QuestionI live in southeastern Pennsylvania and have a zyozia grass lawn with dandelion and grub problems. Would you please advise treatment advice to apply this spring?
AnswerApply Grub-Ex or other grub control treatment in early May and repeat in mid July (do not buy a grub control product which is preblended with fertilizer. Buy a regular straight grub product).
In late may, apply a fertilizer w/broad leaf weed control (such as Scott's Turfbuilder 2+2.. the one with the dandelion on the front). Do not mow the lawn a few days before and after application.
Apply to a moist lawn (leaf blades are moist) and let the granulles stick to the grass and weed leaves for at least 24 hours before washing in.
Instead, you can also buy a spray bottle (or a bottle which attaches to a gardenhose) and spray the weeds directly. Try Weed-Be-Gon. This can also be used as follow up to the above fertilizer/weed (weed-n-feed) treatment. Use it when daytime tempeatures are consistently below 85 deg F. Do not mow lawn a few days before and water spraying.
You can also dig up dandelions with special weed coring tools, or even a screwdriver.
Fertilize your lawn in late May, early July and mid August. Do not fertilize your lawn during early spring or fall. Zoysia is a warm season grass which must be fertilized during hot summer months, and not during the cool periods of spring and fall which is otherwise the case with lawns in your area (kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescues). Zoysia is a warm season grass and should be fertilized accordingly.
Mow your lawn 2.5-3.5" tall and mow frequently during the active growing period of spring.
Zoysia is a relatively draught tolorant grass type for your area and should not need a lot of water. If you have to water during prolonged draught spells this summer, then water infrequently, but deeply, e.g. such as once per week for 2 hours rather than 15 minutes daily. The goal is to thoroughly wet the soil to a dept of 8-10" and then not water again until the soil moisture has evaporated.
Good Luck