Organic Lawns Start with the Right Seed

Nature has a way of giving us help as we try to reduce use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides in the home landscape.  All we have to do is pay attention.  The past two seasons my hubby and I have made a point to seed in several areas for additional lawn.

As we shopped for seed, we came across a term that was new to me, Endophyte-enhanced turf grass. This is what I'm talking about.

Endophytes are a  fungi that naturally infect the blades of grass.  Not a harmful fungi, a beneficial fungi that makes the grass resistant to insects and diseases. Studies have shown that  Endophyte infected grasses are less likely to be damaged by insects such as billbugs, cinchbugs, and sod webworms.  The chemical that lives withing the plant does not harm the grass plant, but the insects don't fair as well.  Some bugs are repelled by the plant, where other bugs eat the blades and are poisoned.  The natural compound in the plant works on surface feeding insect. 

Billbug

Cut worm

Sod web worm

Endophyte-enhanced grass also has been shown to resist stresses of heat and drought, and recovers better in the fall.

Excessive usage of Water on Lawns

 Endophyte-enhanced seed blends have also shown resistance to diseases like dollar spot, and red thread. 

Dollar Spot

Red Thread

Why does this fungi seem so important?  In our efforts to reduce chemicals in the landscape, Endophyte-enhanced grass is environmentally friendly and are not genetically modified (GMO).  The time saved and money spent on chemical treatments is a great eco-friendly choice in the landscape.

The seed producers have gone to great lengths to show the benefits in their products.  Many Fescue, Ryegrass, and Bluegrass blends are available.  Local seed formulated in your area are probably best to deal with insects, diseases, and the climate. Landscapes that are sunny, shady, dry, or high traffic areas have specific blends. Local garden centers that sell seed can usually advise you on what seed will meed your requirements. A list of grass varieties can be accessed at The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program at www.ntep.org/.



Endophyte-enhanced grasses are not to be used in pastures where grazing animals feed.  Cattle and horses get very sick and have died eating Endophyte-enhanced pastures.  But what if you have a cat or dog that munches on grass occasionally.  An Assistant Professor from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine, Sandra Yi, states that there is no danger for our domestic pets. There has never been a toxic reaction that has been reported for these animals.

 Over seeding the lawn with these Endophyte-enhanced seed can go a long way to get your grass more organic.  I wrote a post earlier this week about dormant seeding the lawn during winter. So, getting more and more Endophyte-enriched seed integrated into the lawn will reduce the need for pesticides, minimal fertilizers, and water.

Over seeding in the fall will also benefit the lawn.  Just make sure that the seed is Endophyte-enhanced, makes contact with the soil, and is kept moist until it germinates. Annual over seeding will enhance weak, thin grass, and will fill in bare spots.

Dormant Seed Now for Lush Lawn

A snowy, cold January is the perfect time to renew your worn out lawn. Now I realize that the sub-zero wind chills are not calling me outside this weekend. But I'm going to dormant seed bare spots and fill in the grass when I can get out in the next few weeks.   What is dormant seeding?  And why should I do it now?  Let me explain.

Dormant seeding takes place when the ground is frozen.  Put down seed on frozen soil, and even on top of snow. Then allow the freezing and thawing that will happen in the next few months to put the seed down in cracks and crevices in the soil.  This timing is ideal for the seeds to germinate later when the soil is just starting to warm up.

Seed scattered on snow

Dormant seeding in winter is ideal for the busy gardener.  Many chores become urgent in the spring, and winter offers a reprieve from the schedules of that more hectic time. Here in my Ohio garden, Zone 6, we can dormant seed from December 1 - March 14 with cool season grasses like Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass.(Check your area for timing of over seeding warm season grasses as they are different from cool season grasses.)

Seeding over a snow cover is acceptable as the melting snow will work the seed into contact with the soil. And spring rains will help keep seedlings moist. Likewise, cool spring temperatures are ideal for growing new grass.

Stressed Lawn from Drought and Weeds

Tools to seed are a typical drop spreader or a broadcast spreader to distribute seed.  I would use caution on using a Broadcast spreader since seed landing in flower beds and borders will grow!

Drop spreader

Broadcast spreader

A weak lawn is literally asking for weed seeds to take off.  By dormant seeding with a quality grass seed, the lawn will thicken and keep weed seeds from germinating.

Many lawn experts recommend that the quantity of seed needed for an area be applied at 25% more than labels say.  This will ensure good coverage and the lawn will fill in all the bare and thin areas.

Enjoying a Healthy Lawn

The downside to dormant seeding is if the seed starts to germinate when a cold spell occurs.  Tiny seedlings can be killed and the grass will not fill in as well.  Also, if early spring rains pool in the lower sections of the lawn, the seeds will be too soaked to germinate.

Grass with healthy roots

The weed issues of any lawn are common.  However, when dormant seeding, do not use a pre-emergent weed barrier.  Normally a pre-emergent is applied in early spring.  This creates a barrier in the soil that keeps weed seeds - or grass seeds - from taking hold. Wait until the lawn has grown and been mowed a couple of times before any weed treatments are applied.  This will allow the grass blades to grow, extend roots, and be established before any herbicide is used.

