Eco-Lawn

[Jeremy D. Scott]

Our lawn is pathetic. I could care less about having the greenest lawn on the street, but I'd at least like a green lawn and one that holds the dirt down (we're on a slight slope). Is that too much to ask?

We're looking into Eco-Lawn (http://www.wildflowerfarm.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=4&pg=1). The advantages (or so the website says) are:
it grows much slower than regular turf, requiring much less mowing (saving gasoline, wear on a mower, etc. not to mention time)
it's root system is much deeper than a normal lawn, requiring no to little watering
it can grow pretty much anywhere
it is weed resistantNot that I buy grass seed every week, but $30 for 5 pounds seems doable, no?

Anyone out there have any experience with this stuff? Reviews?

[LoraineStanton]

Sorry I don't know anything about this. I just wanted to say thanks for the link! I've been looking for just this sort of grower.

[Meghan Schoonover]

Is it zoysia grass? Couldn't tell from a quick glance on the link. I've wondered about that, too. I'm not too familiar with planting lawns (having only moved into places that have established ones) but I'd check with local sources for something that grows well in your climate. Zoysia won't do well in my climate, apparently, b/c it goes dormant in summer...and we have a lot of long, hot summer. Regular lawn *should* go dormant, too, but we make it stay green by watering.

Anyway, not too helpful, just wanted to comment. Personally, I'd rip most of it out. I really hate lawns. There's a house near where we live that's chain-link fence and river rock and my husband teasing me it's my dream yard. Not exactly, I like plants a lot, but at least there's no lawn.

There's also the option of having creeping plants that don't need mowing and handle foot traffic. I have wooly thyme and several varieties of Steppables (http://www.stepables.com/) holding our banks together. :)

[David Molle]

the persons in charge of a golf course
may have some free advice?

[Jeremy D. Scott]

Is it zoysia grass? Couldn't tell from a quick glance on the link. I've wondered about that, too. I'm not too familiar with planting lawns (having only moved into places that have established ones) but I'd check with local sources for something that grows well in your climate. Zoysia won't do well in my climate, apparently, b/c it goes dormant in summer...and we have a lot of long, hot summer. Regular lawn *should* go dormant, too, but we make it stay green by watering.

This is what the web-site says it is:
Eco-Lawn is comprised of the following seven fine fescue grasses:
Sheeps Fescue
Dawson Slender Red Fescue
SR5210 Creeping Red Fescue
SR 5100 Chewings Fescue
Jasper Creeping Red Fescue
Scaldis Hard Fescue
SR 3150 Hard Fescue

Apparently this is a brand/mix that has worked in our area a bit - I got the name from a Boston Globe article that talked about local developers using it.

Anyway, not too helpful, just wanted to comment. Personally, I'd rip most of it out. I really hate lawns. There's a house near where we live that's chain-link fence and river rock and my husband teasing me it's my dream yard. Not exactly, I like plants a lot, but at least there's no lawn.

There's also the option of having creeping plants that don't need mowing and handle foot traffic. I have wooly thyme and several varieties of Steppables (http://www.stepables.com/) holding our banks together. :)


That's supposedly one of the benefits of this - that it requires little to no mowing or watering. You don't have to mow it if you don't want to (but I would once a month or so).

The website says that more gasoline is wasted every year from spillage when people fill up their lawn mowing and weed-whacking machines than from the Exxon Valdez spill. :eek:

My biggest worry is killing what we do have in order to plant this. They say that is the best way to grow the lawn quickly. You could just plant it every year over 4-5 years and it would take over the lawn, but I don't have that patience (and don't want to pay for seeding every year).

Anyway, thanks for the input, everyone.

[Ken Pell]

I like the lawn method I saw while visiting Mesa, Arizona. Small colored pebbles. It is the ultimate "eco-lawn."
> It grows REAL slow
> You seldom have to use a lawn mower
> It does not require much time
> It can "grow" pretty much everywhere. :laughing

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q222/grumpyoldman0618/phoenix.jpg

[Jeremy D. Scott]

I like the lawn method I saw while visiting Mesa, Arizona. Small colored pebbles. It is the ultimate "eco-lawn."
> It grows REAL slow
> You seldom have to use a lawn mower
> It does not require much time
> It can "grow" pretty much everywhere. :laughing



It would probably be a bit tough on the knees of my three year old and 1.5 year old kids...

I'd like to be able to throw around a football or a baseball with my kids. Maybe even roll around on it.

[Meghan Schoonover]

Hey, if it's local, that sounds great! I've heard those stats about the gas, and pollution, too, from gas mowers! At our old place it was small enough we used a reel-mower but now it's huge so we use a gas mower for most of it. I don't mind a small patch of grass to run around on (and play bocce and croquet!) but I'd rather see plants that have no upkeep. My husband likes the lawn so at our new place I'm sure we'll have an adequate lot.

If you want to kill the lawn but don't want to use a round-up type product to do so, you can find old pieces of carpet and lay them down. Another way (which my friend did successfully) is to mulch it like crazy with cardboard boxes with something holding them down (clipping, bricks, whatever). You're preventing water/light from getting to the grass and it will kill it. The other thing I've read about it to dig it up and turn it over with roots in the air to kill it, then break up the dead clods after they dry out and die, and incorporate those into your new lawn.

[Ken Pell]

It would probably be a bit tough on the knees of my three year old and 1.5 year old kids...

I'd like to be able to throw around a football or a baseball with my kids. Maybe even roll around on it.

Ah! There's the rub.

We have different priorities! :)

May have something to do with age and seasons of life too. :)

[Dennis M. Scott]

It would probably be a bit tough on the knees of my three year old and 1.5 year old kids...

I'd like to be able to throw around a football or a baseball with my kids. Maybe even roll around on it.


You could bring your kids over and use our lawn. :basic01

[Scott Hilton]

It would probably be a bit tough on the knees of my three year old and 1.5 year old kids...

I'd like to be able to throw around a football or a baseball with my kids. Maybe even roll around on it.
Its good to toughen up the kids Jeremy, don't coddle them. You are being far to tolerant with them, they need to know what pain is.

(in case you didn't realize it, this post was expressed with sarcastic intent, please beware)

[Ken Pell]

You could bring your kids over and use our lawn. :basic01

Ah ... the heart of a grandpa?

I can't wait to be a grandpa. I keep telling my kids that's all I want for Christmas.

[Ken Pell]

Its good to toughen up the kids Jeremy, don't coddle them. You are being far to tolerant with them, they need to know what pain is.

(in case you didn't realize it, this post was expressed with sarcastic intent, please beware)

:laughing We think too much alike. I thought about posting something similar. :)

[David Pettigrew]

Let me tell you how we ensure a lush, green lawn in Texas.

Step 1) Pour gravel on a patch of ground.
Step 2) Call it a "driveway".

Don't even get me started on lawn care. I have way too many war stories, and the battle scars to prove them. Believe it or not, I went to the farm where we buy our chicken and got a sack of manure to spread on the lawn. My wife was thrilled to be barreling down the highway with all of the windows on our Mitsubishi rolled down and our heads stuck out the windows. I had to ride with the sack between my legs so we didn't risk it spilling over. It kept getting hotter and hotter! My legs were burning when we got home. Tracie was failing to see the humor in the situation, but I told her that at least my actions were starting to line up with my words!

Anyway, I spread it on the lawn. Two words - P. U.

[Scott Hilton]

:laughing We think too much alike. I thought about posting something similar. :)
You should be afraid, very afraid, lol