TM9 (low-maintenance Korai)
Zoysia matrella
A Korai cultivar selected for slow vertical growth. It looks like ordinary Korai but needs far fewer cuts through the season — aimed at households that want less mowing.
At a glance
| Family | Poaceae |
|---|---|
| Season type | Warm-season |
| Heat tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Cold tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Shade tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Wear tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Drought tolerance | ●●●●● |
| Mowing height | 20–30 mm |
| Propagation | Sod |
| Upkeep | Low upkeep |
| Native range | Japan |
Growing conditions
| USDA hardiness zones | 6–10 |
|---|---|
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Watering | Low |
| Growth rate | Slow |
| Soil pH | 5.5–7.5 |
| Common problems | Large patch / Thatch build-up / White grubs |
How to grow it
Climate and sun
A low-maintenance selection of Korai, with the same warm-season habit and the same appetite for full sun. The one difference is that it grows less tall — it is not more shade tolerant.
Planting
Lay sod from late March to June. Because it grows slowly, gaps take a long time to close, so butt the pieces tightly together.
Watering
Keep it damp until rooted. After that treat it like Korai: a deep morning soak only when it wilts.
Mowing
This is the point of the grass. Cut at 20–30 mm, three to five times a year. That is not the same as neglect — mowing a long sward back in one pass scalps it, just as with any other turf.
Feeding
Heavy feeding defeats the purpose. Once or twice a year, sparingly. Extra nitrogen makes it grow tall and puts the mowing back on your calendar.
Problems and winter
Large patch and white grubs, as with Korai. Infrequent mowing lets thatch and stale air build up, so do not skip the spring dethatch. It goes dormant and brown in winter.