Post on 08-May-2015
1/6/2013
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© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND – 2011 (our 7th year)
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Lawns Gone Wild
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Nature Center
January 8, 2011
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2011 Theme: Mindful Gardening
(understanding options/choices for your garden) © Project SOUND
The two most important tools in the
mindful gardener’s toolkit
1. A thoughtful (question posing) attitude 2. Time spent watching and thinking about your garden
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© Project SOUND
A traditional sod lawn may be the best
solution...
Tough – stands up to kids, dogs, play and even worse
Evergreen – and a nice medium green color
Smooth – good playing surface
Gardener’s can manage them
http://molkkyusa.com/
© Project SOUND
Many benefits of a healthy conventional lawn
Reduces soil erosion
Filters contaminants from rainwater
Absorbs airborne pollutants like dust and soot
Great at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen.
http://xploring.org/tag/green/
54 million Americans mow their lawns each weekend.
5% of U.S. air pollution comes from traditional gas-powered lawn mowers.
80 pounds of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere each year by the average gas-powered mower.
800 million gallons of gas are consumed each year by gas mowers.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency and People Powered Machines
© Project SOUND
So, ideally you should choose a conventional turf lawn
based on conscious weighing of pros & cons…
…rather than simply going
with the ‘usual’ solution
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You may conclude that you do need some lawn…but
can reduce it’s size
Giving you more space to use
as you desire (whatever that
may be)
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What do you really want from
your ‘lawn area’?
© Project SOUND
Your first answer may
be ‘drought tolerant’
http://www.calecodesign.com/Gallery.html
Cities/water districts are promoting incentive programs
Beautiful Long Beach Lawn-to-Garden Incentive Program
Also programs in Santa Monica, City of L.A., other areas
These programs may give you the extra incentive to re-think your lawn space – but they can’t tell you what’s right for your yard
http://laist.com/2010/03/31/long_beach_is_now_paying_people_to.php
© Project SOUND
Just because it’s drought-tolerant doesn’t
mean it’s right for you
http://www.citydirt.net/2008/01/ © Project SOUND
What things don’t you like about your
current ‘lawn are’? Too water-thirsty Needs too much fertilizer &
pesticides Time spent mowing could be
spent more enjoyably Cost of gardener to maintain Not used any more – kids grown Poor habitat value Boring Full of weeds Lawn doesn’t grow very well –
too shady or too hot Doesn’t reflect the natural
heritage of western L.A. co.
What can I do to avoid these pitfalls in
my ‘new lawn’?
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© Project SOUND
What do you like about your current lawn?
A place for kids to play Green most of the year Cool in summer Mowing – it gets us outside
and working/exercising Looks good with the design
of the house Easy to maintain Reduces erosion; allows
water to infiltrate Takes up CO2 Whatever it is you like about
your lawn
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Your lawn – before you removed it
The good things
Green in Spring/Summer Looks neat & tidy Can be walked on Mowing – enjoy occasionally
The bad things
Requires too much water Not local native – would
prefer that
© Project SOUND
Your personal lists will help you make a
choice that’s right for your garden
Green in Spring/Summer Looks neat & tidy Can be walked on Mowing – enjoy occasionally
Requires too much water Not local native – would
prefer that
The good things The bad things
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Saltgrass – Distichlis spicata
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Saltgrass
Stiff perennial grass with numerous long stems
Warm-season grass
Sod-forming – spreads by rhizomes
May grow flat or more erect (4-16 inches tall)
Looks somewhat like Bermuda Grass
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Keys to a successful Saltgrass lawn
Lawns usually started from plugs or cut sections of rhizomes
Best done in winter
Bury rhizomes 1-2 inches
Keep ground moist until established
Needs full sun
Needs winter moisture; can water in summer to keep green
Mow infrequently
Needs no/little added fertilizer
© Project SOUND
Benefits of Saltgrass
Can withstand harsh conditions – salt/alkali soils, seasonal flooding, seasonal drought
Good habitat for birds (seeds and cover) and butterflies (Skippers)
good for controlling wind or water erosion
Highly resistant to trampling –even for playing fields
Looks like Bermuda Grass – and can be treated like it
But….
