Zoysia – How Low to Mow

Q: You have said to cut zoysia grass 1/2″ to 1 1/2″ high. My husband and I measured our mower and we were cutting our’s about 2 1/4″ high. Walking on our grass was like walking on pillows. We lowered the mower to be about 1 1/2″. Now the grass looks horrible. Have we made a big mistake?

A: Just a lowering of 3/4″ was enough to clip off the green part of the grass plants and expose the brown stems….but the good news is that the grass will recover fine as long as you regularly mow at 1 1/2″.

I’m glad to see you’re bagging the clippings. This will prevent thatch buildup. Also, make sure to replace the blade every year. Zoysia has very tough stems and they dull a mower blade quickly. Cutting with a dull blade will also make the grass look brown after mowing.