Zoysia Grass Plugs - How To Plant Them

Zoysia grass plugs are often used as a quick way to establish a lawn or to patch barren areas of an already existing lawn. This is especially true for slower growing grasses such as Zoysia. Zoysia grass is usually sold as plugs instead of seeds because seeds are hard to come by.

When establishing your lawn you have basically three choices - grow it from seed, grow it using plugs, or lay sod. Using grass plugs is sort of the compromise position between the three.

The process of installing Zoysia grass plugs involves removing, from the ground, a core of soil the same size as the Zoysia plug. Grass plugs do vary in size, but the size of the Zoysia grass plug will typically be around two square inches and about two inches deep. The Zoysia grass plug is then placed in the hole. You want the hole to be the same size as the plug to ensure that you have a good snug fit between the two.

You can rent or buy special planting tools to make the process easier. The tool removes a plug of soil and you simply place the grass plug into it. The placement between plugs is mostly determined by the speed at which the species of grass grows. The further apart you place the plugs from each other, the slower you lawn will fill in. Since Zoysia is a slow growing grass, you should place them approximately six to nine inches apart. Any further and you lengthen the growing time.

In fact, if you plant them too far apart, it may take a couple of seasons for it to fill in. After you have planted all of the Zoysia grass plugs, immediately water them. Continue to water them every day for the next two to three weeks at which time they should be well established. The constant watering will prevent the roots from drying out and will help the grass to spread faster.

Zoysia grass plugs do well in both full sun or partial shade. Although slow in becoming established, once it has a foothold it tends to do very well and will give you a beautiful, thick, luscious lawn. When compared to grasses like bermuda grass, Zoysia tends to need more care. But the quality of the resulting lawn makes it worthwhile.

When planting Zoysia grass keep in mind the typical temperatures in your area. When the temperature gets under 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it will become dormant. If the temperature is between 40 and 70 degrees, the grass is active, but does not become green. Once the temperature reaches 70 degrees, the grass will turn green.

Also, if your environment tends to be unusually hot or dry, Zoysia may not be the grass for you as it does poorly in draught areas. In that case, you may ask your lawn center to recommend a species of grass plugs that is more in tune with your area.

Although using grass plugs is more expensive than seeding, it's cheaper than layiang sod. Establishing your lawn with the use of grass plugs will give you a lush, full lawn much quicker than seeding will. Even with the slow growing Zoysia grass plugs, your lawn should be filled in and ready to use in 6 weeks at the most.

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