkler. They absorb as fast as their liquid alternatives. They are absorbed through the glass blades.

Granular, on the other hand, is a fertilizer that looks grainy but is applied using a spreader. Many homeowners use drop spreaders or broadcast spreaders. While water soluble and liquid fertilizers are absorbed almost instantly, granular release nutrients over time for continuous feeding.

Organic vs. Synthetic

Most lawn fertilizers are synthetic. They contain artificial ingredients such as synthetic minerals and nutrients and are more affordable due to their cheap productivity. On the other hand, organic is more expensive due to their difficulty manufacturing them. One of the complicated procedures for making organic fertilizers is earthworm casting. Organic fertilizers are safer for pets and people.

Tips for Fertilizing Zoysia Grass

Fertilizer application will help your grass prosper and form an incredible lawn. We have some tips to help make fertilization effective on your grass.

Post-Soil Test

While applying fertilizer, you might want to boost its effectiveness by ensuring the soil pH is suitable for the grass. Zoysia grass grows in any soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5, just like we mentioned above. With a boost of fertilizer, the grass will grow to a beautiful green blanket over your yard.

If the soil pH is higher, you can apply sulfur to lower it. Recheck the soil pH to see if there might be any improvements, even though it might take several years for a complete change. If your soil pH is lower than the recommended, the only option is to use lime to raise it a bit.

Optimize Fertility

When the grass is halfway and transitioning from tan to green, you should get ready to feed the lawn. You’ll use about two pounds of nitrogen for every thousand square feet yearly. The results will depend on the condition of your soil.

Soil with high macro and micronutrient levels and the correct pH will help the grass thrive. The organic content of the soil also matters. A soil test from a reliable lab will also state the amount of fertilizer to use on your lawn.

Fertilizer Strategies

In early summer, after the grass sprouts, apply half or a pound of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer using a push spreader. Later on, when you notice other plants different from the grass, add a weed and feed fertilizer to eliminate the weeds.

After four cuttings and the grass is still growing, apply half or a pound of fertilizer by mid-to-late summer. The fertilizer should be a weed and feed to destroy the emerging weeds. In late summer, if you see no weeds on your lawn, apply a pre-emergent fertilizer to prevent weeds from growing in the future.

Apply fertilizer at the right ti

Fertilize Zoysia Grass the Right Way!

me and on schedule. The best period for the first application is between May and August. Nitrogen fertilizer should be applied lightly after every four weeks in the active growing season. Excess fertilization will not only be a waste, but it will also increase the growth of the competition(the unwanted grass on the lawn).

However, even with the correct application, the lawn should receive enough water to boost its growth. 1 to 1.25 inches of water is the recommended amount. If you’re using liquid or water-soluble fertilizer, it’s best to apply it while watering your lawn. Watering your lawns will also wash the granule fertilizer into the soil. Therefore, incorporate watering your lawn with fertilizer application.

FAQs -Best Fertilizers for Zoysia Grass

When should you fertilize Zoysia?

The best time to fertilize zoysia grass is from May through August. If you apply earlier, fertilization will only benefit the weeds and promote premature top growth before the grass roots are set up.

How do I make my Zoysia grass greener?

One inch of water per week will keep your Zoysia green and healthy. If you forget to water it, it will turn yellow, and if you start following the watering schedule, the grass will return to its natural green color. However, nitrogen fertilizer will also help your grass turn greener because it boosts the plant’s chlorophyll, the coloring matter.

How do you stimulate Zoysia grass growth?

To boost your Zoysia’s growth, apply nitrogen fertilizer lightly after every four weeks and keep it mowed short (1 inch) to help it spread.

Does sand help Zoysia spread?

No, it doesn’t! A layer of sand under the soil makes the spreading of the Zoysia slow because the roots cannot develop well on different coarseness. However, the grass will thrive on sandy soil.

Contact The TurfGrass Group for Zoysia Grass Sod

You can order fertilizers online or from your nearest garden store. There are various options, and the seller might advise you on the most appropriate choice for your Zoysia grass lawn. However, if you are looking for zoysia grass sod in Georgia, The TurfGrass Group will supply you with a high-quality product to get your lawn started the right way. Call us today to connect with a local grower!