1. It really does best – and is most water-wise – with summer-fall drought
2. It is coarse-looking – and feeling (like Bermuda-grass) © Project SOUND
Perhaps you’d like something a little less
tough – but more refined looking
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Creeping Wild Rye - Leymus triticoides
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/Photographs_page/leytri.htm
© Project SOUND
Creeping Wildrye is quite versatile
Any soil texture, but should be well-drained
Tolerates alkali soils & salty soils
Low/no fertilizer needed
Full sun to light shade
Water: it takes what it gets – will stay green with some summer water
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Uses for Creeping Wild Rye
Nice, green native lawn grass – and takes well to mowing
Good for erosion control
Suited for washes, riparian areas – probably our best native for vernal swales
Good bank stabilizer and weed suppressor
http://www.hastingsreserve.org/NativeGrass/Natives.html#LeymusTrit
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Mowing your Creeping Wild Rye (or
other native grass)
Mowing is tolerated well
Mowing changes how it looks - will look just like a turf grass (Bermuda Grass)
Mow every 3-4 weeks during growth season only
Set mower high – as high as it will go is best
http://www.albrightseed.com/wildryeswalefilter.htm
Hint: this grass spreads by
runners – may want to grow in
contained area or limit water
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/09/review-push-reel-mower-lawnmower-sunlawn-lmm-40.php
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Dune (Seaside) Bentgrass – Agrostis pallens
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Dune (Seaside) Bentgrass – Agrostis pallens
Cool-season perennial bunchgrass that also spreads via runners & reseeding
Summer dormant in nature – turns an attractive golden brown
Native to dunes – does great in sandy soils
Full sun to part-shade
Water: Zone 1-2 to 2-3 (for summer green)
Use as an ornamental grass, meadow grass or (small) mowed lawn
© Project SOUND
Weighing the pros & cons of locally native
‘lawn grasses’ Pros
Locally native
Tough
Easy to grow
Can be very drought tolerant
Can be mowed occasionally – or left unmowed
Cons Some (like Saltgrass) are
coarse looking
Really best – and most water-wise – with some summer/fall drought
© Project SOUND
But they ARE from northern CA – so need some summer water to look good
http://turfgrassmanagement.psu.edu/species.cfm
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?cod
e=G880 http://www.soquelcreekwater.com/images/Pho-Grass_festuca_rubra.jpg
Native Fescues can
make nice lawn
grasses
http://www.ibot.cas.cz/krkonose/mm/mm.htm
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© Project SOUND
The really ‘lawn-like’ native grasses are from
further North (and require more water)
Festuca rubra ‘Molate’ - ‘Molate’ Red Fescue
Spreading/bunching – the most lawn-like of CA native grasses – fine texture
Can be mowed occasionally (and high – 4-6”) for more lawn-like appearance – take some foot traffic
Shade or sun
Needs occasional summer water – best as Zone 2 or 2-3 for ‘green lawn’ appearance
Widely available as seed or plugs – easy to grow on many climates
http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/geoImages/BainCalif/CAL400/BUNGRASS.HTML
© Project SOUND
Your personal lists will help you make a
choice that’s right for your garden
Evergreen – ‘swath of green’ Low maintenance Reminds me of being out in the
woods (which I like)
Requires too much water Doesn’t look great in the
shady areas of the yard
The good things The bad things
© Project SOUND
Does it really have to be ‘all grass’?
Other options for shady areas: Yarrow (Achillea) Native strawberries
(Fragaria spp) – native to Central CA coast, local mountains
Benefits Interesting – ‘woodsy’ look Good habitat value Tough – and more water-
wise than grass Can be combined with
grass-like species for more interest
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spidra/2290393751/ © Project SOUND
Choices from the N. CA Coastal Prairie
tend to be green looking with some water
Coastal prairie conditions are sunny and mild, with fog and cool breezes.
Red fescue (Festuca rubra), a grass that expands by underground rhizomes
California Oatgrass (Danthonia californica), a plant that doesn't mind being stepped on
Pacific dune sedge (Carex pansa), a lush green groundcover.
A native lawn of Pacific dune sedge
looks lush with just monthly
watering (in N. CA)
http://lomaprieta.sierraclub.org/thelomaprietan.asp?q=2009030802
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© Project SOUND
Sedges (Carex species) can be a good evergreen alternative to grass
Relatively easy to establish & maintain
Evergreen – look ‘grass-like’ to most people (including your neighbors)
Can take a little more water – good for wet areas near neighbor’s lawn
http://blueplanetgardening.com/art-lawnsubs.html
Some can be mowed (for a more formal look) or left unmowed (for a more informal look)
© Project SOUND
Which ‘lawn sedge’ is it?
