Geo is a dark-green turfgrass with fine-textured leaf blades that grows in a wide variety of soil and climate conditions. Geo performs well in sandy and clay type soils throughout the southern U.S. and has tough runners, rhizomes, and deep roots that provide excellent sod strength, wear ability, and improved drought tolerance. Geo performs well in hot and sandy areas of the southeast U.S. and has proven itself drought tolerant in many challenging applications.
Geo has very good shade tolerance and has performed well in field and homeowner site. Its shade tolerance is better than that of most Zoysias and it performs well into the transition zone.
Additionally, Geo is highly tolerant of most herbicides making it easier to control weeds during production and for the end user.
- Blade-width: 2.0 mm
- Dark Green Color
- Very Soft Feel
- Excellent Shade Tolerance (3-4 hrs)
- Very Good Wear Tolerance
- Very Good Spring Green-up
- Excellent Insect Resistance
- Very Good Weed Control
- Very Good Drought Tolerance
- Recommended Mowing Height: 1-2"
Maintenance
Proper watering upon installation is essential to successful establishment.
Water thoroughly upon installation ensuring that both the Geo is wet and the soil is most to a depth of 3", which is approximately 1" of water per day.
In hot weather, water within a few hours of installation to mitigate sever damage or loss due to heat/dehydration stress
Shaded areas and heavy soils require less water than full-sun areas and sandy soils.
When proper rooting is evident, alter irrigation program accordingly
MOWING: New installations are often uneven and care should be taken not to scalp high spots:
Mow within 10 days of installation and bag clippings for the first few mowings.
After the first few mowing see post establishment instructions for proper mowing practices
Once your new lawn is rooted follow the chart below.
Mow when grass is this tall: 2" 5cm
Set cutting height of mower to: 1.5" 3.7cm
FERTILITY: Use a transplant-friendly regimen that will help reduce shock and minimize disease
Use a starter fertilizer that is LOW in nitrogen and higher in phosphorous and potassium
For best results always perform a soil test and fertilize accordingly
More on MOWING: Mowing is a critical and often under appreciated cultural practice:
Maintain Geo at 1-2" (1" is optimal)
Heights above 2" will reduce quality
Can be maintained at heights of 1/2" if regularly mowed with a reel mower
Rotary mowers are preferred for heights 1" or higher
Reel mowers are preferred for heights below 1"
Mow every 5 - 7 days during the active growing season
Mow every 10-14 days, or as needed, during cooler weather
Never cut more than 1/3 of the total length of the blade at any one mowing
If a scheduled mowing is missed and clippings clump on top of the Geo, bag or vacuum clippings to reduce shade-out
Vertical mowing (vericutting) may be performed to renovate Geo
In early springs, mow Geo tight, bagging all clippings to remove excessive thatch. This will help the grass to recover from winter dormancy. Don't worry about scalping (removing 1/3" of the leaf blade) at this time, as this is a beneficial maintenance practice for spring green-up and growth.
More Info:
Geo Zoysia is a cultivar of Zoysia grass with a thin bladed leaf that forms a very lush lawn. It shares the drought and shade resistance of the other varieties.
This grass has a fine, soft texture and can be left unmowed as it only grows to a height of 6–12 inches (15–30 cm). When left unmowed, it forms a humpy convoluted surface which is sometimes used in oriental landscapes.
Emerald Zoysia is adapted to zones 7-11 and does well in warm, humid environments. It is an excellent grass for the southern and southeastern states. Once established it requires less water than St. Augustine but slightly more than Bermuda. It is drought tolerant due to its deep root structure. Browning may occur in triple digit heat, but adequate hydration can restore its vibrant green color in a matter of minutes. The grass is moderately shade tolerant, coming close to the shade tolerance of St. Augustine. However, it does not do well in full shade as compared to Rye and Fescue.An average of at least 3–4 hours of full sun per day is a good measure for healthy growth. Flooding is tolerated, but constant saturation will eventually weaken the grass. This zoysia has a moderate cold tolerance and can be damaged by hard freezes and is not hardy in transition zones. Emerald Zoysia is a very slow growing lawn grass. Zoysia grasses are generally slower growing than Bermuda and St. Augustine, with Emerald Zoysia being one of the slowest growing Zoysia grasses. The grass exhibits a dense creeping growth, rather than an aggressive upward, or sprawling growth. The blade density is much higher than other grasses, giving a very dense, carpet-like, or "hedgehog" appearance.