Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

How to Install a Multi-Species Native Lawn for Less Mowing, Less Watering, Less Weeding and, Yes, Less Guilt.

Grass species. From our on-going research here at the Wildflower Center, we have found that a mix of ‘buffalograss’ (Bouteloua dactyloides (formerly Buchloe dactyloides)), ‘blue grama’ (Bouteloua gracilis) and ‘curly mesquite’ (Hilaria belangeri) needs less mowing, watering and weeding and simulates nature’s shortgrass prairies. Although different species, these grasses have almost identically shaped leaves and color and produce a great-looking, even-textured, dense lawn. They are available from native seed suppliers such as Native American Seeds (www.seedsource.com) , King Seeds (www.dkseeds.com) and other seed suppliers. For every 1000 square feet you will need 2lb of buffalograss, 1½ lb of bluegrama and at least 4 oz of curly mesquite.

Soil.
A well-textured, well-drained soil is essential for long term lawn success. Normally, developers spread a couple of inches of imported soil over a layer compacted by heavy construction machinery. But a sustainable lawn needs deep roots, so rip, rotovate or disk your soil to at least 8″ – the deeper the better. Then incorporate a ½” of living compost with a low nitrogen and low phosphorus content into the top 3″ of your prepared soil. Ask your local plant nursery for recommendations. DO NOT use mulch (e.g. shredded tree bark or wood shavings) grass won’t grow in this. The soil surface should be finished to a fine granular texture and free from large stones. Note: if you are on undisturbed, uncompacted native soils then till lightly and add ¼” compost into the top 1″ or alternatively add a compost tea.

Sow.
Sow the seed (the small, hand-cranked seed broadcasters are great), and rake and press (garden roller or feet) it into soil for good soil-seed contact. Early spring is the best sowing time once soil temperatures pick-up. Later in the growing season will work but takes more water. Avoid mid-summer and winter.

Irrigation.
The lawn area should be irrigated every day for the first 10 days to prevent soil drying out. Thereafter, two soil-wetting (top 4″ of soil) events per week for the next month, then two soil-wetting (top 6″ of soil minimum) events per month for the next two months of the growing season (March – November). As they appear remove weeds before they go to seed or become too established. Once the lawn is established, say, four months, you may opt to stop irrigating to save water and allow the lawn to go ‘drought dormant’. The native grasses will go brown and temporarily stop growing, but, adapted to drought, will green-up once rain returns.

Mowing.
This depends on how you want your lawn to look. We suggest a 3-4″ high cut for a great-looking, dense turf, resistant to foot traffic (within reason) and weeds. Mow once every 3-5 weeks when growing and not at all when drought or cold dormant. Mowing shorter (below 2″) will decrease your lawn’s health. Conversely, not mowing at all through the growing season will prevent new shoot growth which reduces the turf density. However, allowing the grass to seed-out once a year (e.g. when you go on vacation) guarantees a good seed bank – insurance against drought, heavy foot traffic and weeds.

Feeding.
By returning the grass cuttings directly to the soil, annual feeding should not be necessary. A healthy, living soil (because you added live compost), plus the natural ‘rain’ of airborne nutrients will be sufficient to keep your lawn at ecological equilibrium just like a natural prairie. But for high-use lawns with children and/or pets, or on freely-draining soils, a fall dressing with a low-nutrient, living-compost or compost tea plus an aeration (with a garden fork or similar tool) will certainly help.

Warning.

If you do not prepare the soil adequately, your lawn will suffer and you will get weeds
If you mow too often and too short, you will get weeds
If you over-water, you will get weeds
If you over-fertilizer, you will get big weeds

Less is more.
Simulating the natural conditions in a native grassland — low-nutrient soils, native grasses, occasional rainfall, occasional grazing – can help us achieve a sustainable, healthy native lawn. So:

Prepare the soil (prairie soil takes thousands of years to form, you will need to kick-start yours)
Use appropriate native species (if they can’t take the heat they wouldn’t be here)
Mow less (natives grow much slower than over-fed St. Augustine and bermudagrass)
Irrigate with occasional deep water events and rainfall, and maybe let it go dormant in summer
Minimize nutrient inputs (native prairies aren’t synthetically fertilized)

How to Get Rid of Dandelions

The Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a hearty broadleaf weed that grows very, very easily. It’s named for it’s sharp, serrated leaves that resemble lion’s teeth. 

Too bad we don’t want it in our lawns. Dandelions are super easy to grow and spread like wildfire. Once dandelions get started, they blow apart, sending those fine little flying filaments as far as several miles. Everywhere they land, they start a new colony of dandelions. Getting rid of them, once they’re settled into your lawn, is an annual ritual. Hopefully I can share of couple of things to make this an easier task for you.

Dandelions were brought to the United States from Europe for use as a medicinal plant. In this regard, it works astonishingly well. It can be used as a diuretic.

It’s also a good source of vitamins, and can be made into a delightful wine. The Whole Foods Market near me actually has them in stock and sells them! While this may be great for your health, it can ruin the looks and health of your lawn.

One of the best ways to deal with dandelions is to hand-pull them (or use a special dandelion weeding tool) from your lawn before they morph into seed umbrellas.

Grab them at the base and make sure you yank out the taproots. You might be fighting a losing battle if your dandelion crop grows from the same root base every spring. In this case, you’ll need to dig them out completely–tap roots can descend as deep as 15 feet depending on your soil. Ouch. How crazy is that??

Treat Dandelions below the Lawn

Once dandelions get a solid footing in your lawn, they form a dense matting. This is typically in a circular pattern. Once the roots are down deep, pulling or digging may not work any more.

In this case, spot spraying your lawn with Glyphosate can kill off the weeds.

The problem with this is it can also leave dead patches of grass. 

Another option is to apply a pre-emergent herbicide like Isoxaben. This can be effective if you water it in your lawn before the temperature reaches a constant 77 degrees. The reason for this is once it’s pretty much 77 or hotter, the seeds begin to germinate.

Using herbicides too soon will burn off dandelion leaves, but the roots will send out fresh shoots come summertime.

Watering Your Lawn

 Water composition of healthy grass is between 70 and 85%. Water is essential to grass, just as it is to humans. It promotes the manufacture of food, seed germination, nutrient transport and absorption, cooling and the formation of tissue. Grass loses water when temperatures are high, humidity is low, when there is a brisk wind and with sun intensity. If grass doesn’t have the proper amount of water, it cannot cool and is susceptible to browning, disease, wilting and death.

The amount of water your lawn requires depends on the type of grass it consists of. Usually, one inch of water per week is sufficient, even in drought conditions. The amount of water your lawn receives can be easily measured by placing a shallow tin in your lawn and marking the side of it. If nature provides adequate rainfall, watering is not necessary.

If you water your lawn too much, it will lead to fungal disease, excessive growth and very frequent mowing. It also wastes water and power resources and causes pesticides and fertilizers become ineffective. These can get into the sewer system and cause water treatment problems.