How To Fix A Yard Without Grass

Moss remains green all year long, thrives in the shade and grows well in virtually any soil. Providing a soft carpet, moss is a low maintenance option if you're looking for alternatives to grass lawns that don't take much work or effort after planting. It requires no mowing, weeding, watering, fertilization or pest prevention – simply sit back and watch it grow.

Begin mowing as soon as the grass is 50 percent higher than the desired height. For example, mow tall fescue back to 3 inches when it reaches 4.5 inches. The frequency of mowing is governed by the amount of growth, which depends on temperature, fertility, moisture conditions, the season, and the natural growth rate of the grass.

The suggested height of cut is given in Tables 1a, 1b, and 1c. The homeowner should cut often enough that less than one-third of the total leaf surface is removed. To reduce the danger of spreading disease and injuring the turf, mow when the soil and plants are dry. If clippings are heavy enough to hold the grass down or shade it, catch them or rake and remove them. Allow them to fall into the turf where they will decay and release nutrients. This may reduce the need for fertilizer by 20 to 30 percent.

Several varieties of yarrow can be used as a dense, traffic-tolerant lawn alternative. Dwarf yarrows are often the best choice for those who want something that looks and acts more like a traditional lawn. Flowering varieties are also a popular choice, since they add more color to your yard. While yarrow is not drought tolerant, it only requires about half of the water needed to keep a natural grass lawn healthy, so it is a water-saving lawn replacement. To create a lawn that can withstand a lot of traffic, mow your yarrow regularly for a denser ground cover. Oregano is another herb ground cover option that can be used to replace a natural grass lawn.

This attractive choice brings a delightful fragrance to your yard and can handle light-to-moderate foot traffic, depending on the variety you choose. Creeping oregano is a fast grower that only gets about three inches tall, which makes it among the best choices of oregano varieties to use as living ground covers. Alternatively, you can always plant a separate crop in a container or in your herb garden for household use. Weeds love bare patches, so if you don't act quickly, they will. Spring's cool, wet weather is conducive to growing many types of turfgrass. Start by digging up the damaged section, plus 6 inches of surrounding, healthy lawn, cutting about 2 inches deep.

Then level the soil and add a small amount of soil amendment, such as a plant-based compost, and starter fertilizer. If you're using seed, cover it lightly with straw and keep the ground moist until germination. For sod, which is about 10 times more expensive than seed but tends to work better, cut a section to fit, press it into place, and water frequently until it takes root. Carpetgrass is a slow- and low-growing, medium-green, coarsely textured lawngrass.

It produces a low maintenance, general purpose turf. Carpetgrass resembles St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass and is often mistaken for centipedegrass but has broader leaves. It grows well in full sun to moderate shade and performs well in wet, shaded, acid soils where other lawngrasses may not grow. It grows best in full sunlight and does not tolerate cold, drought, salt, or traffic. Carpetgrass requires only 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft annually, and needs to be mowed only infrequently at 1.5 inches.

Centipedegrass is a slow growing, apple-green, coarsely leaved turfgrass that is best used as a low maintenance, general purpose turf. It does not tolerate traffic, compaction, high soil pH, high soil phosphorus, excessive thatch, drought, or heavy shade. It is also sensitive to many commonly used herbicides. Tall fescue is best adapted to the mountains and piedmont but can be successfully maintained on the heavy silt loams in the coastal plain.

It is a reliable performer and easily started from seed. It is the best grass to plant if you want a year-round green lawn. It will not perform well in full sun in the coastal plain, especially if the soil is sandy. It can be seeded by itself or mixed with Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, or both, particularly where shade is a concern. Tall fescue is a bunch-type grass, so damaged or bare areas will need to be re-seeded.

It exhibits good disease resistance, drought tolerance, and cold tolerance; tolerates moderate traffic; and persists with minimum care. Several improved tall fescue cultivars have been developed that are more shade tolerant, denser, and finer textured than Kentucky 31, a commonly used older cultivar. These characteristics become more evident as the turf matures and the maintenance level increases.

Use native trees, shrubs and ground covers or native grasses and wildflowers that are already well-adapted to the environment in your region. They will require less fertilizer, fewer pesticides, less watering and less maintenance. Birds and wildlife will benefit from the berries and seeds of native plants.

Non-nativespecies can be interspersed to add variety and color. The biggest downside is that most ornamental grasses are only for looks, so this lawn alternative will not work in areas where you actually want to use your lawn. Annual ryegrass is used only when a temporary turf cover is needed.

It is never recommended for permanent lawn mixtures because it dies in late spring, when temperatures approach 80ºF or higher. It is sometimes found in inexpensive commercial seed mixtures but should be avoided. Annual ryegrass is a problem weed in tall fescue because it cannot be selectively removed from the stand. Because annual ryegrass is an annual, it must be re-seeded each fall. Annual ryegrass has been used by some homeowners to provide winter color for bermudagrass lawns.

It is never recommended for overseeding other warm-season grasses. Clover is a great choice for people who want the look of a natural grass lawn, don't mind a bit of mowing and are not concerned about a lot of traffic. This pretty ground cover requires little water and stays green all summer without the need for chemical fertilizers. It is an inexpensive option that looks great and can stand up to some traffic.

If you are replacing your lawn to save money on your water bill and lower your home's environmental impact, then you really cannot go wrong with xeriscaping. This type of low-water landscaping is popular in Southern California and can be seen throughout the Southwestern United States. Island flowerbeds are good choices for people who either want to reduce their lawn size or replace their grass completely.

