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close-up of an Enviro-Turf lawn
pencil is shown for scale |
Bluestem's Enviro-Turf - a low maintenance lawn seed
Want a lawn that is less thirsty and requires less work?
Just imagine a dark green lawn (even in the heat of summer) that needs
watering every 10 days to two weeks, requires no fertilizer and still
gives dense coverage.
Bluestem Nursery has been selling Enviro-Turf seed mix for ten years,
during which time the blend of grasses has been gradually fine-tuned.
The majority of the current mix is comprised of four types of Fescues
and for a quick green filler in the shorter term, it contains Perennial
Ryegrass.
When maintained as a lawn, the watering schedule for these Fescues
is greatly decreased from what conventional turf grasses require. Also,
unlike lawn grass seed mixtures sold at many garden centers, these Fescues
require nitrogen fertilizer only in extreme situations in order to maintain
their green colour. Despite these two great advantages, many who currently
use Enviro-Turf find that its greatest asset is its growth. Our varieties
have been specially developed for a slower growth rate, which translates
into less mowing each season.
Our Enviro-Turf mix is suitable for all of the US and most of Canada,
however it is not suitable for soil that is constantly wet and has poor
drainage. Clay soil is suitable if the drainage is reasonable underneath.
Does water puddle on your soil for days on end? If so, you do not have
good drainage and Enviro-Turf would not be a good choice. However as
long as the water drains away within 24 hours, you should be fine with
our Enviro-Turf.
So, for those of you who are planting a new lawn or replacing an old
one, and who don’t like all the time and costs of watering/ irrigating,
fertilizing, and mowing a conventional lawn (but still want a lawn that
looks good), Enviro-Turf is a practical alternative.
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| available 2 kg (4.4 lb) bags |
This mix produces a lawn that looks very much like a conventional lawn,
but is darker green in colour. The mix consists of:
- Sheep Fescue
- Chewings Fescue
- Hard Fescue
- Creeping Red Fescue
- Perennial Ryegrass - contains endophyte (repel grubs)
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Planting time is spring or fall and germination takes roughly 7 to
10 days. For best results, use Bluestem's Enviro-Turf in clean well-drained,
weed-free soil. Keep the ground slightly damp until the seeds sprout,
then be sure the new lawn is watered frequently for the first season.
In the second season of growth, try cutting back the water as much
as possible. Watch the grass for signs of needing water. If the blades
look dull-green in color, that is the sign that they are thirsty. Often
a lawn will have an area where this will show up before any other area.
That is the signal to water the entire lawn.
Recommended mowing height is 2.5 - 3". An organic lawn fertilizer
can be applied in the fall. Try soybean meal, which can
be purchased at a feed store. If your lawn is not a nice
dark green (Enviro-Turf is naturally greener than conventional
lawns) consider applying iron because it may help restore
lost color without causing a flush of growth. The more growth,
the more you must mow your lawn. So keep your fertilizing
and watering to a minimum if you want to keep your mowing
to a minimum. Adding potassium in the spring and summer
will make your lawn more drought-tolerant. Do not add nitrogen
in spring or summer, however, as this will have the opposite
effect.
Leaving grass clippings on the lawn is recommended as
they return valuable nutrients (particularly nitrogen, the
main nutrient needed for grass). These clippings will not
cause thatch, as they consist primarily of water. Research
indicates that de-thatching is not recommended on fescue
lawns.
When preparing your seedbed we have a few tips:
- important - start with a weed-free seed-bed. Scrape
young weeks with a weeding tool, but disturb the soil
as little as possible so that you do not cause more weed
seeds to come to the surface and be exposed to light,
which will cause them to germinate
- level the area as much as possible so that the seed
doesn't all wash into the low spots
- broadcast or drill seed at a rate of 2 - 3 lbs / 1000
sq ft
- divide your area into sections and divide the seed into
the same number of units you did for the lawn. Spread
one seed unit per division. That way you won't run out
of seed.
