• If you have a mature, established EMPIRE® Zoysia grass lawn, drop your mower a notch and give your lawn a “buzz-cut” for the first mow of the spring with a rotary mower that has a sharpened. Bag up all the material to keep excess clippings from clumping or causing disease.
• After your initial “buzz-cut,” begin mowing your zoysia grass at the height of 1–2 inches. You can return to spreading your mower clippings on the lawn at this time.

Watering

• Don’t overwater. EMPIRE® needs about one inch of water a week considering rainfall. If you apply any granular fertilizer or control product, you will need to water it in. This is a sufficient amount of water for the week. Overwatering may promote disease outbreak.

Fertilize

• For optimal results, feed your lawn during the spring season by applying a granular fertilizer.

Weed Control

• Apply a pre-emergent herbicide when soil temperatures reach 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This will prevent summer annual weeds like crabgrass and goosegrass from plaguing your lawn and garden. Apply post-emergent herbicides in May as needed to control summer annual and perennial broadleaf weeds like white clover, knotweed, spurge and lespedeza. Products containing multiple broadleaf active ingredients are more effective in controlling broadleaf weeds.

Insect Control

• Apply a broad-spectrum insecticide to prevent spring insects from appearing or to control any current spring insects like chinch bugs, billbugs, or white grubs. White grubs may be active at this time. If you see any white grubs, apply a systemic insecticide.

Fungus Control

• Apply a systemic fungicide at a preventive rate to keep disease from taking hold of your lawn. You may begin to see circular patches of brown or dead grass as your EMPIRE® Zoysia begins to green up. Do not apply fertilizer until you’ve applied a systemic fungicide at a curative rate and your grass has recovered.