How to Care for New Zoysia Sod | Sod University | Sod Solutions (2024)

Congratulations on your newly sodded zoysia lawn! If you are like most homeowners, you have entered into the “now what?” stage. You’ve just made a significant investment and want to do everything possible to have your new lawn root down and establish quickly. That attitude is terrific because the manner in which you nurture your new zoysia sod during its first six weeks is critical to its future health and appearance. Taking the right action steps in new sod care promises to pay long-term dividends. Learn how to care for new sod below.

Note: If you’ve laid sod in the winter, you shouldn’t start on these steps until it comes out of dormancy.

What You’ll Find in This Article

• Day-by-Day Care Schedule
• How to Fertilize New Zoysia Sod
• How to Water New Zoysia Sod
• How to Mow New Zoysia Sod

Are you unsure of which type of sod to purchase? Check out our Sod Sales tool below and enter your address to get started with finding the best grass for your needs.

Day 1: Installation

This step takes place on the day of installation. As mentioned in our step-by-stepsod installation guide, it’s essential that new zoysia sod is watered thoroughly. Soak upon installation as water is needed to keep your grass from drying out. The soil should be moist 3–4 inches deep.

Use half of the first bottle of liquid fertilizer in the Lawnifi® New Lawn Starter Box,Grow, on your already installed zoysia sod. You will use the rest during days 2–5. Overwatering for an extended period of time, however, will severely damage the sod, inducing disease and rotting roots. Learn more inHow to Detect and Treat Fungus in Newly Laid SodandWhen to Fertilize Newly Installed Sod.If you think disease is present, apply a systemic fungicide likeHeritage G.

Days 2–5: Water

Water thoroughly morning and late afternoon. During one of the waterings between day 2 and day 5, apply the remainder of the 1st application of Lawnifi Grow from yourNew Lawn Starter Box. Make sure you are watering enough to get down into the roots and soil. Most individual sod pieces will dry out along exposed edges or edges that are not tightly placed together. Learn more inWhen to Water Newly Installed Sod.

Days 6–9: Continue Watering and Spot Check

Continue watering your zoysia sod throughout this time frame. However, after watering during days 2–5, you should be able to check for any dry spots that aren’t receiving water. The perimeter of the lawn and the seams between sod pieces are the most likely areas to dry out. If these areas are a light-brown or straw-colored, they need more water. Hand water these areas thoroughly.

Continue to soak twice a day, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. Take rainfall into account and avoid standing water. The goal is to keep soil moist—not saturated. On day 9 after watering, pull up a portion of the sod and see if you can find fresh white roots beginning to attach to your soil. This is to check and see if the sod is establishing properly.

Days 10–12: Fertilize, Check Roots and Reduce Watering

Starting on day 10, you can now reduce watering to once per day. Continue to spot-check the perimeter and seams for dry spots. Pull up a corner of a few pieces. Fresh white roots should be beginning to stick out.

Apply the second bottle of Lawnifi Grow at a full rate. Be sure to look for signs of lawn disease such as irregular circular patterns of disease or fungus, which can result from overwatering. It will look like rotted pieces. If this is present, apply a systemic fungicide likeHeritage G.

Days 13–15: Mowing and Further Reduce Watering

This will be the first mow on your newly sodded zoysia lawn. Prolific little white roots should be coming out now, and you will have some difficulty pulling up individual pieces of sod. If this isn’t the case, wait a few more days and check again before mowing.

Mow at the highest setting and only cut off the very tops of the leaf blades. If you start mowing and pieces of your new lawn start coming up, you either have your mower set too low, or your zoysia has not put down sufficient roots. Stop immediately and wait a few more days. Continue to keep the soil moist, reducing watering to once every other day. To read more, visit out blog onWhen to Mow Newly Installed Sod.

Days 16–20: Make the Final Fertilizer Application

Continue monitoring for dry spots. Begin transitioning to 1-inch of water per week total. Take rainfall into consideration. Conduct anirrigation auditif you aren’t sure how much water different areas of your lawn are receiving.

