Zoysia Grass: A Great Choice for Your Coastal Home

Whether it’s your permanent residence or a vacation home, yards on the coast can be harder to maintain.  The soil has a high sand composition, somewhat limiting your options. Additionally, if it is not a year-round home, you may not have as much time to devote to lawn maintenance.  Therefore, it’s important to choose a low-maintenance grass that will hold up well in that environment even without constant care.

Zoysia is a warm season grass that is also very shade and cool temperature tolerant.  This type of grass grows well in a variety of different soil compositions, including sandy soils making it great for coastal areas.  It can be successfully grown all along the southeast and through much of the southwest, particularly on the coast. Zoysia is also very salt tolerant and draught tolerant, both of which are necessities for the warm coastal regions of the United States.  The deep root system and blade structure of Zoysia help it survive significant periods of time without water. This type of grass also handles a lot of traffic well, making it very durable.

Traditionally, Zoysia is a sod-forming grass, but recent improvements have facilitated it being seed grown in many locations. Fertilization and aeration may allow for optimal growth, but Zoysia generally fares fine without these additional maintenance practices. The pH requirement of Zoysia is very flexible too, which means it doesn’t require routine lime applications. Zoysia is also relatively resistant to insect and disease problems, and because it grows densely, it crowds out weeds.  Another unique aspect of this grass is that even though it is a warm season grass it can handle the cold of winters, which often occur in areas of the southeast.

All factors considered, Zoysia requires minimal work and can survive even when you’re not around for routine maintenance. Your local lawn care expert can provide you with more advice on when and how to plant Zoysia in your lawn.