by Melody Kendall

Drought in California and climate change have made water conservation a very important topic in our area. One of the ways to conserve water in your landscape is to reduce or remove the lawn and replace it with a more water friendly option. The perks of removing your turf grass are numerous and installing native grasses and grass-like plants enables you to reduce your water use. A couple of replacement ideas follow.

UC Buffalo Grass: Buchloe dactyloides, (boo-KLOH-ee dak-ty-LO-id-eez)

UC Buffalo Grass is a key species that originated in the prairies of the Midwest. Buffalo grass is the only turfgrass native to the US. The ‘UC Buffalo Grass' variety was developed for hot dry conditions in California by researchers at UC Riverside and Davis. The resulting variety has dense turf of soft, bright green with very fine leaf blades.

Advantages:

-Needs 50-75% less water than other grass lawn. Once established, has very low water needs.

-Planted in plugs spaced 12” apart it spreads by stolons, but has no underground rhizomes. 

-This variety has few flowerheads, so there are no pollen allergy concerns and few seeds.

-Once established it is very competitive with weeds and only grows 4-6 inches tall.

-Mowing requirements depend on the look desired.  Mow every 2-3 weeks for a more barbered view or not at all for a more natural look.

-UC Buffalo Grass is very resistant to diseases and insect pests. So, no chemicals will be needed in its maintenance.

-Very tolerant of foot traffic

Drawbacks:

-Can only be planted in ‘plugs'.

-Goes completely dormant in the winter and when frost occurs. It will be brown during those times.

-Does not do well in shade; plant in full sun

The best time to plant UC Buffalo Grass is May. This will allow the little plugs to get settled in and have a strong start to beat the weeds.  It should fill in an area in 6-8 weeks.  If planted later in the summer, make sure to keep the up water schedule so the plugs won't dry out. 

Kurapia Lippia nodiflora

Kurapia, a sterile and non-invasive cold hardy cultivar, was selected and developed in Japan.  It has a deep root structure and a dense deep green canopy making it very drought tolerant.  It can thrive in a variety of soil types and, with its deep root system, has soil stabilization properties as well.

Advantages:

-Green all year round in most California locations except in high elevation areas

-Once established it has very low water needs.

-Rapidly establishes itself and recovers from drought and mechanical damage quickly.

-Attracts pollinators if left unmowed.

Drawbacks:

-Cannot tolerate heavy foot traffic

Kruapia can be installed as plants or in rolls as sod. It does well in areas like parking strips that receive little irrigation. Its low growth habit means low maintenance with no pruning unless the pollinators are a concern. Then, just mow to remove the flowers.  This thick growth habit discourages weeds. Plant in full sun to part shade. 

Next week three more native grasses and grass-like plants suitable to replace your turf grass will be reviewed: Bouteloua (blue grama grass), Creeping Red Fescue Molate & "CA Native All-Purpose Grass Seed Mixture"

Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143.  Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: UCANR Mel Kendall

Information links:

UC Davis-UC Buffalo grass

https://ccag-eh.ucanr.edu/Turf_Demonstration_Project/Irrigation_Trial/UC_Verde_Buffalograss/

UC Riverside-Kurapia

https://turfgrass.ucr.edu/reports/water_conservation/kurapia_2016.pdf

www.kurapia.com

https://kurapia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/kurapia-groundcover.pdf

UC Master Gardeners Napa County-one Kurapia installation story

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=50929

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=51599

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=52106

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melody Kendall

Climate change issues and water conservation have become very important topics in our area. One of the ways to conserve water in your landscape is to remove your thirsty lawn and replace it with a more water-friendly option. The perks of removing your turf grass are numerous but first you will need to remove the existing turf grass.

This is the second of several blog posts presenting information about removing your lawn. This post will give a brief description about sheet mulching or lasagna composting. 

Supplies:

-Cardboard: Large pieces of plain uncolored cardboard are best and can be cut down as needed but small pieces can be used as well. The object is to cover the entire project area with cardboard with nothing exposed. Remove any tape and staples as you apply the cardboard. If you miss any tape it will surface as the cardboard decomposes and can then be removed. 

-Newspaper: Most printers now use ink, both black and colored, made of soy products that decompose well. Avoid the glossy and slick ad inserts — they are slow to decompose and don't allow water to penetrate.

-Topsoil, compost, wood chips or rock as a topper:

For most future garden beds you would use topsoil or compost as a topper.  In areas that are planned to be walkways or existing areas that have mature plantings, wood chips or some other kind of rock mulch can be used as the final step. Weed cloth is not recommended.

Area preparation:

-Mow or use a string mower to cut the vegetation as close to the ground as possible.  Leave the trimmings in place as they will help with the decomposition.

