Managing Tall Fescue and Zoysiagrass Mixtures as Turfgrass in the Transition Zone

Abstract

Maintaining a mixture of cool‐ and warm‐season turfgrasses year‐round instead of overseeding into a perennial monoculture stand annually in the transition zone may be an effective way to combine the strengths of two species. Four mixtures of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.) (Jaguar 3 and Bonsai) and zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) (Zenith and Cathy) were evaluated under 5‐ and 7.5‐cm mowing heights and N regimes of 400, 200, and 100 kg ha–1 yr–1 in Beijing, China, during 2011 and 2012. Turf quality was better at a 5‐cm mowing height than a 7.5‐cm mowing height in July and October and was equivalent between the two mowing heights for the other months. Visual quality was highest in plots receiving N at 400 kg ha–1 yr–1 in May, June, September, October, and November. In August, however, the highest visual turf quality was observed for an N rate of 100 kg ha–1 yr–1. Generally, the 5‐cm mowing height and low N application produced high shoot density and ground coverage by zoysiagrass, whereas the shoot density of tall fescue showed no difference between the two mowing heights. The higher N rate most often favored greater tall fescue shoot density and ground coverage. Based on the results, we recommend a 5‐cm mowing height and an N rate of 400 kg ha–1 yr–1, avoiding application in August, for the mixture.