{"id":22810,"date":"2023-09-26T13:18:41","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T17:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/?p=22810"},"modified":"2023-09-26T13:20:57","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T17:20:57","slug":"what-are-recommendations-for-low-maintenance-ecologically-sound-replacements-for-lawns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/2023\/09\/26\/what-are-recommendations-for-low-maintenance-ecologically-sound-replacements-for-lawns\/","title":{"rendered":"What are recommendations for low maintenance, ecologically sound replacements for lawns?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Question:<\/h3>\n

What does recent research recommend as alternative, low-maintenance, ecologically sound replacements for lawns. Is there recommended ground covers for shady areas or extra dry areas that can be planted to reduce lawn area?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Answer:<\/h3>\n
Jonathan Foster, Special Projects Assistant<\/em><\/div>\n

Some common\u00a0groundcover\u00a0alternatives\u00a0to turfgrass include creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum<\/i>), creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis<\/i>), creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera), bearberry (Arctastaphyllos\u00a0uva-ursi<\/i>), and Dutch white clover (Trifolium repens<\/i>), though there are many others. If you are considering a taller class of plants as well as\u00a0groundcovers, there are plenty of native bushes and small shrubs that might serve as well (please see the Buffer Book below–there are sections for dry and shaded areas there).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Two really great resources on\u00a0alternatives\u00a0to turfgrass:<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Univ of Delaware\u00a0Groundcover\u00a0Alternatives<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Penn State Univ Blog on Bee\u00a0Lawns<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
While these are both a little south of us, the general principles are the same and they can help you get an idea for what you’d like to do. I recommend\u00a0UMaine’s List of Pollinator Plants<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Maine State Buffer Book<\/a>\u00a0to cross reference any plants you like for Maine environments. Also please refer to our\u00a0UMaine Page on\u00a0Lawns<\/a>\u00a0for information on low-input care for any\u00a0grass\u00a0you’d like to keep, as well as general information on improving the soil quality moving forward.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
As for removing whatever existing\u00a0grass\u00a0or plants you have in the space to be converted, there are multiple avenues available. If you\u2019re in a hurry and have the tools, you can spade up the\u00a0turf\u00a0and physically remove it, or use a rototiller to\u00a0churn it under (though keep in mind\u00a0grass\u00a0can resprout from broken rhizomes–spreading, underground stems–so you may need to be on the lookout for shoots emerging). A less labor intensive, but slower, method is to\u00a0cover\u00a0the\u00a0grass\u00a0with multiple layers of thick newspaper or old carpets\u2013this will eventually kill the\u00a0grass\u00a0and make it much easier to dislodge and remove.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Finally, b<\/span>ecause you\u2019re removing the old plants wholesale and putting in new\u00a0ones, I recommend taking that opportunity to get your soil tested at the\u00a0UMaine Analytical Laboratory<\/a>. This will give you an idea what changes might need to be made in order to give your new plants their best start.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: What does recent research recommend as alternative, low-maintenance, ecologically sound replacements for lawns. Is there recommended ground covers for shady areas or extra dry areas that can be planted to reduce lawn area? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Special Projects Assistant Some common\u00a0groundcover\u00a0alternatives\u00a0to turfgrass include creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum), creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), creeping phlox (Phlox […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[199,202,206],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ask","category-maintenance","category-lawns"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat are recommendations for low maintenance, ecologically sound replacements for lawns? - Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard - University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/2023\/09\/26\/what-are-recommendations-for-low-maintenance-ecologically-sound-replacements-for-lawns\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What are recommendations for low maintenance, ecologically sound replacements for lawns? - Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard - University of Maine Cooperative Extension\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Question: What does recent research recommend as alternative, low-maintenance, ecologically sound replacements for lawns. 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