Empire Zoysia - Turf Grass
Cultivar Name: Empire Zoysia japonica ‘SS500′.
Common Names: Empire, Empire Zoysia.
Origins: Brazil
General Information
Empire was discovered in Brazil, and unlike other Zoysia varieties, has proven its ability to survive in hot, humid as well as colder climates. Empire has performed well in sandy and clay soil types with aggressive growth from its runners and rhizomes, but can be mowed with a standard rotary mower due to its broader leaf and open growth habit. This versatile turf grass thrives in all climatic regions of Australia, from Darwin, to Tasmania, from Sydney to Perth and would even survive in places where the temperature drops to 20 degrees below zero. Probably the hardest turf in the world to wear out. Only the better Buffalo’s have more shade tolerance. Almost indestructible rolls or slabs. With such little mowing required, it is the ideal lawn for slopes. Empire Turf grows Australia wide and provides a lawn which is easy to look after for residential and commercial use. It has a relatively fine leaf, compared to other grasses which is soft to touch. Empire Turf has excellent wear tolerance and thrives in severe heat and humidity. Empire Turf is good in shade and keeps a good Winter colour, and can generally out compete weeds once established. Empire Turf generally requires less watering and less mowing than any other commercially grown lawn in Australia.
Empire Zoysia: Keeps looking good; Tolerates extreme wear; Low thatching, Less scalping; Good in moderate shade; Good Winter colour; Relatively finer leaf; Easy to look after; Competes well with weeds and buffalo; Requires less mowing than any other commercially grown lawn in Australia; Water efficient to the extreme; Nothing can look good with so little water.
Characteristics
- Growing Areas: Grows Australia wide. Thrives in extreme heat and humidity. Excellent cold hardiness.
- Aesthetics: Eye catching dark green colour. Luxurious soft-to-the touch feel. Fine tight leaf blade growth.
- Colour: Great Autumn/Winter colour when compared to other more common turf. Early spring green up (if dormant).
- Leaf/Plant: Small leaf blade (5-7mm), Internode Length- 30-35mm, Internode Diameter- 2.5-3.5mm, Shoot Density- 32 per dm2.
- Soils: Grows in clay and sandy soil types. Durable and robust. Vigorous re-growth from underground rhizomes. Rapid injury recovery.
- Uses/Hardiness: Empire Turf has excellent fast growth across the ground. Its runners are fast and highly branching, which provides excellent recovery from wear. Empire Turf is quickly becoming known as the tough, hard wearing turf. Empire Turf is the only grass in Australia that is hard wearing, yet low maintenance. Its deep root and rhizome system gives it unmatched toughness. If you want it to grow fast fertilise it, however if you want a slow growing, less mowing lawn that still wears well, lay off the fertiliser. With Empire you have a choice, fast or slow. For most situations, yearly fertilising should be sufficient, but for high wear areas fertilise more. Requires less fertiliser than other lawns. Empire Turf will grow well on slopes and garden borders. Empire thrives around swimming pools, and will tolerate salt. Great around gardens and commercial sites as it has excellent hardiness
- Water Use: Drought tolerance due to deep root system. Perfect grass for current water restrictions. Environmental Low water use due to deep root system. Empire Turf is proving to be more water efficient than other types of Zoysias’.
- Salt Tolerance: Zoysia grass is nearly as salt tolerant as Bermuda grass. It is widely grown along sandy sea shores where drainage is adequate. Zoysia grass does not tolerate poorly drained soils whether they are saline or otherwise, until now. Empire Turf does well in most soil types, including heavy poor draining soils.
- Mowing: Although Empire Turf grows quickly across the ground at a fast rate, its upward leaf growth is less than most other commercially grown lawns in Australia. This is a fantastic benefit for people who do not like mowing their lawns. Empire Turf requires 1/3 of the mowing than Kikuyu. Cut between 25mm and 50mm every 7 to 21 days in the warmer months, depending on the frequency of the fertiliser.
- Insects/Diseases: Good resistance to insects and diseases. Empire Turf is very resistant to turf diseases and pests and will generally not show symptoms of most common disease and pest problems that plague other turf varieties. As with any natural product problems occasionally occur, and if they do, please consult our maintenance guide, or seek expert advice.
- Herbicide Tolerance: Easy weed control, as Empire is good at outcompeting weeds, and is tolerant to common herbicides. Empire has a natural chemical resistance to MSMA, 2, 4-D, and Fusillade II.
- Shade Tolerance: Empire Turf will grow well in full sun and shaded positions, in fact it will grow in up to 50% shade where other turf varieties will not. Moderate to good shade tolerance. Empire Turf performs well in full sun, but will also tolerate moderate shade.
- Weeds: Great at out competing weeds. Once Empire Turf is well established, its dense growth makes it much harder for weeds to establish. Of course occasionally weeds can develop in Empire Turf, and if the unlikely event occurs, please follow our maintenance guide.
- Scalping Thatching: Less Thatch, Less Scalping. Empire Turf is known for its ability to create a dense sward without major thatch problems. Empire Turf has less thatch and scalping than other Zoysias’.
Production Costs
Sod solutions Inc is pleased to introduce Empire Turf, a selected Zoysia japonica, chosen specifically for its ability to reduce production costs while demonstrating very desirable growth characteristics. Reduced production costs are achieved by Empires rapid expansion rate, reproduction from rhizomes, and its chemical resistance for easier weed control. Unlike other Zoysia grasses, Empire is not too slow. In fact compared to other Zoysia lawns, Empire is super fast, however, Empire still requires less mowing than Couch, Kikuyu and Buffalo turf.
Information on common Zoysia (Then compared to Empire)
Zoysia grass is extremely drought tolerant. Although it does turn straw coloured under severe drought condition, it has the capacity to respond to subsequent irrigation or rainfall. Its water requirements are similar to those of Couch grass. The leaf blades of Zoysia grass are among the first to roll under drought conditions, thus it tends to conserve moisture more effectively than other species. Zoysia grass also has a deep root system allowing it to more effectively extract water from greater soil depths. Empire remains looking good in dryer conditions than other Zoysias. Empire not only survives drought, but keeps looking great longer.
Zoysia grasses are amongst the most hard wearing of all the turf varieties. However their slow rate if growth gives them very poor recuperative potential. Empire Turf has a great recovery rate.
