- 1). Plant in May to give zoysia grass ample time to establish itself. Till the area you wish to plant to a depth of about 6 inches. Rake smooth. Water until soil is moist, but not wet, to ensure proper rooting.
- 2). Apply starter fertilizer, raking it into the top inch of the bare soil. Lay sod in rolls, cutting with a sharp knife to fit the prepared space. Roll over it with a sod roller to ensure firm contact of roots with soil. Water thoroughly.
- 3). Dig holes for sod plugs with a bulb planter if you want to use fewer yards of sod. Cut sod into 2-inch-square plugs and plant in rows 6 to 12 inches apart. Step on each plug firmly to make sure roots are contacting the soil. Water thoroughly.
- 4). Keep sod or plugs moist for the first three weeks, while roots are establishing and beginning to grow. Begin mowing after a month, keeping the zoysia grass cut to a height of about 2 inches.
- 5). Apply fertilizer only in summer to avoid spurring weed growth in spring, or dieoff in winter. Apply at a rate of about 2 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Water periodically during dry months, allowing water to soak the soil to a depth of 4 inches for best results.
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