The Complete Zoysia Lawn Calendar for Georgia

Stop guessing what to do with your Zoysia lawn. This calendar tells you exactly what to do, when to do it, and why — built specifically for Georgia's climate and warm-season turf.

The Reality

Most lawn calendars are generic and built for a hypothetical "average" climate. Georgia isn't average — it has a long, aggressive growing season, hot and humid summers, variable winters, and dramatic regional differences between the mountains and the coast. This calendar is built for central Georgia (Atlanta metro and surrounding counties) with notes for adjusting based on your specific location.

The Full Calendar

January

• Lawn is dormant. No treatments needed.
• Service your mower: sharpen blades, change oil and filter, replace spark plugs.
• Order pre-emergent, fertilizer, and any products you'll need in March–May to avoid spring supply shortages.
• Review soil test results from last fall and plan lime applications if needed.

February

• Still dormant. Resist the urge to do anything to the lawn.
• Lime application: if your soil test indicated low pH, lime can go down now. Works over months — early application is better.
• Purchase pre-emergent if you haven't. Get your soil thermometer ready.
• Begin monitoring soil temperature at the end of the month.

March

• Pre-emergent application when soil temps hit 50–55°F consistently at 2-inch depth. This is your most critical timing event of the year.
• Water in pre-emergent within 24 hours of application.
• Toward end of March: watch for green-up starting. When 30–50% green, scalp time is approaching.

April

• Scalp when 30–50% green. Drop to 0.75–1 inch; bag all clippings.
• Begin regular mowing at target height once fully green.
• Second pre-emergent application if using pendimethalin (shorter residual product).
• Spot treat broadleaf weeds as they emerge.

May

• First fertilizer application once fully green and soil temps are 65°F+. Apply 0.5–1 lb nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft with a slow-release product.
• Aeration optional — less critical than for cool-season grasses but beneficial if compaction is a problem.
• Mow weekly or as needed. Blades at target height.

June

• Second fertilizer application.
• Monitor for large patch disease: circular brown patches with orange halo. Treat immediately with systemic fungicide if found.
• Adjust irrigation: 1–1.5 inches per week in deep, infrequent sessions.
• Treat nutsedge and crabgrass with appropriate chemistry if pre-emergent was missed or insufficient.

July

• Optional light fertilizer application — assess turf color. Skip if lawn looks healthy and growth is strong.
• Raise irrigation slightly during heat stress events (sustained temps above 95°F).
• Watch for chinch bugs in sunny areas (less common in Zoysia than Bermuda, but possible).
• Spot treat any visible weeds before they set seed.

August

• Last nitrogen fertilizer application. Stop by August 15 in north Georgia, August 31 in central and south Georgia.
• Potassium application (without nitrogen) can go through September for added cold hardiness.
• Continue monitoring for large patch disease — humidity peaks in August in Georgia.

September

• Fall pre-emergent application when soil temps drop to 70°F (typically mid-September).
• Water in as always.
• Spot treat any remaining broadleaf weeds before Zoysia enters dormancy.
• Preventive fungicide for large patch: apply in September or October if you've had disease historically.

October

• Mowing frequency slows. Continue at normal height — don't raise it.
• Last mow of active season typically falls in late October.
• Preventive fungicide application if not done in September.
• Collect soil sample for testing — fall is ideal so you have results and time to plan spring amendments.

November

• Zoysia enters full dormancy after first killing frost. Brown is normal.
• Avoid heavy foot traffic on frozen or frost-covered turf.
• No treatments until spring.

December

• Rest. Plan.
• Review this year's logs — what worked, what didn't, what timing felt off. Adjust for next year.
• Pre-order next year's products before spring price increases.

Pro Tips

• Track everything. What you applied, when, at what rate, and what the weather was like. A lawn log turns guesses into a system.
• Soil temp trumps calendar date. Georgia weather is variable. A warm February can pull pre-emergent timing 2–3 weeks earlier. Check soil temperature, not the date.
• One record year teaches you more than five guessed years. If you track your inputs and results consistently for one full season, you'll know exactly what to do the following year.