For reducing lawn size, this type of flowerbed allows you to remove as much or as little as you want of your natural grass lawn. That area can then be planted with low-water, low-maintenance plants that add texture and color to your yard. To replace your lawn completely, you can pair and island flowerbed with another of the options on this list, such as artificial grass, mulch or gravel.

Once you remove your lawn and choose the play structures to install, you can use mulch or artificial grass as a ground cover beneath the play equipment. Fine fescues include creeping red, chewings, and hard fescue. The name is derived from the very finely textured leaves, which are almost as fine as pine needles. They are best adapted to the mountains but can be grown in the piedmont. They may not persist in sunny locations exposed to high temperature extremes, excessive soil moisture or humidity, or heavy traffic.

What kid doesn't like chasing after butterflies in their own backyard? This ground cover can tolerate drought and flooding and works well in warm temperate regions, plus it is hearty enough for the wear and tear of child's play. Creeping thymes are low-maintenance ground cover plants that can even be harvested for culinary or medicinal purposes, depending on the variety you choose. It can be used in light traffic areas or around stepping stones, which allows its fragrance and tiny flowers to add character to walkways. Be sure you choose a variety of thyme that is appropriate for the size of the area you need to cover, since there are both slow- and fast-growing varieties.

If you plan to harvest it for culinary or medicinal purposes, it is best to use this lawn alternative away from areas that are used for parking, walking or pet restroom areas. To prevent drying of planting material, keep the top 1.5 inches of the soil moist. This may require light watering two or three times a day for 7 to 21 days.

Bluegrass takes 7 to 14 days longer to germinate than other cool-season grasses. As the seedlings grow and root, water less often but for longer periods. For mixtures containing bluegrass, do not make the mistake of decreasing water as soon as the seedlings appear. Continue watering until the bluegrass seedlings emerge.

After the third mowing, water to a depth of 6 to 8 inches about once a week or when needed. After alternatives to grass that will require little mowing? Then a turf or seed mix that includes creeping fescue is the answer.

Forming a close-knit turf, the leaves grow at a much slower rate than other grasses, such as ryegrass, reducing the need for mowing. Suited to most light soils through to heavy clay, this grass can take time to put down roots and establish but it forms a dense covering and is hardwearing. Before you start renovating your lawn, it's important to step back and see the big picture. Taking a moment to figure out what the problem is could help you avoid similar problems after you've replanted.

For example, if grubs are the problem, you'll need to treat for them first. Or you could consider adding landscaping features like a fire pit wherever grass struggles to grow. That will have the added benefit of cutting down the amount of mowing you need to do. Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, carpetgrass, and bahiagrass are classified as warm-season perennial grasses. All except bahiagrass are mostly recommended for lawns in the piedmont and coastal plain of North Carolina.

They grow best in the summer, go dormant in the fall at the first heavy frost, turn brown, and then green up slowly the following spring. For this reason, they usually perform better the farther east and south you go in those regions. Warm-season grasses are best planted in late spring and early summer. Warm-season grasses are usually seeded or planted as a single variety rather than in blends and mixtures. As with most cool-season grasses, it is best to broaden the genetic base by planting a blend of two to three cultivars rather than seeding a single cultivar.

It is also common for Kentucky bluegrass to be seeded in combination with tall fescue. The tall fescue enhances drought and heat tolerance, whereas the Kentucky bluegrass provides finer texture and greater recuperative potential. Generally, Kentucky bluegrass grows better than tall fescue in moderate shade. When mixed with tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass tends to dominate where the soil is limed and the turf is adequately fertilized and mowed fairly short.

It's time to consider an attractive, low-maintenance alternative by replacing your lawn with ground cover plants that don't require any mowing at all. Once these plants take hold, they can be irrigated much less frequently than lawns—maybe once every six weeks if it hasn't rained. While lawns offer a pastoral space for picnicking and playing outdoors, they also require a lot of maintenance.

Between keeping up with the weeds and the water bill, many homeowners look for alternative solutions. The best solutions look beautiful and offer alternatives to the summertime regimen of plant, water and mow. While an established native or new landscape can be beautiful and eventually save you time and money, it's not easy. Spreading the job out over a few years can save your budget and your back. It may take a few years to really rid your property of turf and to establish your new plants.

You will always need to weed your gardens, prune trees and shrubs, divide crowded plantings, and move or remove overgrown plants. Slow-growth, drought-resistant grass species save water, fertilizer, and time. Your local cooperative extension can help you find species that are right for your climate, soil, and lifestyle. Tall fescue is a low-maintenance alternative in the Northeast that can withstand heavy foot traffic, good for homes with active kids. Zoysia and seashore paspalum are easygoing newcomers in the South, while buffalo grass is popular west of the Mississippi. Lightly water the newly seeded, sodded, or plugged areas daily for at least 2 weeks to keep the top inch of soil consistently moist but not soggy.

Once the grass seedlings develop and start to fill in, gradually increase the amount of water the lawn receives so the top two inches of soil is kept moist. After the grass reaches mowing height, it's best to water deeply once or twice a week to encourage the grass roots to grow deep in the soil. If you have a St. Augustine lawn, you'll want to sod or plug your bare spots instead of seeding them. First, purchase a few pieces of sod or enough plugs to cover your bare spots from your local garden center. Lay the sod pieces directly on top of the prepared soil and tamp down gently with your foot, or plant plugs in a checkerboard pattern, spaced 12 inches apart.

How To Fix A Backyard Without Grass Your mental picture probably summons up a perfect lush, green carpet. But turning that cultural status symbol into reality means an endless cycle of mowing, weeding, regular watering, and heavy doses of fertilizer and pesticides. Irrigating with precious water and applying those chemicals are not only hard work; they're hard on the environment.