Frequent Answers & Questions for Turf Suppliers

• What is Empire Zoysia turf, and where does it come from?

  An Empire Zoysia turf is an excellent choice for lawns in warmer climates. It’s a hybrid grass from Australia where it thrives in hot, sunny conditions. It has become trendy in the southern United States because of its drought tolerance and resilience to heat.

• How quickly does it grow?

  Empire Zoysia grows at a slow rate of about 1/2 inch per week when young and slows down to around 1/4 inch per week once fully mature.

  Mowing height should be between 3-5 inches during spring through early fall months. Once winter hits, decrease your height to 2-3 inches, so cold weather doesn’t damage these grasses’ roots.

  Fertilizing twice per year with lawn food or fertilizer containing nitrogen is recommended.

• What are the benefits of having Empire Zoysia Turf?

  Some key benefits of Empire Zoysia turf include:

  • Slow growing, which means less mowing, less fertilizing and no aerating required over time
  • Attractive to look at with a soft texture that feels nice to walk on barefoot or layout in the sun on a towel
  • Resistant to heat & drought conditions and shade, cold weather and high traffic areas without shedding too much grass.
  • Durable for sports including football, soccer, baseball, golfing etc. due to resistance against wear plus the ability to recover quickly from injury
  • Has anti-fungal and anti-insect properties for true peace of mind
  • Uses less water, needs less mowing and fertilizing over time
  • Color stays nice & green throughout the spring, summer and fall months.

• How to care for Empire Zoysia turf so that it remains healthy and looking good

  • Remove all debris, leaves/debris that has fallen on your lawn after each mowing
  • Do not deep water or over water lawn when it’s hot out. Allow the grass to get slightly dry between watering times.
  • Give empire zoysia a break this winter by only mowing every other month if you do not use an electric powered snow thrower for salt spreading purposes.
  • Fertilize in both spring and fall with fertilizer that’s formulated for cool-season grasses

• What are its weaknesses?

  Some drawbacks are associated with owning an Empire Zoysia turf, including limited shade tolerance because of the slow growth rate. This type of lawn grass may not be the best choice for areas with high amounts of shade.

• Empire Zoysia turf vs. other grass types - which is better for you?

  Empire Zoysia is more durable than St. Augustine grass which means it’s better for yards that receive a lot of foot traffic or are on the outskirts of a playing field. It also has better shade tolerance, disease & insect resistance and is less expensive to maintain over time than bermudagrass lawns.

• When is the best time to lay Empire Zoysia turf in your garden or yard?

  It’s best to lay your new empire zoysia turf in the spring or fall when the weather is at least 60 degrees out. If you can’t plant in these months, try to wait until all danger of frost has passed before laying your Empire Zoysia sod.

• How to install Empire Zoysia turf in your yard or garden

  Make sure you have enough room to spread your Empire Zoysia sod out before starting the process. You should also be able to fit a few layers of newspaper or cardboard underneath it so that weeds don’t grow up inside your new grass.

• What supplies are required for laying Empire Zoysia turf?

  • Shovel, shovels or pitchfork depending on how much dirt/soil you need to move around
  • Tarp or plastic sheeting weighing around 10 pounds per 100 square feet of lawn area
  • Spray bottle containing water mixed with dish soap if necessary
    Lawn food & fertilizer that the manufacturer recommends for this particular type of grass
  • Optional: electric powered or hand lawnmower to cut your Empire Zoysia turf after you’ve laid it out

• How to layout Empire Zoysia turf in your garden to look nice and make the yard look well-groomed?

  1. Once you have laid down all of the newspaper/cardboard, start laying out your Empire Zoysia sod by starting with the smallest area closest to where you plan on putting stones, bricks or pavers. This will be a border for your new lawn or garden area.
  2. If the grass arrives precut into smaller squares, lay them down next to each other in rows. Make sure they’re pressed together tightly so that the grass doesn’t fall apart when you go to water it down.
  3. Once all of your Empire Zoysia sod squares are laid out, spray them down with water until they start to feel slightly heavier and stick together after pressing firmly on top of them with your hands. This will ensure that they’ve laid down properly.
  4. Optional: If you know for sure that there’s an area in your yard/garden where weeds were growing before, place a layer of newspaper or cardboard underneath the Empire Zoysia turf, so weed seeds don’t grow up through the new lawn surface.
  5. Start rolling up the tarp you used to lay everything on so it becomes easier to transport later on. If you don’t have a tarp to use during this process, try to find an old shower curtain or tablecloth that will work.
  6. Add your fertilizer and lawn food according to the package instructions and water everything down afterwards to help it start sinking into the dirt/soil underneath.

• How long does Empire Zoysia grass take to grow in a garden area?

  It can take anywhere from 10-20 days for your new Empire Zoysia turf to grow up properly before you should start mowing over top of it with a push mower. This means that if there’s been precipitation within these 20 days, make sure the soil isn’t flooded with water beforehand because this can cause the grass to rot instead of growing.

  Once your Empire Zoysia turf has started growing up enough, you should be able to start mowing it with a lawnmower once all danger of frost has passed.