Question
I have Meyer Zoyisa grass on my front lawn. Last year I noticed that a section was dead.
I used a thatch rake and racked up the dead grass to the soil. The grass is yet to grow back.
What can I do to make this area grow fast and why do you think the grass died?  

Answer
I don't know why the grass died, but it could be grubs. Every few months, check the top 6" of soil for grubs (small c-shaped maggits). They eat the roots of the turf. Apply an insecticide for grubs ("grubicide") in early spring and then again in mid summer. Scott's Grub-Ex is a good brand.

You can dig up small 3x3" plugs of zoysia from the rest of the lawn and transplant into the bare areas. In 1-2 seasons the plugs will grow together and fill in the lawn again. Space the plugs about 12-18" on center and stagger the rows, e.g. like this:

---x---x---x---x---
-x---x---x---x---x-
---x---x---x---x---
-x---x---x---x---x-


Fertilizer zoysia in early summer and again in mid summer. avoid fertilizing too early in spring or in fall.

Mow zoysia 2.5-3.5" tall. water deeply if you water manually. avoid frequent, shallow water applications (e.g. better to water once per week for 2 hours rather than 15 minutes daily).