Weekly Insight Week 20
Growing Grass in the Desert Starts Here

May 10 - 16 , 2026

Mother’s Day, Zoysia Grass, and the West Texas Lawn

Happy Mother’s Day

Before we get into lawns, grass, soil temperatures, and rainfall totals, I think it is important that we stop for just a moment and recognize the women who helped shape us into who we are today.

Not every mother is simply the woman who gave us birth.

Sometimes it was the mother who adopted us and chose us as her own. Sometimes it was a stepmother who stepped into a difficult role and gave love, guidance, and stability. For many of us, it was a grandmother who always seemed to know exactly what to say, or your best friend’s mom who welcomed you into her home, fed you, corrected you when needed, and loved you just like one of her own.

It truly takes a special woman to help guide, teach, and mold a young person. Looking back, most of us probably did not give them enough credit at the time. The older we get, the more we realize how much patience, sacrifice, worry, prayer, and love went into raising us.

The truth is, we are surrounded by strong women every day who continue to help shape our families, our communities, and our lives for the better. It is a little sad that we only officially celebrate them one day a year, because their impact lasts a lifetime.

Week 20 of the Lawn Season

Here in West Texas, Week 10 usually marks the beginning of lawn season, while around Week 47 typically brings our first frost and the end of the growing season.

Today, as we enter Week 20, we are approaching the halfway point of another growing season. Our current 5-day average soil temperature is 77.2 degrees, and San Angelo has received 6.59 inches of rainfall year to date, which puts us approximately 0.51 inches above average.

With warm soils and moisture in the ground, lawns across our area are responding quickly.

And this week, I want to focus on one grass variety that continues to gain popularity across Texas, especially in lawns with partial shade.

Zoysia Grass in West Texas

Why Homeowners Like It

Zoysia grass has carved out a niche between Bermuda and St. Augustine.

Bermuda is still king in West Texas for traffic tolerance, drought survival, wear recovery, and overall toughness. St. Augustine still performs best in heavier shade situations.

But Zoysia fits nicely in that middle ground where homeowners want:

Better shade tolerance than Bermuda.
Less maintenance than St. Augustine.
A softer texture.
Darker green color.
Lower mowing frequency.
A more premium-looking lawn.

In moderate shade situations, Zoysia can be one of the prettiest lawns in the neighborhood.

Why It Costs More

One of the biggest reasons Zoysia costs more is simple farm production time.

Bermuda grows fast, recovers fast, and can be harvested quickly, making it more profitable for sod farms. Zoysia grows slower, establishes slower, and ties up farm acreage much longer before harvest.

That slower production cycle increases cost.

Another reason Bermuda still dominates Texas sod production is marketing and practicality. Bermuda handles heavy traffic better, repairs faster, and works extremely well for sports fields, commercial properties, and high-traffic lawns.

Zoysia fills more of a premium homeowner niche.

Leaf Structure and Thatch

One thing that makes Zoysia different is its leaf structure.

The leaf blade contains more silica and has a firmer, more wiry texture compared to Bermuda or St. Augustine. That tougher leaf tissue breaks down slower after mowing.

Because of this, excessive clippings can contribute to thatch buildup over time, especially when combined with heavy fertilizer and too much irrigation.

For many Zoysia lawns, bagging clippings during aggressive spring and summer growth can actually be a very good management practice.

Fertility and Irrigation

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make with Zoysia is overmanaging it.

Too much nitrogen can create:

Excess thatch.
Puffiness.
Shallow rooting.
Increased fungus pressure.

Moderate fertility programs usually perform best.

Water management is even more important.

While Zoysia is considered drought tolerant, that does not mean shallow daily watering. The goal should be to deeply saturate roughly the top 6 inches of soil profile, then allow the soil to partially dry back out before watering again.

Deep, infrequent irrigation encourages stronger rooting and better drought tolerance.

Why It Looks Better Under Shade Trees

Many homeowners notice that Zoysia often looks excellent underneath moderate shade trees but struggles next to driveways, sidewalks, or reflective heat areas.

In most cases, this is not because the grass dislikes sunlight.

It usually comes down to moisture management.

Areas near concrete tend to dry faster and experience much higher soil temperatures, while moderate shade areas hold moisture longer and experience less stress.

Spring Green-Up and Wind Stress

Zoysia is also slower to respond in spring compared to Bermuda.

Even with recent rainfall, cooler nights, heavy winds, and fluctuating spring temperatures can delay aggressive green-up.

Patience is important.

Trying to force growth with excessive fertilizer or overwatering usually creates more problems than solutions.

Fungus in Zoysia

Large Patch Disease

The most common disease we see in Zoysia is Large Patch, sometimes called Zoysia Patch.

This fungus is most active when soil temperatures are generally between about 60 and 75 degrees, especially during periods of:

Excess moisture.
Overwatering.
Poor airflow.
Excess nitrogen.
Heavy thatch buildup.

Symptoms usually appear as circular yellow, orange, or brown areas that slowly expand outward.

Fungicide Options

Preventative fungicide applications can help significantly on problem lawns.

Common active ingredients include:

Azoxystrobin.
Propiconazole.
Fluoxastrobin.
Tebuconazole.

Preventative applications during spring and fall transition periods are usually much more effective than waiting until heavy damage appears.

Good airflow, proper mowing, balanced fertility, reduced thatch, and proper irrigation timing are just as important as the fungicide itself.

Closing Thoughts

Every lawn is different, and sometimes the smallest management changes make the biggest difference.

Pay attention to what your grass is telling you. Enjoy the warmer weather. Slow down a little this week and reconnect with the youth still left in all of us.

And if you happen to find that blind snake along the way, well… you’ll know exactly what that means.

Happy Mother’s Day

From all of us here at BES-TEX Supply, we want to wish all the moms, grandmothers, stepmoms, adopted moms, and every woman who helped raise and guide us a very Happy Mother’s Day.

Thank you for the patience, sacrifice, guidance, and love that helped shape all of us into who we are today.

Questions About Your Lawn?

If you have questions about your lawn, landscape, trees, weeds, insects, or turfgrass, don’t hesitate to stop by and visit with us.

Bring pictures, samples, or anything you have questions about. We are always happy to help.

Thank you for supporting local business.

Monte Sims
BES-TEX Supply
4512 Adobe Drive
San Angelo, Texas 76903
325.653.1300

Payment Terms: At BES-TEX Supply, we accept all major credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express), as well as personal checks & cash. Please note that all sale items must be paid for at the time of purchase. We do not offer net 30 terms on sale items.