There has been some confusion in the past
Carex pansa (north coast) Shorter, bent best for sandy soils ‘Lawn-like’ even when not
mowed (on slopes)
C. praegracilis (local native) More upright best for clays/ likes more
water
C. tumulticola (local native)
More mounded Slow-spreading; plant closely
for meadow or lawn Slightly more drought
tolerant
C. pansa is left, praegracilis is right
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Carex-pansa/
C. pansa lawn, on the coast
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Green & easy-care – the Carex pansa solution
http://www.landscaperesource.com/articles/study-of-lawn-in-our-gardens-part-ii.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11525626@N00/3881883242
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2673289141/
Carex pansa is the most lawn-like, but
it’s from N. CA and it does require
more water
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Mowed Carex praegracilis
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fross/3237730086/in/photostream/
Carex praegracilis can be
mowed for a ‘lawn-like’
appearance – or spaced
more widely as a pleasing
accent or shade plant
http://www.calown.com/nativegarden_plants.html
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© Project SOUND
http://www.satoridesigns.net/?p=19
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/2673289141/
Carex species combine well
with other native grasses,
groundcovers and shrubs to
give and interesting a varied
appearance
© Project SOUND
Grasses & sedges can soften modern
architecture
Deergrass
http://www.asla.org/2009awards/612.html
Fescues
Sedges
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND
Your personal lists will help you make a
choice that’s right for your garden
Evergreen – sort of Prevents erosion on slope Discourages people from
walking on it
Requires too much water – would like to be slightly more water-wise
Hard to mow – steep hillside
The good things The bad things
http://greenlandoceanblue.com/2011/01/03/say-you-got-some-snoo-on-your-lawn-larry-o%E2%80%99shea-in-the-tv-series-that%E2%80%99s-my-bush/
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© Project SOUND
Do I really need to mow? If not, the options
expand dramatically Many ‘lawn-like’ species
can be left un-mowed (‘ornamental grasses’)
Carex species Juncus species Fescue species Many local & other CA
Native bunchgrasses
Many other groundcover species Herbaceous species Even low-growing
woody species from N./Central CA coast [Manzanitas; Ceanothus]
© Project SOUND
Grass-like natives as accents or background
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83213315@N00/498800058
http://www.thedigeratilife.com/blog/index.php/2008/06/04/save-money-and-conserve-water-with-these-7-ideas-for-your-yard/
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/tips/lawn_alternatives.php
© Project SOUND
The no-lawn ‘lawn’
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/tips/lawn_alternatives.php
http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2009/03/another-front-l.html http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=497 © Project SOUND
What is really important to you?
http://cocreativegardendesign.com/56-2/
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© Project SOUND
Your personal lists will help you make a
choice that’s right for your garden
Changes with the seasons – green in winter/spring
Requires too much water Too boring – not enough going on Poor habitat value No sense of place
The good things The bad things
© Project SOUND
The California Coastal Prairie
http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~joel/g148_f09/lecture_notes/north_coast/north_coast.html
The Northern CA Coastal Prairie
© Project SOUND
Where do I go to see what a S. CA
Coastal Prairie looks like?
© Project SOUND
http://www.savetejonranch.org/all/index.html
http://www.coastalzone-ca.com/realworld.htm
The California Coastal
Prairie – clues from
other native grasslands
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© Project SOUND
http://philipsgardenblog.com/
Shares some grass
and other species with
N. Coastal Prairie
http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/training/show_train_detail.php?T
RAIN_ID=CoyEJZ39
And with vernal pools
© Project SOUND
The S. California Coastal Prairie
Grasses Bromus carinatus Koelera macrantha Melica imperfecta Nassella cernua Poa secunda Elymus glaucus And others
Forbes Annual wildflowers – most of the
ones we’ve discussed in previous classes
Other ‘weedy’ annuals Perennials (mostly small and incl.
bulbs & corms)
Shrubs http://www.caopenspace.org/pv1.html
http://faculty.jsd.claremont.edu/dthomson/studentres.htm
© Project SOUND
http://interwork.sdsu.edu/fire/resources/san-diego-habitats.htm
Many aspects of S.
Coastal Prairie are
currently unknown
What is the natural succession of plant species? How long does it take?
How best to restore native prairies
How to combat weeds (note: native prairies don’t have natural mulch)
What species are best suited for home gardens? How should they be used?
And many more
© Project SOUND
Project SOUND will focus on Coastal
Prairie research the next several years
Collecting plant species not readily available – and propagating them
Research on restoration methods
Work on restoring a native prairie at CSUDH
Trying gardening methods focused on prairie species
Would you like to participate?
