Zoysia gives you a dense, fine-bladed lawn that handles North Texas heat and tolerates more shade than Bermuda. It is the middle ground between Bermuda's sun-hungry toughness and St. Augustine's shade tolerance, and it is what we most often recommend for yards with a mix of both.

Transplant shock and heat stress

Brownish or yellow spots on a new lawn are completely normal for the first few months while the sod establishes roots.

Hand-water those areas with a hose in addition to your sprinklers. Anywhere the lawn meets stone, brick, driveways, sidewalks, patios or stone mailboxes will hold heat much longer than open lawn, so those edges need hand watering to prevent heat stress.

Weak or thinning areas

Zoysia is shade tolerant, but there is a limit — under dense shade it will still weaken and thin.

First, work out whether a large tree canopy is casting deep shade over the affected area, and consider having the tree thinned to let more light through. Beyond that, an over-the-counter soil drench such as Garrett Juice Plus by Medina can help the lawn fill back in. Follow the recommended application rates on the label — more is not better.

Mowing

• Spring and summer: mow between 0.5" and 2", with around 1.5" ideal. In partial shade, leave it slightly taller.
• Fall and winter: every 10–14 days.
• Shorter heights need more frequent mowing, not less — plan for it before choosing a low cut.
• Never scalp, and never remove more than one third of the leaf blade in a single mowing.

Fertilizing

• Thick, highly maintained lawn: 3–4 lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per year.
• Lush but lower maintenance: 1.5–3 lbs of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per year.

Watering a new lawn

For the first 30 days, inspect the yard rather than trusting the timer — increase run times or hand-water dry spots and edges as needed. Water before 10am wherever possible: it keeps the turf cooler through the hottest hours and gives blades time to dry, which discourages fungus. Roughly 30 minutes puts down half an inch, so 10 minutes per zone three times a week lands near an inch.