Anyone have experience with eco-lawns or meadow mixes?

[ElevatorGuy]

I buy lime 400-500 pounds at a time (Trying to be work van friendly). This load was 400 with another 100 of starter fert. I’m the only “homeowner” that I know of running a Lesco spreader like this. Finally bought one after destroying plenty of so called “good” ones over the last 20 plus years.

When I treated lawns professionally, I ran 2-3000 pounds of lime a day through a Lesco, 5-6 days a week for about 7 months before the gear case blew. I figured when buying this one, I’ll never buy another spreader in my life.

 

[OM617YOTA]

That yard is gorgeous? I see almost no grass lol. Plenty of dead nettle, clover and other weeds.

To the op, I have no idea what to recommend with you being in the PNW. You probably could start will a heavy dose of Pelletized dolomitic limestone. It’s been over 20 years since I’ve treated lawns professionally but with that mess I’d start with that after a soil test. You probably need 25-50 pounds per 1000 sq ft based on those pics.

Your advice is probably spot-on for people who want a lawn that looks like a golf course. That's exactly 180 deg opposite from the direction I'm going, though.

 

[OM617YOTA]

I buy lime 400-500 pounds at a time (Trying to be work van friendly). This load was 400 with another 100 of starter fert. I’m the only “homeowner” that I know of running a Lesco spreader like this. Finally bought one after destroying plenty of so called “good” ones over the last 20 plus years.

When I treated lawns professionally, I ran 2-3000 pounds of lime a day through a Lesco, 5-6 days a week for about 7 months before the gear case blew. I figured when buying this one, I’ll never buy another spreader in my life.View attachment 1168695View attachment 1168696View attachment 1168697

Ain't my jam. Can't fathom doing any of that on purpose.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I buy lime 400-500 pounds at a time (Trying to be work van friendly). This load was 400 with another 100 of starter fert. I’m the only “homeowner” that I know of running a Lesco spreader like this. Finally bought one after destroying plenty of so called “good” ones over the last 20 plus years.

When I treated lawns professionally, I ran 2-3000 pounds of lime a day through a Lesco, 5-6 days a week for about 7 months before the gear case blew. I figured when buying this one, I’ll never buy another spreader in my life.View attachment 1168695View attachment 1168696View attachment 1168697

You recognize how geography specific your advice is, don't you? What is the purpose of a lime treatment?

 

[ElevatorGuy]

You recognize how geography specific your advice is, don't you? What is the purpose of a lime treatment?

Yes, Read my previous post. Limestone balances soil ph, adds calcium and magnesium. I don’t know but I’d bet the PNW has acidic soil.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Alrighty, got it done. Cut height is now ~7.5", and it handily misses most of the wildflowers.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Alrighty, got it done. Cut height is now ~7.5", and it handily misses most of the wildflowers.

View attachment 1169252

It just occurred to me... ... if you want to maintain it @ that height, you're probably going to have to mow same as you have been doing. Right?
You may want to cut it down shorter, after the flowers have gone to seed, and then let it get back up to the height you want. That should cut your mowing days in half.
I think that's what I'm going to do with mine... but not yet as I'm still waiting for volunteer trees to sprout up and don't want to mow them down.
It's looking like a jungle out there - especially with all the rain we're getting.

 

[OM617YOTA]

It just occurred to me... ... if you want to maintain it @ that height, you're probably going to have to mow same as you have been doing. Right?
You may want to cut it down shorter, after the flowers have gone to seed, and then let it get back up to the height you want. That should cut your mowing days in half.
I think that's what I'm going to do with mine... but not yet as I'm still waiting for volunteer trees to sprout up and don't want to mow them down.
It's looking like a jungle out there - especially with all the rain we're getting.

Yes ma'am. Hoping enough clover and flowers take over to keep the grass down.

This whole experiment might turn out to be a waste, and we go back to paying the neighbor girl to mow in the end. So be it.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

You’re going for that look for low maintenance? To me it looks like it needs some 2, 4-D and a fresh start lol. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone wanting clover as a “lawn” lol. If you’re happy that’s all that matters though.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

You’re going for that look for low maintenance? To me it looks like it needs some 2, 4-D and a fresh start lol. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone wanting clover as a “lawn” lol. If you’re happy that’s all that matters though.

Clover is getting very popular as a low maintenance lawn

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Clover is getting very popular as a low maintenance lawn

I guess that’s a trend I’ll never understand. I’ve spent years trying to eliminate every last bit of it. Heck, these couple little weeds drive me nuts. The wife found this guy in the front yard a couple days ago.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Clover is getting very popular as a low maintenance lawn

I like it, the bees like it, too.
Clover, wild violets, wild flowers/weeds, and moss in the shade is the perfect yard for me.

 

[OM617YOTA]

You’re going for that look for low maintenance? To me it looks like it needs some 2, 4-D and a fresh start lol. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone wanting clover as a “lawn” lol. If you’re happy that’s all that matters though.

I guess that’s a trend I’ll never understand. I’ve spent years trying to eliminate every last bit of it. Heck, these couple little weeds drive me nuts. The wife found this guy in the front yard a couple days ago.

View attachment 1169283

I don't understand wanting a lawn. It's as baffling as sports to me. You're all going to pay money to watch grown adults chase a ball around a field? You're all going to spend hours every week maintaining living astroturf? The $$$$ you have tied up in your spreader and fertilizer in the other pics you posted is more than I hope to spend on lawn in my entire life. I consider every second and every cent spent on it 100% wasted. When I'm on my death bed, I won't be wishing I'd spent more time on my lawn.

