Zoysia turf grass is one of the most commonly used premium turf varieties. Zoysia grass has a fine to medium leaf with a dark green colour, a luxuriously soft feel and moderate shade tolerance. As a hybrid tropical turf, it brings together the best traits of two of the most popular turf varieties – buffalo & couch grasses.
Your Guide to Zoysia Turf
Searching for new turf for your home or property? There’s a lot to consider when you’re comparing different kinds of turf.
You’ll want to find turf that looks and feels amazing, suiting your home perfectly. But the grass’ care needs and suitability to your region’s weather and climate are equally important. One variety that ticks all those boxes is zoysia grass, a popular choice across Brisbane and South East Queensland for homeowners looking for a low-maintenance lawn that still looks fantastic year-round.
Key takeaways
- Zoysia turf grass is a tough, dark-green hybrid that’s soft underfoot and shrugs off drought, heat and foot traffic from the kids and pets.
- It’s a popular low-maintenance lawn choice right across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and South East Queensland — needing around half the mowing of couch or Sir Walter
- Once established, its deep root system means less watering, less mowing and more weekends back in your pocket.
- Thinking it might suit your yard? Get an instant quote and we’ll help you work out if Zoysia’s the right fit.
Meet Zoysia Turf
Zoysia is a super appealing turf! It has a dark green medium blade leaf offering a soft, plush touch and it’s tough too, wearing well under traffic from the kids and pets. Once established, Zoysia’s deep root system allows it to cope better than other varieties in drought conditions. But possibly its biggest plus is saving you time and effort – it requires around half as much mowing as couch or buffalo. Zoysia is an amazing selection for Queensland yards.
What makes the zoysia variety so popular is its dense growth habit. It’s a warm-season grass that puts its energy into spreading sideways and rooting deep rather than shooting up, which is exactly why it needs less mowing, holds its colour through dry spells, and knits into a thick mat that makes it quite weed resistant.
What sort of environment does Zoysia Turf like to grow in?
This turf develops dense, deep roots that take strong hold in the soil and help it retain moisture more effectively than many other turf varieties.
It is a tough, strong, and enduring grass which is drought resistant and can withstand up to 50 per cent shade throughout the day — a relatively high shade tolerance for a warm-season grass, while still loving plenty of direct sunlight. As a rough guide, give it four to five hours of sun a day and it’ll stay dense and healthy; drop much below that and you’ll start to see it thin out, so it’s not the pick for deeply shaded, tree-covered yards. A well established Zoysia lawn also thrives in extreme heat and the warmer climates we get up here, and is incredibly tolerant of salt.
Due to this hardiness, Zoysia performs well across a wide range of soil conditions, including clay and sandy soils, as well as warm coastal areas.
As this turf has such a high wear tolerance, yet is soft to the touch, it’s a fantastic home lawn for Aussie families with children.
A tough turf, suited to slopes and retaining walls, zoysia turf actually strengthens soil. Its roots are deep and take a strong hold of soil, making it the perfect variety for steep slopes or retaining wall areas. Another reason to use Z for slopes is that it requires less mowing – Councils love it!
What does the turf look like?
Zoysia provides a lovely dark forest green colour. It’s a plush and soft-looking grass due to its fine to medium blade thickness. That beautiful dark green leaf is one of the big reasons people fall for it — it has a manicured, almost carpet-like finish that lifts the look of a whole yard.
This turf is built for hotter, drier parts of Australia, like those found in regional Queensland. Because of this, even in drought-like conditions, it thrives and keeps that lush green grass look for longer.
How long does it take to establish?
Zoysia will usually take a little bit longer to establish than other turf varieties. This is because of a very deep root system which requires time to develop. That patience pays off, though. The same deep roots that take a little longer to establish are what give a mature zoysia lawn its high drought tolerance and low-maintenance nature. You’re essentially trading a few extra weeks up front for years of easier lawn care.
Typically, you can expect Zoysia to establish in three to four weeks, but once it does, the turf’s characteristic low maintenance means it’s smooth sailing from there.
To see if your turf has established, you can lift up a corner of the turf slab to see if it has “taken”.
Of course, as with all turf types, you can help it along by keeping the traffic over the turf to a minimum.
How to care for your new Zoysia Turf
The golden rule for grass: keep it moist
Although Zoysia is known for being drought-tolerant once mature, newly laid turf has a shallow root system and relies on consistent watering to settle into the soil beneath it. Allowing it to dry out during the first few weeks can slow establishment and create gaps between the turf and soil.
First Week
Water in the early morning and again in the afternoon to keep the soil consistently moist. The goal is to prevent the turf and top layer of soil from drying out.
Second Week
Water deeply once each morning. This encourages the roots to start growing down into the soil rather than staying near the surface.
Third and Fourth Weeks
Reduce watering to 2-3 deep waterings per week. By this stage, the roots should be actively establishing and searching deeper for moisture.
Once established
Zoysia develops an extensive root system, allowing it to tolerate dry conditions far better than many other lawn varieties. Rather than frequent light watering, give it a deep soak when needed. This encourages stronger roots and a healthier lawn overall.
*Note: If you’re planting in the Queensland summer, your turf will dry out very quickly. Watering is critical. Obviously, if we’re getting plenty of rain, that’s wonderful, and less watering will be required in these times.
A few extra tips
- Avoid heavy foot traffic during the first few weeks while the roots are taking hold.
- If you can gently lift a corner of the turf, it’s not fully established yet.
- Mow only once the turf is firmly rooted and has reached a suitable height.
- During hot Queensland summers, you may need to water more frequently, as new turf can dry out surprisingly quickly.
Note: Rainfall should always be taken into account. If you’re receiving regular rain, reduce watering accordingly to avoid overwatering and waterlogged soil.
Mowing
You can start mowing your new lawn when the turf has “taken” and is growing.
As always, ensure your mower deck is on a high setting for the lawn’s first mow — you don’t want to scalp it.
Once your Zoysia turf is established, it’ll typically require less mowing than other turf. You can mow it at 25 to 30 millimetres for a manicured lawn look or at 35 to 45 millimetres for a lush, carpet-like lawn.
*Remember, keep your mower blades sharp.
Fertilise
Zoysia turf needs minimal fertiliser – less than other turf varieties. We recommend picking up a quality, slow-release fertiliser and applying it in the early autumn and early winter months. It’s important you pay close attention to the application rate and follow it accurately.
Keep pests at bay
Luckily, Zoysia is extremely pest-resistant and isn’t very susceptible to pest attacks. It’s also impressively weed-resistant — once established, that dense growth tends to crowd weeds out before they can take hold, which means less spraying and fewer headaches for you. However, like all turf types, lawn grubs can be an issue occasionally.
Getting ready to lay down your own turf? We can have our turf delivered to you, or you can visit our turf farm and pick it up yourself; we’re just one hour out from Brisbane.