As many of you know, I resist the use of chemicals on my lawn and gardens.  So this weed issue is more of a manual removal for me in my yard.

Weed Controls

I have posted more on Organic Lawn care here. Many benefits to dormant seeding, and the time is right for doing this step in lawn care.

Do you plan to do any dormant seeding?  Let us know.

Is Your Garden Sustainable?

 

Gardening Ideas to Reduce Our Environmental Impact

November 15 is Recycle America Day in the US.  And I think this is a good time to look at our gardening habits and perhaps reduce our environmental impact - if even just a little bit.

Sustainability is one of those words that encompasses so many elements.  The concept is to reduce our use of natural resources of  water and fossil fuels. Conserving water goes in tandem to maintaining clean water.  Air pollution goes hand in hand with fuel emissions and manufacturing.

So I was trying to reduce this huge subject into a more meaningful conversation – What can I do, as a gardener to achieve more sustainable living practices?   Here are some of my ideas. 
Create and maintain a recycled garden.

Compost – Is the ultimate sustainable thing anyone can do. Recycle grass cutting, plant debris, food scraps,and paper. 

Compost

How does this reduce usage of natural resources? 1) No trash truck needs to use fuel to take your garbage to a landfill. 2) No plastic bags are needed to wrap up you garbage - Plastic that can stay in landfills for decades; and making plastic bags uses petroleum products, which are not renewable.

Plastic Bags of Refuse

  Recycle plastic pots

Pots Pile Up in the Potting Shed

This is a tough one for me, as my trash recycler does not take the black pots. Not the right code number - too dirty – whatever. So I take the containers back to the garden center where I bought the plants.( HINT: buy quart size plants. They use less plastic, and the transportation for more small containers, than costs for transportation for the fewer, larger ones. )
The containers should be washed out of soil.  The shredder that reduces this plastic for reuse gets bogged down if mud binds up machinery. 

Since some trash haulers do not take nursery containers, businesses are stepping in to take this huge source of plastic out of the landfills.  Lowe’s is one such company.

Once the pots and trays are returned to the store, they are picked up by local vendors and sorted. The reusable material is sterilized and reintroduced to the production cycle. Serviceable trays are recovered and reused in the growing, shipping and sale of live plants. Material not deemed reusable is crushed, banded and sent for recycling.

Rain Barrels capture free water

Collected rain water can be used to water plants. Rain water runoff is reduced. Reducing runoff lessens erosion, and reduces chemicals that get into the sewers, streams, and rivers. A typical 1 inch rain fall on a standard roof  of 1000 s/f can collect 600 gallons of rain water.  I have a Fiskars rain barrel as one of two I have in my yard.

Rain Barrel by Fiskars

Use newspapers as mulch

Newspaper as Mulch

Recycle Newspaper

Recycle with thick layers of newspaper, or cardboard. This effectively blocks weed seeds from germinating by blocking out the light.  The paper will decompose and add nutrients to the soil.  Cover with a layer of compost or decorative mulch for a more finished look. 

Reduce Water Usage

Forego (some of) the lawn.  Just because everyone has one, is not a reason to have one.  Up to 50% of home water usage is used on the lawn.  Rain water is not well absorbed by turf – only about 10% -  and runoff is high.  This can pollute area watersheds especially if chemicals are used for fertilizer and pest controls.

Water Runoff

Use Native plants – once natives are established, they need little supplemental watering. I have discussed Native Plants in a previous article. (Read it here.)

Native Echineacea

Use Mulch on Beds – Mulch can reduce water usage by keeping the sun and wind from drying out the soil.  Plants are not stressed by extreme soil temperatures either, since the mulch keeps the soil in a more even range.  Mulch in the fall only after the soil is near frozen as the insulation of the mulch may allow the soil to remain too warm and keep plants from hardening off sufficiently which can cause tissue damage in freezing temperatures.

Add Mulch to control Weeds and Conserve Water

Obviously, there is much a gardener can do to be more environmentally friendly.  Recycling plastics, recycling newspapers, reclaiming water, and reducing water use, are all key elements to a sustainable environment.  Sustainable living is multi-faceted, and these gardening ideas as just a few. 

What sustainable practices do you feel are important?  Tell us about them.  I love to get comments.  Thanks.

Landscape - Common Practices that Cost Us

Landscapes - Are We Making This Too Difficult?


God and Grass

I received this email a while back.  I do not know the author to give credit.  But I could not say it any better. (I've added the pictures.)

GOD:

Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago?

I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds.

 I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

ST. FRANCIS:

It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD:

Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms.

Grubs

Billbug

 It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS:

Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD:

The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS:

Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.

GOD:

They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS:

Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD:

They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS:

No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD:

Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS:

Yes, Sir.

GOD:

These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS:

You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it,

 so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD:

What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself.

 The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

ST. FRANCIS:

You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD:

No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS:

After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD:

And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS:

They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD:

Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE:

'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....

GOD:

Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.*


I hope my story has humored us into rethinking how we garden.  Are we 'mimicing' nature?  Can we garden like nature?  You betcha!  Hope this gives us something to strive for - and take care of our environment. Thanks for stopping by.  Claudia