A bunch of that fertilizer you showed is created naturally by clover, because clover fixes nitrogen. Clover also stays green a lot longer than grass, without water. Clover gets so high and then stops, without needing to be mowed. Grass largely keeps growing and needing mowed. Monocultures like a grass lawn don't exist in nature, it's always a mix of inter-supporting plants. A mono culture only exists with enormous inputs of energy and outside influence to maintain them, which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. That's a lot of good reasons to have clover, and zero reasons not to.

Who decided what constitutes a "proper" lawn, and that it should be only one plant? Nobody I care about.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

I don't understand wanting a lawn. It's as baffling as sports to me. You're all going to pay money to watch grown adults chase a ball around a field? You're all going to spend hours every week maintaining living astroturf? The $$$$ you have tied up in your spreader and fertilizer in the other pics you posted is more than I hope to spend on lawn in my entire life. I consider every second and every cent spent on it 100% wasted. When I'm on my death bed, I won't be wishing I'd spent more time on my lawn.

A bunch of that fertilizer you showed is created naturally by clover, because clover fixes nitrogen. Clover also stays green a lot longer than grass, without water. Clover gets so high and then stops, without needing to be mowed. Grass largely keeps growing and needing mowed. Monocultures like a grass lawn don't exist in nature, it's always a mix of inter-supporting plants. A mono culture only exists with enormous inputs of energy and outside influence to maintain them, which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. That's a lot of good reasons to have clover, and zero reasons not to.

Who decided what constitutes a "proper" lawn, and that it should be only one plant? Nobody I care about.

Because "lawns" and caring for them is big business... everything from the grass seed/turf, fertilize to keep it growing, watering to keep it green (sprinklers, hoses, irrigation), to chemicals required to kill the "weeds." Not to mention the mowing.

A lot of people make a lot of $ off of grass... probably more than what's made off the smokable grass.

Don't get me wrong, in a high-dollar subdivision it looks great.
But, I'm going for the woodsy/meadow look.

 

[OM617YOTA]

Because "lawns" and caring for them is big business... everything from the grass seed/turf, fertilize to keep it growing, watering to keep it green (sprinklers, hoses, irrigation), to chemicals required to kill the "weeds." Not to mention the mowing.

A lot of people make a lot of $ off of grass... probably more than what's made off the smokable grass.

Don't get me wrong, in a high-dollar subdivision it looks great.
But, I'm going for the woodsy/meadow look.

Oh gosh, follow the money. Convince people they need a product in order to sell them said product. You hit the nail on the head right there.

 

[kenmbz]

We have a number of lakes and streams here that got choked up due to people using fertilizer and pesticides.
I use lime, in small quantities, only when needed. So far twice in 8 years.
Fertilizer goes on produce in my mini garden, never into the "lawns" or acreage.

My old neighbor hood had the pesticide and fertilizer people. What a disaster that caused.
No more lantern flies or other life in the lawns, or on it, and killed all the fish in the local stream.

Most of us up here on the mountain, just overseed and mow a little high.
Nothing else, nothing with the Scott's name ever.

The biggest issue we have is with Japanese Stilt grass. I will spray that as it is an invasive and kills off the local plants the bugs and animals like.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I'm back in Colorado now, and the water and resources needed for a beautiful non native bluegrass lawn is ridiculous. Even worse the further west you go

 

[TNTreeHugger]

I guess that’s a trend I’ll never understand. I’ve spent years trying to eliminate every last bit of it. Heck, these couple little weeds drive me nuts. The wife found this guy in the front yard a couple days ago.

View attachment 1169283

I guess people like me put people like you out of business, eh?
What did you do with the snake?

 

[ElevatorGuy]

@OM617YOTA you sound like my dad. I was living in an apartment when I worked for the lawn company and we were allowed to treat our own lawn for free. I asked my boss if I could treat my dads lawn since I didn’t have one. He said yes so I started his treatments, mean while I had grass growing in pots on my apartment balcony I was cutting with scissors haha. Anyway after 2 treatments at my pops place, I stopped by on a Saturday morning. I had sprayed the yard on Thursday. My pops didn’t know I was doing it… all the dandelions were bent over and brown Saturday morning. I said pops what’s up with the yard? The weeds are dying, it looks more green and thick. He said idk but I’m mowing it twice a week now and I’ve never done that in the previous 25 years here. I was laughing hard, he said what’s so funny? I said I’ve been treating it…

He told me to stop immediately, if he could pour concrete over the whole lawn and paint it green he would have.

He hated outside work, probably why I’m the opposite.I couldn’t be happier with my nice lawn, the zero turn to mow it, the spreader, etc… On the sports note, it’s masters week, that grass is perfect down yonder in Georgia and looks amazing on the 85” lol. You won’t/don’t get it and that’s ok, much like I don’t get your view or my pops. He’d lose his mind if he knew what I’ve spent on my lawn. 7 20 tons loads of topsoil to start, a couple hundred pounds of tall fescue seed every year, heck I probably don’t want to total what I’ve spent plus all the time but I love it and don’t care.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

I guess people like me put people like you out of business, eh?
What did you do with the snake?

I’m not in the business anymore, haven’t been for over 20 years now. I was busy working on elevators when the wife snapped the pic of the snake in the yard. Black snakes are ok, supposedly they eat/Kill the coppers we also have here. To me, They only good snake is a dead snake. So if I had seen it… I’ve got some cool small caliber bullets just for snakes!