Zoysia – Leaving Unmowed

Q: I would like to improve my carbon footprint by not using a gas powered mower and letting my zoysia just grow. It has already gone to seed and still looks good. What damage am I doing to the grass?

A: The zoysiagrass will be perfectly happy if you let it grow unmowed. It’s best not to fertilize it because this not only consumes natural resources but the grass can develop a harmful thatch layer if it’s overfed. If you decide you don’t the puffy appearance of untrimmed zoysia, consider using a hand-powered push mower. If you mow zoysia every five days it won’t be hard to mow by hand. If you do it every seven days, the tough stems will make mowing almost impossible. Further, turfgrass sequesters carbon in the soil by growing carbon-filled roots into barren soil. One researcher determined that up to 800 lbs. of carbon per acre per year is being sequestered by lawns.