-Dig a  trench around the entire area to be sheet mulched about 4 inches deep and 6-8 inches wide. Evenly distribute the excavated soil up onto the trimmed vegetation within the prepped area. The trench will give you an ‘edge' to line up with and to tuck the cardboard into.  This will facilitate making the final height of the successive sheet mulching layers the same as the height of the surrounding landscape. Avoid any lumps or overspill onto adjacent walkways.

-Begin:

1- Water the entire project area well and briefly loosen the soil lightly with a large garden fork before beginning

2- Lay out the cardboard abutting and down into the trench. Line each successive piece of cardboard edge to edge with about a 6 inch overlap. Cover the entire project area with overlapped cardboard.

3- Once the entire surface is covered with cardboard, spray it with water until it is wet.

4- Next, lay newspaper to cover the whole surface of the exposed, wet cardboard, again generously overlapping the layers about 6”.  To prevent the newspaper from blowing around, dampen the newspaper before applying it to the cardboard surface. Then wet both layers, cardboard and newspaper, again.

5- Over the entire surface of the wet cardboard/newspaper layers spread a final layer of either compost, topsoil or your selected mulch, in at least a 3" deep final layer. 

While the area is decomposing (1-3 months), water the area to keep it moist, but not as much as you would water a lawn —  just enough to keep the layers wet and contacting the soil. This helps with decomposition.

If your goal is a walkway, or if you sheet mulched around existing plants your project is now complete. The decomposition of the layers will continue undisturbed. See accompanying pictures.

If your plan for the area is a new garden bed, continue keeping the area moist for 1-3 months to aid decomposition, after which you can plant your landscape in this new revitalized soil. Once your plants are installed, you can distribute wood chips or rock mulch around the new plantings if desired. 

There are several different schools of thought on how to sheet mulch an area. The above directions describe just one method.  Some lasagna composting directions suggest that you plant your large landscape plants before applying the cardboard.  Others suggest that you cut holes in your completely sheet mulched areas and plant the large landscape plants right away. The addition of soil amendments before the application of cardboard is another suggested method. Do some research and you can tailor your efforts to best suit your needs.  Knowing what you are doing before beginning will probably save labor and be the most successful.  

The next lawn replacement post will feature information on two native grasses and grass-like plants suitable for achieving a water-friendly, low-growing, grass-like area — UC Verde Buffalo Grass and Kurapia.

Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143.  Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Mel Kendall

Information links: Sheet Mulching: UC Master Gardeners of Butte County https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/files/216158.pdf

UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County https://ccmg.ucanr.edu/files/221117.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

by Melody Kendall

With ongoing drought in California and world-wide climate change issues, water conservation has become a very important topic in our area. One of the ways to conserve water in your landscape is to reduce or remove your lawn and replace it with a more water friendly option. About half of residential water use is spent outdoors on the lawn and landscaping.  

The perks of removing turf grass are many. You can create a healthier ecosystem and improve your soil's health. Turf grass not only uses more water than other landscape plants and requires frequent maintenance. Maintenance of turf grass includes gas operated mowers, edgers, blowers, etc. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one hour operating a new gasoline lawn mower emits the same amount of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide driving a new car 45 miles. Garden equipment engines produce up to 5% of the nation's air pollution and the noise level of using these tools has also been an issue in some areas.  Removing the lawn results in lower water bills and less time spent on upkeep. 

Many homeowners still want a low-growing, grass-like area for visual appeal and an outdoor recreation area. This can be achieved by using native grasses and grass-like plants and/or "walkable" groundcovers. We'll will talk about various methods to remove your lawn and information on replacement options. 

The City of Napa offers a ‘Cash for Grass' program with lawn removal instructions and incentives.  Check your city's website for similar options in your area. The internet also offers multiple instructions on ways to remove your turf grass and information on replacement landscape options and designs.  

Anytime is a good time to remove your lawn.  Before making your final removal selection you must consider what type of grass you have, size of the removal project, how fast you want the turn around or completion of the project, how much labor, time and money you'd like to spend and what to do with the area after the turf grass is gone.  Also, keep in mind that sometimes turf grass is hard to kill.  The removal process might require repeated removal efforts. 

Determining the type of turf grass that you have will help narrow down your best removal method.  This link will help you decide what variety or varieties of turf grass and weeds you have:  Lawn type.  Use this information to help narrow down your removal method selection. Some examples follow:

Sheet mulching or lasagna composting: Kills the lawn by covering the grass and cutting off the sunlight.  Successive layers are applied that allow water to percolate through. Layers then decompose over time leaving vibrant healthy soil behind.  No heavy equipment or chemicals are needed for this method and any water runoff will not pollute waste water, streams or rivers. This method requires physical labor and various materials, but can be done in sections. Sheet mulching works for all types of lawns but, once applied, it does take time (1-3 months) to completely kill the lawn and create healthy soil. This method works well in removing all types of lawns. Never use plastic for sheet mulching.   

