El Toro Zoysia has long been the standard grass for Honolulu home lawns. El Toro is a medium bladed Zoysia. It has good drought tolerance, it’s highly durable, and light green in color. It adapts well to high heat, thrives in full sun, and tolerates light shade. El Toro Zoysia has aggressive lateral growth as it spreads by runners and has theability to recover from injury. This makes it a very good choice for high traffic areas on golf courses, home lawns and athletic fields. El Toro Zoysia is a variety developed at the University of California-Riverside by Dr. Victor B. Youngner.

El Toro Zoysia Maintenance – Fertilizer & Mowing

A regular maintenance schedule will ensure the success of a new El Toro Zoysia lawn. After establishment, zoysia grasses generally require a total annual N application of 2–5 pounds of nitrogen (N) per 1000 sq ft. A regular maintenance schedule of mowing is very important.

Mow grass every 1 to 2 weeks and you will be extremely pleased with the quality of your turf. Recommended mowing height is 1 to 2 inches. El Toro Zoysia can be mowed with a Rotary Mower or a Reel Mower set at 1 inch. Keep mower blades sharp and never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade length at once.

El Toro Zoysia Maintenance – Watering

El Toro Zoysia needs about 1 to 1 1/4 inches of water a week to maintain a healthy appearance. On sandy soils it often requires more frequent watering. Because clay soils accept water slowly, short intervals of watering is encouraged. For example, Water for a few minutes, wait half an hour until the water has been absorbed, and then
continue irrigating until the desired depth or amount is obtained. Proper irrigation may prevent or reduce pest problems and limit environmental stress. It is recommended that El Toro Zoysia be irrigated during the early to late morning hours and never at night. Watering at night may cause fungal development.