Zoysia is a demanding grass to start from seed. May or June are the ideal times to plant Zoysia. Proper preparation of the soil is mandatory and tilling to kill existing vegetation as well as to loosen up the soil is mandatory in order to get Zoysia to germinate.

Till or cultivate the soil to a depth of 6”. Add any amendments such as lime or fertilizer at this time. Without any testing 5-10-15 is a good starter fertilizer to use at the rate of 20# per 1000 Square feet. Adding composted material or peat moss and lime at this time is advisable as well. Mix the top area well and plant the Zoysia seed to a depth of no more then ¼”, lightly raking should accomplish this, use straw as a light mulch to prevent erosion. Note that Zoysia seedlings and sprouts cannot dry out or they will die so a daily watering schedule is mandatory for the first Three weeks.

  Also note that without direct sunlight Zoysia se eds will not germinate so planting Zoysia seed in shady areas is fruitless.

Over seeding should only be done for existing Zoysia lawns. To change an existing lawn of another variety to centipede plugging is the technique of choice as seeding will fail in almost every attempt to establish a new Zoysia lawn without first completely, either chemically or mechanically removing the existing lawn.

To overseed existing Zoysia lawns, cut the existing lawn as close as possible without scalping it. Rake or scratch the soil and apply the seed over it at the rate of ½ to 1 Pound per 2000 Square feet follow mulching and watering instructions as listed above.

Zoysia can also be planted by Sprigging and Plugging, plugging being the most common method. This is generally more time consuming but highly effective and necessary when establishing a new lawn without removing an old  lawn of another variety.

Proper soil preparation is critical to the success of a  sprigged or plugged lawn. Tilling the top 3-6 inches, clearing the soil of debris such as rocks and twigs,  liming and the use of starter fertilizer (5-10-15) will all contribute to a good start to a new healthy and good looking lawn.

Sprigs can be planted anytime after the last frost until mid August. Sprigs should be planted in 6-8” apart, the closer the sprigs are the quicker you will have a well established lawn. The sprigs should be 3” long and should be planted so that 1/3 of the sprig is above ground. If you completely bury the sprig it will die so make sure to be very careful of this.

When plugging, sod should be cut into sections of 2 to 4 inches and planted 6 to 12 inches of center from each other. Whether sprigging or plugging it is worth noting that the closer the plugs or sprigs are set the quicker the new lawn will be to establish itself. Keep the area moist (but not soggy) and do not now until new growth is seen. Do not mow if the soil is wet as you run the risk of pulling the centipede out of the soil if the roots have not established themselves yet.

WARNING, Do not use any weed and feed fertilizers or weed preventative applications when seeding a lawn.