PNW Lawn Alternatives

More homeowners are looking for alternative ways to landscape their homes for a variety of reasons, including a concern for conserving water, the high cost and labor of maintaining a lawn, the repeated use of fertilizers and herbicides, and often to replace lawns just not doing well or dying under trees.

There are many alternatives to lawns, especially under trees where little sunlight reaches.

One popular landscaping plan is called naturalizing, meaning the use of nature as a model to create an attractive area that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance to keep it that way. Turf grass doesn’t grow under trees in nature. You may have observed what is growing at ground level when taking a walk in the woods. You see small shrubs, ferns, wildflowers, and a few grasses. Which plants are chosen depends on the amount of light that reaches them.

Shade tolerant plants are recommended when naturalizing an area under trees. There are many plants to choose from, and visiting local nurseries is an enjoyable way to see what is available in your area.

Once you have decided to replace all or part of your lawn, then plan well how you are going to remove the lawn and condition the soil to accept your new plants. There are many excellent resources on soil amendment and plant suggestions on Washington State Extension sites, as well as on the internet in general.

NATURALIZING A LAWN AREA

Here is an easy approach to naturalizing a portion of a yard with one or more large trees:

1. Use a garden hose or long rope to delineate the area in which you want to replace grass with shade- and drought-tolerant shrubs, perennials, and mulch.
2. Measure the area and make a rough sketch on paper. Decide how many shrubs or plants are needed to fill that area when they mature. (It may be just a few, depending on the size of plants at maturity.)
3. Remove the grass inside your “naturalized area.” There are several ways to remove grass from an area. The easiest and most recommended method to prevent the destruction of roots of trees is to cover the area with either paper or cardboard. Next, cover these overlapped items with compost or mulch at a depth of 3-4 inches. Over time (several weeks) the grass will die, and the area will be ready for planting. You don’t need to remove these cover materials but dig your holes through them for planting when you are ready. It is best to do this in the fall, allowing the grass to die all winter, for planting in the spring. Other methods exist to remove grass. One is to dig up the grass and remove the sod from the area. This can be hard labor. Killing grass using chemical methods is not recommended. If you do choose this method, check all local rules for grass-killing chemicals to avoid damaging trees.
4. When the grass is completely dead (depending on the grass-killing method you used), purchase and set potted plants out using these guidelines:
5. Place plants where they can grow to their mature size without moving or pruning back every year.
6. Place shorter plants and those needing more light near the edge of the naturalized area.
7. Step back and view the area from several vantage points. Don’t forget to go inside and view the arrangement from a window, if that is important to you. When you are satisfied with your arrangement, dig holes to set your plants in the ground. Use a very sharp shovel to minimize damage to tree roots. Cutting through roots an inch or less in diameter is not damaging to healthy trees. If a larger root is encountered, move plants to either side of it.
8. Keep this area mulched and watered regularly until the new plants are established. WSU Master Gardener Program provided this information.

Another Alternative Lawn is the Ecolawn:

This Information Provided by Oregon State University Master Gardener Program.

What is an ecolawn? … Less work and water.

An ecolawn is a low input alternative to a conventional perennial grass lawn. Ecolawns provide a turf-type ground cover and tolerate typical uses of grass lawns.

Unlike a standard grass lawn, however, an ecolawn is a mix of broadleaf and grass species that:

• Are mutually compatible and ecologically stable
• Stay green through the dry summer months
• Need less water than conventional grass lawns
• Require little or no fertilizer

An additional benefit is that ecolawns usually require less mowing than standard lawns – once every 2 to 3 weeks during spring, summer, and fall. If watered and fertilized like a conventional lawn, however, luxurious growth will result requiring more frequent mowing.

How do I establish one?

Site preparation and establishment are basically the same as for a standard grass lawn. Regular watering is necessary for seed germination and establishment, especially during the first summer.

Once established, however, water requirements are estimated to be 1/4 to 1/3 those of a conventional lawn.

There are several commercially available ecolawn seed mixes, but most include key components tested by the OSU Turfgrass program and former OSU Turf Specialist Tom Cook. Ecolawn components include:

• Dwarf perennial ryegrass and hard fescue – non-competitive grasses, green during winter, may go dormant during summer depending on irrigation
• Yarrow – drought tolerant, green through summer, can be invasive around edges
• Clover – nitrogen fixation, drought tolerant, green in summer

Some mixes include other flowering broadleaves plants such as micro clover, English daisy, Roman chamomile, or alyssum.

