Zoysia Grass Florida Cutting Height
The most widely planted zoysia variety in florida is empire.
Zoysia grass florida cutting height. The general rule of thumb for mowing is never to remove more than one third of total grass blade length at a single cutting. Avoid mowing at heights higher than recommended. It performs best when mowed at a height of inch or less. Proper mowing height and frequency is crucial to the health and appearance of a zoysia grass lawn.
The grass will need to be mowed whenever it has grown to 3 inches tall. When your zoysia grass has grown to at least 1 3 inch higher than the recommended height of 1 1 2 to 2 inches begin mowing. It should be mowed at a height of 2 to 3 inches with a rotary mower. Avoid removing more than 1 3 of the total grass blade length at any single mowing to keep your grass.
Keep fine bladed zoysias mowed between 5 and 2 inches. If you have a mature established zoysiagrass lawn drop your mower a notch and give your lawn a buzz cut in the early spring. Empire should be mowed at 2 2 5 inches. Zoysia should be mowed every 7 to 10 days or when it reaches a height of 3 to 4 inches.
It also produces an excessive thatch giving it a puffy. A sharp well adjusted rotary or reel mower should be used. It was released from texas a m university in 1996. Mowing heights below 1 inch will require a reel type mower to achieve satisfactory results and with zoysiagrass a reel type mower will give better results at any height.
Zoysiagrass for florida lawns 2 zoysia tenuifolia also called mascarenegrass or korean velvet grass this species is the finest textured and densest zoysiagrass available. Make sure all four mower wheels are set to the same height. Maintain a sharp blade and proper cut height to reduce scalping. Mowing if fertilized as recommended zoysia will require frequent mowing e g.
Dwarf varieties such as geo require a lower mowing height of 1 5 to 2 inches. For most zoysiagrass cultivars turfgrass growers recommend a mowing height of 1 inches. Additional zoysia care tips. Zoysia can be mown down to heights as short as 1 2 inch with professional mowers.
The best cut height is 1 2 and in full sun 2 2 5 in shadier areas. The dense growth pattern of zoysia grass combined with mowing will keep weeds at bay. In partial shade mow zoysiagrass at 2 to 2 inches. Bag up all the material.
After your initial buzz cut begin mowing your zoysiagrass at the desired height. Sharp reel mowers produce the most professional looking turf and are required for lower mowing heights. It has good wear tolerance but poor cold tolerance and is only adapted to the central and southern areas of the state. Diamond is an improved zoysia matrella that is vegetatively propagated.
For instance mowing height for empire zoysia is 0 75 to 3 inches while zenith zoysia thrives when cut to 1 5 inches and even those ideal heights vary by region. Research indicates that a height of 2 inches is best when growing zoysia in partial shade.