Landscapers overmowing Zoysia grass?
 

Here's a pdf of a fantastic UF study of zoysia. Recommended mowing height is 2-2.5 inches. Much of what I see here in the S. Villages both in yards and roadside is scalped and brown...let it grow, let it grow, let it _____.

http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.e...hop_ftga11.pdf

I was very impressed last week when my lawn guy came to the door and said "your grass is the only one left on the street that isn't burned out. With the heat I suggest we wait till next week to cut it so it has a chance at staying green". I agreed, but did
ask him to mow the back which has a week problem and needs weekly maintenance. I was very impressed someone used their head instead of just blasting through the yard at a 100 mph raping the yard.

And what lawn service did that for you gomoho?

Empire turf, the company that genetically engineered this particular strain of Zoysia has different ideas.

Here is a direct quote from their website. " Maintain EMPIRE at 1-2"
Heights above 2" will reduce quality
Can be maintained at heights of 1/2" if regularly mowed with a reel mower
Rotary mowers are preferred for heights 1" or higher
Reel mowers are preferred for heights below 1"

http://empireturf.com/emp-maintenanc...elines-1.shtml

Results at 2 inches
 

Is someone mowing their Empire at 2 inches or less with success at TV ?

Just Curious.

Cutting higher forces roots to go deeper and perhaps survive drought conditions.

Appears to me that the site below, sod solutions, is the site for the developing company, which is located in South Carolina, where height recommendations may be lower than for FL. Recommendations for mowing height I cited in the OP was from UF, which researches what works in FL.
Driving Directions | Sod Solutions

from the Sod solutions site:
Zoysia grass plant named `SS-500`
Patent number: PP11466
Abstract: A new and distinct variety of Zoysia japonica turfgrass, called `SS-500`, is characterized by its color, long and wide leaf blades, large stolons, an open growth habit, and rapid establishment rate.
Type: Grant
Filed: February 26, 1998
Issued: August 1, 2000
Assignee: Sod Solutions, Inc.
Inventors: Minoru Ito, Roberto Guerra Amaral Gurgel

Mowing height has nothing to do with root growth. Proper watering is what promotes deep roots.

Heres my yard @ 1.25 inches.

Couple more views...

WOW! I've lived here 7 years and have only seen one or two yards that are totally green. Care to let us know your watering schedule?

We have the same type of corner lot and ours looks nothing like yours. I thought it was being cut too short but maybe we're not watering enough. Most of the lawns on our street are a mess this year no matter who is doing it. We thought possibly winter kill.
This is our 4th summer and we had it looking pretty good the other years.

I water twice a week starting @ 3:30am. It's not how many times you water but how much water you're putting down.

In my yard, a little over a 1/2 inch of water gets the soil moist down to 3 1/2-4 inches. That's what promotes deep root growth. If you water every day but the water only goes 2 inches deep than you'll have a shallow root system.

When it's really hot and dry and I notice wilt (purple looking spots) , I'll run the stations for 4 or 5 minutes in the afternoon just to cool the air temperature. Press and hold the program button then up and down to select the time in minutes for a syringe cycle ;)

Here's an article by UF's IFAS on irrigation of turf, for those who like research-based information...
CIR829/AE144: Turf Irrigation for the Home

With all this heat lately, I water each station 45 minutes. (Have 8 stations) Do twice a week. When I see some browning from the heat coming, I turn on station for 5 minutes to cool.

Great info Tom. When I resided in New England, I used LOCKE mowers, they had a 6 ft span and I had shoes(aluminum plates) on each for 1" and other clients. Best mower, sure miss them. By the way TV reception is GREAT thanks again

Joe

Go to districtgov.org and click on the "Water wise" box. It will tell you how long to water with rotors & sprays and how to adjust for different times of the year.

When we moved in 7 years ago, our system was set up to start at 2 or 2:30AM and our day to water was according to the house number. After reading some articles I changed it to 4AM, now have it start at 3:30AM Thrs & Sunday.