Another choice for a drought-tolerant lawn is a dwarf tall fescue blend such as Water Warden. This turf resembles a conventional lawn but again, needs much less water once established.

To cut back on water use and lawn chores, reduce the size of your lawn to whatever you and your family need for recreation. Then, identify the conditions of the area you want planted in lawn. Is it full sun, shaded or some of each? Is it sloped so steeply that watering and mowing will be a problem? Are tree roots going to compete for water and nutrients? Some grass types are more suited to certain conditions than others.

Lawn (turfgrass) is appropriate for areas that receive heavy traffic or aggressive play by pets and children. However, turfgrass is frequently planted in areas that are difficult (if not impossible) to water and maintain. These challenging areas are usually narrow, steep, shady, or extremely hot and sunny. Areas not suitable for turfgrass can be converted to a lawn substitute or groundcover.

GROUNDCOVERS

A well-chosen groundcover can provide the same advantages as lawn without high maintenance and water requirements. Groundcovers provide cooling for buildings, year-round color, choke out weeds, and spread by themselves. Evergreen groundcovers need the least amount of maintenance and have color and texture during all the seasons. Groundcover selection is based on finding the right plant for the existing conditions of sun, shade, drought or moisture.

Adding wildflowers and bunchgrasses to your site is another way to change difficult planting areas to attractive features in your landscape. Bunchgrasses, sometimes called “dryland grasses”, hardy to at least USDA zone 6 can survive on 17 inches of annual precipitation or less. They survive our Inland Northwest climatic conditions by going dormant (not dying) during winter and again during the hot dry months in summer. When dormant, bunchgrasses turn yellow or tan in color. Between times of dormancy, they are green. Before their summer dormancy, un-mown bunchgrasses will produce seeds on stalks that are taller than the grass blades and provide a stunning visual display. Native or drought-tolerant plants are suggested.

Ground covers are low-growing shrubs, perennials or annuals that blanket the ground. Ground covers are useful in a wide variety of situations. Use low-growing plants:

• As a lawn substitute in shady areas.
• Where tree roots or steep slopes make lawns difficult to mow.
• To help control erosion on banks.
• To help conserve water by using drought-tolerant species.

Weed control for best results with groundcovers, treat weeds before planting. To eliminate existing weeds before planting:

• If a non-chemical method is desired, hoe and/or pull weeds. Disturbing the soil will cause newly exposed weed seeds to germinate. Hoeing and pulling are usually considered an ongoing weed control method unless weed fabric or mulch is used.
• Another alternative to herbicide use is called solarization. This method requires clear plastic to be laid over the planting area and fastened down around the edges with rocks or weed fabric staples. It is essential to use this method for 4-6 weeks in June, July, or August to generate enough heat to kill existing weeds and weed seeds. Solarization is not effective if used in spring or fall.
• Not all ground covers grow quickly, therefore individual species and growth habit will determine planting spacing.
• On steep slopes, build a small berm on the downhill side of the planting hole to collect water.
• For steep slopes where erosion control is the purpose, weed fabric or erosion matting can be used over the whole area while plants are still small. Individual plants will be planted in holes cut through the fabric.
• Planting can be done anytime the ground is workable, but April-June usually provides the best conditions for success. Small plants, one gallon and smaller, can heave out of the ground during freezing/thawing in winter if planted later than October 1.
• Water individual plants thoroughly.
• Ground covers have moderate fertilizer needs much like other ornamental plantings.
• When planting, use a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote at the base of the plants. Use according to label directions for perennial plants.
• Or broadcast 1 pound of 10-10-10 granular fertilizer per 100 square feet over the entire planting area after plants are installed and water well.
• Fertilize established groundcovers in spring with one the above methods. Mulching A 2” layer of mulch will help retain soil moisture, prevent weed growth and keep the soil at an even temperature around the roots.
• Use fine-textured, well-composted mulch such as composted sawdust, fir bark, ground bark or shredded tree leaves.
• Keep mulch from directly touching the base of plants to prevent crown rot disease.
• Established ground covers do not require watering as often as new plantings. The top inch or two of soil can dry out between waterings (even under a mulch layer.)
• Sprinkler systems or drip irrigation systems are best.
• Water groundcovers well in late October.

For questions: Contact info@gardenbytheseaoceanshores.org

This article was originally published in the January 2024 issue of the Ocean Observer.