Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives

For landscape contractors whose clients are looking for alternatives to turf grass, consider replacing some or all of the high-maintenance turf with innovative grasses that require little or no water nor mowing once established, or ground covers that form walkable ''carpets.''

Statistics

Turf grass covers nearly 47 million acres in the U.S., according to the Lawn Institute.

The average household uses 60 gallons of water per day on conventional lawns.

Low-maintenance Turf Grasses

If clients need grass for kids or pets, consider new ''miracle'' cultivars or blends. UC Verde Buffalo Grass, for example, delivers lush, silky blades that require little or no water once established, rarely need mowing, and need no fertilizer or pesticides.

The secret to these grasses are long (but noninvasive) roots and thin blades.

''No Mow Lawn Mix'' is great for open, sunny swaths where native prairie grasses once grew, such as the cooler, medium-rainfall areas of the upper Midwest, Northeast, and Pacific Northwest. And hardy Eco-Lawn thrives even in difficult spots, such as under spreading trees or in clay soils.

The cost of growing these blends from seed is comparable to that of conventional grass seed.

Sedge: Sedges look a lot like conventional turf but have more in common with native grasses that existed naturally in America. The great thing about them is that they require little or no mowing, fertilizing, or chemicals. Some require less water than many conventional turf grasses. Others tolerate wet, moist areas, and many thrive in shade.

Ornamental Grasses: This term covers both grasses and grass-like plants, such as sedges. For our purposes, we're talking low-water, native grasses. Low to medium-height species can be used en masse as meadows. Tall ones function as vertical elements in a landscape. Check with your local extension service to find out which kinds are native to your area. What might be native to one region, such as pampas grass, may well be invasive in another.

Synthetic Grass: Synthetic grass is starting to get some respect, thanks in part to increasingly urgent water restrictions in parts of the country, and because new versions are so amazingly lifelike. Synthetic turf requires zero water or mowing. The grass looks real -- and is suitable for either an expansive play area or a little jewel box of a garden nook, particularly where nothing else will grow.