Turf Alternatives - Warm season grasses and wildflowers offer options
Rising energy costs and evolving attitudes have inspired a number of people to reduce or eliminate their lawns and pastures in recent years. Increasingly, they have been turning to warm season grass and wildflower meadows as an alternative. J.W. Townsend, Inc. has participated in the creation of several of these meadows this spring. We are excited to be a part of these projects and are currently monitoring their development and effectiveness as an alternative land management strategy.
Warm season grass and wildflower meadows are comprised primarily of native warm season grasses and wildflowers, which have adapted to this region over time. Many of these are valued by local wildlife populations and are drought tolerant, unlike traditional lawn and forage plants, such as fescue and rye grass. Each species evolves throughout the year, providing for constant botanical interest and seasonal beauty.
In most instances, the meadow is started from seed. For smaller areas, plugs are a viable alternative. It is often necessary to eliminate the existing stand of vegetation, especially if traditional lawn grasses are abundant. Seeding can be done by hand or with a “No-Till-Drill,” depending on the size of the area.
Unlike lawns or pastures, which require multiple visits per growing season, the native meadow is cut once per year at most. This is done during the late winter or early spring. The goal is to maintain a state of early succession and reduce the encroachment of woody plants. After the meadow has established, this cutting may only have to be done every two or three years.
Warm season grass and wildflower meadows take up to three full growing seasons to establish. Many attempts have been deemed a failure and abandoned too early. However, if the appropriate time is allowed, the result can be quite spectacular.