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One-sided Bluegrass – Poa secunda
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Poa-secunda/
© Project SOUND
This is more like what it would look like in
South Bay prairie
http://www.tarleton.edu/~range/Grasslands/Palouse%20Prairie/palouseprairie.htm
Bluebunch wheatgrass with scattered One-sided bluegrass
http://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaelmazor
/3400158978/
© Project SOUND
Typical Bluegrass Fine-bladed, dark blue-
green perennial grass
Cool-season grass Starts growth in early spring
– one of the first grasses Blooms Feb-Aug – early
bloomer Matures, dies in mid-summer
Bunchgrass – but variable Sometimes (harsh climates)
just a thin, small tuft With more winter-spring
water, more developed tussock
Relatively short-lived
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/onesidedbluegrass.html © Project SOUND
One-sided Bluegrass succeeds
In mixes with other, later-season grasses
In full sun to partial shade – fine under pine trees
On any soil texture – like a good loam but succeeds in shallow, rocky, sandy or clay soils
Any local pH is fine – tolerates moderately alkali and salty soils
Needs average winter/spring rain – then likes to dry out in summer. You could experiment with some summer water
http://www.nativegrasses.com/images/grasses/FHGR-FHG1.jpg
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© Project SOUND
Benefits and uses
Pretty, graceful and delicate – all the usual positive points for bluegrasses
Early to green up – often after fall rains in S. Bay
Will reseed on patches of bare ground once established
Can tolerate moderate spring flooding – would be fine for a vernal swale
Well-liked by birds (seeds and nesting site), ground squirrels and domestic animals (horses) even when dry
Tolerant of fire when dormant
Few (if any) insect, disease problems
http://www.laspilitas.com/butterfl_files/Needle_grass.jpeg
© Project SOUND
Planting One-sided Bluegrass from seed
Plant fall/winter in S. Bay
May have low germination rates – highly variable depending on weather, site
Use 2-4 lbs seed/1000 sq. feet for lawn/meadow (more if broadcast)
Sow on well-prepared and firmed soil
Rake in or cover to ¼ to ½ inch (deeper for coarse soils)
Be sure to keep ground surface moist until seeds germinate (7-14 days); then every other day until established
Will grow quickly in warm temperatures http://ww1.clunet.edu/wf/chap/common/bjc-1397.htm
© Project SOUND
California Brome – Bromus carinatus (var. maritimus)
© Project SOUND
California Brome – locally native bunchgrass
Perennial (may be short-lived)
Cool season
Bunchgrass
Usually erect when young, more drooping as matures – but coastal forms are more low-lying (prostrate)
Leaves broad, green, robust
Stays green into summer, even with no added water
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Benefits and uses of CA Brome
http://pnwpest.org/weeds/id/California_brome--Bromus_carinatus--
m.s.jpg
Grows rapidly (typical brome) - a great choice to get native grass covering the ground quickly
Can serve as a quick-growing “nurse” grass to longer-lived grasses like Needlegrasses, Melic Grass - lives only a few years (3-5 years here)
Deep, spreading roots make great for erosion control – quick
Does fine on slopes
Great insect, butterfly and bird plant – if left to go to seed
Very hardy – used on roadsides and mine rehabilitation © Project SOUND
Blue Wildrye – Elymus glaucus
© Project SOUND
June Grass - Koeleria macrantha
Patrick J. Alexander @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © Project SOUND
http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/plants/newslides/koeleria480.jpg
Junegrass in nature: an accent rather than the main show
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© Project SOUND
Local Prairie grasses - lovely in gardens
However you choose to use
them, you’re increasing the
habitat value of your garden
© Project SOUND
Would you like to help recreate native
prairie in your yard?
Attend special classes featuring the S. Coastal Prairie/ shrubland
Grow seed - seed available for home propagation
Experiment with installation methods - grass available for demonstration areas in your yard
Grow the grasses/annuals as part of the One Pot Program
Experiment with different uses of the native species on your garden – there are many possibilities
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/calif/msg0617091222429.
html
E-mail Connie if you’re interested
© Project SOUND
Bringing Back the Natives – One Pot at a Time
Your commitment:
Materials Pot: 12-16 inches in diameter;
12-16 inches deep Potting soil: Gardener’s Soil
Time Plant seeds; care for plants After seeds are ripe/dry:
Scatter in your garden Collect and share with others
Photos & feedback Provide us photos and (brief)
written feedback about your successes and failures
© Project SOUND
If you’d like to grow more native grasses
from seed….
You can help us by experimenting with the following in your own yard:
Raising native grass plugs/plants from seed
Direct seeding experiments
Creating a ‘One Plot’ area in your garden to grow native grasses for seed
We’ll help you design a program that works for you
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© Project SOUND http://susanwrites.livejournal.com/tag/haiku © Project SOUND
We hope you’re inspired to explore the
options for your own ‘lawn’