Solarization: Works by trapping the heat of the sun underneath plastic sheeting that is covering the turf grass you want to remove. The area must receive 6-8 hrs of sunlight each day for solarization to be effective. The heat and steam created ‘sterilize' and kill the lawn and the roots in the top 3-4 inches of the soil.  The entire area must be covered tightly with plastic and all edges weighted down to prevent the plastic from being dislodged. Purchasing ultra-violet (UV) resistant plastic is the best option and will last through the entire process but is often hard to find.  Regular plastic sheeting will work but might need to be monitored and replaced if it degrades in the sunlight. Solarization doesn't work if the area is not kept tightly covered. The process only works during the hot summer months and requires no heavy equipment. Runoff water will not pollute and it kills plant disease causing fungi and bacteria, nematodes, weeds seeds and weed seedlings in the top 3-4 inches of the soil.  Even though the beneficial soil fungi and bacteria are also killed, organisms tend to return quickly after solarization.  This method works best on removing green in winter lawns and is less effective for removing brown in winter and patchy lawns.  Bermudagrass can come back after solarization because of all the underground network. For best effect, start the solarization process in early summer and plan on completing the process in late September.

Sod removal: For quick results, use a square shovel, a kick sod remover or gas powered sod removal equipment. This is the most labor intensive but the fastest method.  Though sod removal provides instant gratification, all three options are good candidates for hiring professionals because of hard physical labor. The use of any gas powered machinery should be well considered because of the environmental impact of the emissions. The sod removal method works best on green in winter lawns. For the brown in winter and patchy lawns with lots of weed roots this method isn't as effective.  Also, for areas with tree roots this method shouldn't be used because of the possibility of hitting tree roots.  Cut the brown in winter and patchy lawns when they are actively growing so that you can curtail any regrowth before winter dormancy. One of the positive outcomes of this method is that the long strips of sod can be turned over on site to let them compost in place (the composting will take 5-6 months) or use the strips as a support layer to create design features such as berms or mounds.  

Herbicide: Herbicides are a type of pesticide used to kill plants. There are two kinds of Herbicide. A pre-emergent is designed to kill the plant as the seed germinates and a post-emergent kills existing plants. Herbicides work for green in winter lawns that are growing, but not drought stressed.  It also works on brown in winter and patchy lawns but only when they are actively growing in warmer temperatures. Start in spring through early fall when the grass to be killed is actively growing. Before using any herbicide always do your research to find information about any danger to family and pets along with environmental concerns. The possibility of runoff from treated areas polluting waste water, streams or rivers is a concern. 

These are four of the many available options to homeowners when considering the removal of their turf grass. Always do research before starting any gardening project to avoid delays, wasted effort and environmental concerns.  

Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143.  Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Mel Kendall

Information links: UC ANR-lawn removal methods https://ucanr.edu/sites/sacmg/files/215045.pdf

City of Napa-Cash for Grass program https://www.cityofnapa.org/DocumentCenter/View/1320/Cash-for-Grass-Program-Terms-and-Conditions-PDF?bidId=

by Bob Niklewicz PT MG.

What is the difference between a shovel and a spade?
To save time I will tell you. Photo 1. The tool on the left side is a SHOVEL, with the SPADE on the right.
These are two different tools. Even though the terms are used interchangeable, they have specific tasks that they were designed to do.

Who said the tool on the left is a Shovel? You would be right. Who said the tool on the right is a Shovel? You would be right too. Yes that was a trick question. You see any tool you use for shoveling is a shovel, whether there is a point on the end or not. It is the shape of the “Bowl” that is the difference. You use a Shovel to move material around, but with a sharp bottom edge it is great for edging.

A Spade is made for digging. If it has very little contoured to the bowl and it has a wide “shoulder” or “flange” where you put your foot, it is a spade. In the above photo, the middle one is a spade. The other two are shovels.

I confuse the two constantly. Use the tool you want and call it what you want, just consider what you need to do with it. Another thing to consider is that there is a difference in what is called the lift angle. This is the position of the handle angle compared to the blade of the shovel or spade. Mechanically, the flatter the angle, the better the blade can be pushed into the ground. A higher angle makes scooping up and moving material easier.

In Photo 3, the handle in front is almost in a vertical position. The handle in the back as an obvious forward leaning handle. The blades in the ground are in the same vertical position, so the handle in the back has a steeper/higher “Lift Angle”. That means when shoveling, the handle in back is easier to use for moving (shoveling) materials. While the front one is much easier to push straight down into the ground. Photo 4, shows the wider flange or shoulder on the RED spade, where you push with your foot. The larger surface area reduces the contact stress pressure to the sole of your foot and you can push harder and deeper, compared to the narrower shovel blade's shoulder (yellow one).

Photo 5

Photo 5 shows the bent back posture trying to flatten the digging spade against the ground that has a straight handled tool. Photo 6 is doing the same task except with an angled shovel to scoop up material. So picking the right handle angle is important for your body mechanics.

 Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143.  Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.

Photo credits: Bob Niklewicz