Apply the last bottle in yourLawnifi New Lawn Starter Box,Maintain. Maintain was formulated to enhance overall turfgrass growth and hardiness. This bottle of Maintain will provide your lawn with all the nutrition it will need for the next 30 days.

Days 20–30: Home Stretch and Regular Mowing

Continue watering at 1-inch per week total and take rainfall into consideration. Provide a good long soak in the early morning and begin mowing regularly. Cut at the higher end of the recommended height for your zoysia cultivar to encourage root growth and avoid scalping. Check out some of the recommended heights for zoysia grass below.

• Generalized Zoysia Mowing Height: 0.5–2 inches
• EMPIRE Zoysia Mowing Height: 1–2 inches
• Innovation Zoysia Mowing Height: 0.5–1.5 inches
• Geo Zoysia Mowing Height: 0.5–1.5 inches
• CitraZoy Zoysia Mowing Height: 1–3 inches

We have downloadable maintenance guides that specify recommended heights forzoysia lawns. We also have these same guides for brand specific zoysia grass varieties such asEMPIRE Zoysiaunder theCaresection of our website.

Days 30+: Transition to Regular Care

Continue giving your zoysia lawn nutrients by transitioning to the completeLawnifi Annual Fertilizer Programor choose a granular program likeLawnifi Foundation. Lawnifi also offers individual seasonal boxes and bottles. For more information, readWhy Use Lawnifi Fertilizer?and check out the video further below in this blog.

How to Fertilize New Zoysia Sod

Fertilization is important to a new zoysia lawn. We recommend theNew Lawn Starter BoxfromLawnifi®, the best fertilizer for new zoysia sod. This fertilizer box consists of a state-of-the-art liquid fertilizer specifically designed to help your lawn establish a sustainable root system. Your new lawn is working hard enough to establish roots.

As a new sod fertilizer, the New Lawn Starter Box provides it with the right amount of phosphorus and other nutrients your grass roots need to establish and thrive. To learn more, readWhen to Fertilize Newly Installed Sod. The New Lawn Starter Box from Lawnifi contains three bottles of liquid fertilizer. Follow the directions for best results.

How to Water New Zoysia Sod

As stated above water twice a day for the first nine days after installation—once in the morning and then again in the evening.Starting on day 10, you can reduce your watering schedule to once per day. This can be further reduced to once every other day on day 13 and again on day 16 to 1 inch of water per week.

It’s crucial that the sprinkler heads in each zone are checked to ensure that the entire lawn is getting covered. During each “watering session,” be sure to water for a long enough time to allow it to seep deep into the soil to be available to the root zone. For most irrigation systems, this requires a 20-minute cycle. Take rainfall into consideration andmodify your irrigation scheduleto save water (and money) and to not overwater your zoysia.

Monitor your lawn regularly to make sure that it is not drying out. Check the edges of each piece as well as the overall perimeter of your lawn as these are the most susceptible to drying out. Provide supplemental, targeted hand-watering with a hose—especially throughout the first 14 days. For more information, readWhen to Water Newly Installed Sod.

How to Mow New Zoysia Sod

“When can I mow?” is a common question for all new lawn owners. You should mow as soon as your lawn has put down sufficient roots, such that you will have some difficulty pulling up individual pieces of sod. Quality zoysia sod laid during the active growing season that has received proper care and nutrition should be able to be mowed between 13–15 days after being laid.

When you mow, be sure to set your mower to the highest setting so that you are only removing the tops of the leaf blades. If you start mowing and pieces of your new lawn start coming up, you either have your mower set too low, or your sod has not put down sufficient roots. Stop immediately and wait a few more days. To read more, visitWhen to Mow Newly Installed Sod.

Note: It’s recommended to wait until you’ve mowed at least 3–4 times before applying any weed control products. This waiting period allows the sod to establish roots and reduces the risk of stress from chemical applications. Always follow the label instructions for any products you use to ensure the safety and health of your new grass.

What’s Next?

Congratulations and we wish you great success on your new lawn! If you’re still conducting research OR you’ve finished establishing your new sod, check out the two articles below and don’t forget tosubscribe to Sod University, our free educational newsletter we send out on lawn and garden.