Heights from the sources
| Source | Height |
|---|---|
| UGA lawn calendar | 1 to 2 inches, raised about half an inch in hot weather |
| UGA green-up article | ideal range 0.5 to 2 inches |
| Clemson | as low as possible without scalping; reel mowers recommended; rotary acceptable at about 2 inches with sharp blades |
| NC State | as low as possible without scalping; mow before the grass exceeds 1.5 to 2.5 inches |
| UC IPM | 0.5 to 1 inch |
Cultivar examples from Clemson: Empire 1 inch with a reel or 2 inches with a rotary; Innovation half an inch with a reel or 2 inches with a rotary; Geo 1 inch with a reel or 2 inches with a rotary.
Rule of thumb: a fine cultivar cut with a reel mower sits at the low end (roughly half an inch to an inch and a half); a coarse cultivar cut with a rotary sits at about 1.5 to 2 inches. Check your cultivar’s own guidance.
The one-third rule
UGA says never remove more than a third of the leaf height at one cut. If you want 1 inch, mow when it reaches 1.5 inches. The lawn calculator works this out for your height.
Scalping
UGA warns that zoysia is set back whenever it is cut low enough that you can see dark, mouldy-looking material under the leaf canopy. Raise the deck.
How often
Clemson suggests weekly mowing under high-maintenance management. Zoysia grows slowly, so in a low-input lawn the limit is the height rule, not the calendar.
Blades
A dull blade tears zoysia’s tough leaves and leaves the lawn grey-tipped. Sharpen at least once a season; more if you cut a lot. Clippings can stay on the lawn unless they clump (NC State). Mow when the grass is dry, particularly where large patch is a risk (NC State).
Start of the season
At green-up, NC State has you mow as low as possible without scalping to remove the dead leaf.