- lightly rake area, then pack (tamp) with a board or
roller (this is important to give the seed good contact
with the moist soil)
- important - keep evenly moist until seed germinates
- give ample water the first season
- spread corn gluten over the seedbed, but this must be
done one month before seeding. It acts as a pre-emergence
herbicide for annual grasses, particularly crabgrass.
It will not kill existing weeds but rather prevents seeds
from germinating. It can be purchased at many home and
garden centers. It is recommended that you further research
the use of corn gluten.
Canada: Since 2001,
the Mow Down Pollution program has resulted in the return of over
12,000 mowers and trimmers across Canada and the reduction of
over 270 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Visit the Clean
Air Foundation website for more info.
- Did you know? A standard gas mower can emit the same amount
of common air pollutants in one hour as driving a new car for
over 550 kms
- the Environmental Protection Agency claims that
17 million gallons of fuel, mostly gasoline, are
spilled each year while refueling lawn equipment.
That's more than all the oil spilled by the Exxon
Valdez, in the Gulf of Alaska!
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Interested in Overseeding?
It is fine to over-seed an existing lawn with Bluestem's Enviro-Turf,
however you will then have a lawn with mixed water
requirements. You will still have to keep up the same watering schedule
as you previously had in order to keep your lawn nice and green. The
older grass in your lawn will go dormant and turn brown if you water
the amount that Enviro-Turf needs.
Our recommendation is that you eliminate the old turf by covering it
with four to six layers of overlapping newspapers, water them to give
them weight (do NOT do this on a windy day), then cover with 2-3"
of top soil. Now you are ready to seed with Enviro-Turf. The benefit
to the newspaper technique is that when you kill the old lawn you automatically
add organic material to the soil. If you remove the old turf you miss
out on this valuable source of nutrients.
To kill the current vegetation you may put a black tarp over the area.
That will cause grass and weeds to die very quickly in sunny hot weather,
though roots of grasses may remain alive. So do not remove too quickly.
Once you are confident that the vegetation is dead, prepare the soil
surface for seeding (the tarp must be removed).
Further info regarding eliminating turf can be found on
this page of our website.
How can you tell
if your lawn needs to be watered?
A "thirsty" lawn turns from the normal green color to
a lighter green. These areas may be in patches, rather than across
your entire lawn, making it easier to identify. This indicates that
your lawn needs to be watered.
When you walk across your lawn the grass stalks remain bent over, leaving footprints. |
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Our Enviro-Turf on the roof
of a garage under
construction in the Vancouver area
Photo courtesy Bruce Hemstock, New Westminster BC
PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc. |
Seeding
Times:
- because the grasses in this mix are cool season
grasses and therefore do their growing during cool
weather, in order to grow a good root system, Enviro-Turf
should be seeded before the weather gets hot. But
at the same time, the weather needs to be warm enough
to encourage the seeds to germinate. We think that
between the time that the daffodils
bloom to when the temperatures are regularly
above 65F, is a good time to seed. You can seed
earlier but the birds may get the seeds before they
sprout.
- in Zone 5, late August to mid September is also
a good time to sow
- in southern California, a landscaper told us that
the best time to seed is from January to mid April,
or as late as the end of April if the weather is
cool
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Seeding rate is 2.5-3 lbs per 1000 sq ft.
Our 2kg bag (4.4 lbs) covers ~1500 sq ft.
(FYI: 1 acre = 43,000 sq ft)
Canada - $25 - 2 kg bag
Order
US - $25 - 4.4 lb bag
Order
Comment from Muriel: based on my own experience,
plus the fact that I have seen a number of people who have
had to order another bag at a later date, I would like to
suggest that you do not skimp on seed. My own calculation
for the square footage covered by a bag is closer to 1000
sq ft. But maybe the quail got some of mine...
Normally we have a minimum order of $30, however for Enviro-Turf
seed, one bag is the minimum order. Unfortunately, shipping
to the US also requires a $12.00 fee for the Phytosanitary
Certificate.
Enviro-turf is a little heavier than the plants, so we
charge the actual cost of shipping.
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hardy field grown plants
