Q: I bought a reel mower for our zoysia lawn. At the 1.5″ setting the grass looks brown for several days after cutting. I fertilized once in the spring.

A: Getting a good appearance after mowing is a balancing act between well-timed fertilization and mowing frequency. Zoysia needs fertilizer twice per year, in April and June. If you follow that schedule, you can get by with mowing every six days. You can still apply fertilizer now. If you fertilize three times each year, mow every four days. With appropriate feeding you’ll avoid cutting down into the stem area each time.