Chapter 16: Lawns Are Ecological Disasters—Replace Them with Meadows from Seed

To begin, let’s consider the following:

• Lawns in the US form a whopping 63,000 square miles, an area close to the size of Georgia.
• Lawns are the #1 largest crop grown in the United States, surpassing even corn. Yet they produce no food.
• One-third of all annual water use in the sub/urban landscape in the United States is used to water our lawns.
• Lawn care is resource intensive. We use an estimated 1.2 billion gallons of gas, over 850 million pounds of fertilizer, and 59 million pounds of pesticides every year to tend to the sub/urban landscape.
• Over 10 million tons of grass clippings and other yard waste are sent to landfills each year. This results in a tremendous amount of methane being released into the atmosphere.
• Lawnmowers burn fuel inefficiently, emitting roughly four times more smog-forming pollution per hour than cars.
• Lawns have shallow roots, which means they build little soil (a plant can only generate soil to the depth to which its roots grow) and hold little water. In fact, lawns are only slightly better at soaking up water than sidewalks!

In short, lawns are ecological wastelands that do not support life and cause massive harm to our planet. All this for a space that very few people even enjoy–research shows that we spend less than 10% of our time outside!

Let’s pause as we collect our jaws from the floor.

Luckily, we have an amazing alternative: meadows. The premise of a meadow (also called a prairie, or Piedmont Prairie here in the Southeast) is that we plant a variety of native flowers and grasses to replace a lawn. By doing so, we reverse every one of the issues listed at the start of this chapter. Meadows have deep roots that build rich soil, which sequesters loads of carbon and holds a great deal of water. Meadows have far more resilience in the face of drought and damaging pests. They do not need to be irrigated, fertilized, aerated, or sprayed with any chemicals of any kind. Once established, they need only be cut once per year, which means less work and less emissions from lawnmowers, blowers, trucks, and other equipment. Best of all, native meadows promote a fantastic abundance and diversity of life.

Meadows can be planted from plugs (individual plants grown in trays and small containers) or from seeds. When using plugs, we must individually install each plant then pull or cut weeds from around the individual plants for several growing seasons. Both are excruciatingly laborious tasks. Planting meadows from seed is much easier than installing individual plants. Then as the seeds begin growing, we mow the entire area repeatedly for one to three growing seasons using a lawnmower or string trimmer—no pulling weeds necessary. Once the native flowers and grasses establish, we only need to cut them once per year and perform a handful of basic maintenance tasks throughout the growing season. For these reasons, we will be learning how to plant a native meadow from seed, not plugs. This is not to say that planting meadows from plugs has no value. Plugs are excellent for certain scenarios, such as small sites and sites where we must achieve a very specific aesthetic outcome.

How to Grow a Meadow from Seed

Like every other topic in this book, meadows can get really complicated. For example, if we choose to sow seeds early in the growing season instead of the dormant season, this will require a different process and additional tools. We are going to skip a lot of complexity and focus on the easiest way to plant meadows that works for most sub/urban properties (recall the 80/20 Rule from Chapter 9). There are other ways to install native meadows from seed that work well, and there are also some sites for which the approach outlined in this chapter may not work.

Here are the six steps for growing meadows from seed:

1. Evaluate basic site conditions.
2. Kill existing vegetation during the growing season.
3. Plant seeds in the dormant season.
4. Perform maintenance during the first growing season.
5. Perform maintenance during the second growing season.
6. Perform maintenance during the third growing season and beyond.

Before we begin, here is the list of tools and supplies we will need:

• Cell phone or tablet with a sun tracker app
• Glyphosate herbicide without any added surfactant.
• Sprayer to apply herbicide.
• Wheelbarrow
• 5-gallon bucket
• Jute fabric and jute pins to cover the site after sowing seeds
• Heavy-duty, sharp scissors for cutting jute fabric
• Hammer to secure jute pins into the ground
• Kitty litter (a basic clay litter with no additives is best)
• Garden rake with rigid metal tines
• Leaf rake with flexible metal tines
• A native seed blend
• Bags for measured portions of seeds

It is worth noting that this process takes time and requires patience. From start to finish, three years is normal. Sometimes it may only take two years for the meadow to establish, but it could also take four years or more. There is no instant gratification when it comes to meadows. The good news is that once they establish, meadows are resilient and remain for many years, assuming proper maintenance.

Here is a video showing the full installation process:

Step 1: Evaluate Basic Site Conditions

Meadows need lots of direct sun, typically at least five hours per day. This is a loose guideline; some can survive with as little as four hours, especially where there is additional dappled sun. There is generally no upward limit to how much sun a meadow can tolerate. Make observations or use a sun tracker app to ensure the site of the intended meadow receives adequate sunlight during the growing season. The amount of sun exposure during the dormant season does not matter.

Here is another option: evaluate what is in the space now. Presumably it is a lawn, which is generally an excellent site for a meadow. Or perhaps it is a space filled with weeds and other herbaceous plants? Herbaceous plants are those that have no persistent woody stems above ground, i.e., not trees, shrubs, or vines. This too should be a good place for a meadow. What if the area is covered by leaves, moss, or rocks and little vegetation is growing? This will not suffice for a meadow. The land often shows us what we need to know based on what is growing there now.

Please note that if the space is filled with mature trees, shrubs, and vines, this will not suffice. We should not remove them to plant a meadow, unless they are invasive. If they are invasive, we must first eliminate them from the site using targeted strategies for each different species before proceeding.

Once we determine sun exposure, next we look at soil moisture. All we need to determine is whether the area is very dry, normal, or very wet. We use this to help choose the right seed species. We can look at more variables that may enhance outcomes somewhat, but it is not necessary to do so at this basic level.

Step 2: Kill Existing Vegetation During the Growing Season

Our next objective is to get rid of the lawn (or weeds) that currently exist on the site. This is one of the most crucial steps in this process. The degree to which we reduce competing vegetation correlates with how successful the meadow is likely to be.

For this, I recommend using an herbicide called glyphosate. Of the many herbicides available on the market, glyphosate currently has the best balance of maximum killing power and minimum negative consequences. We should choose one that has no added surfactants. While herbicides are typically harmful and we should generally avoid using them, they can be helpful tools in the context of ecological restoration. Turning a lawn into a native meadow is a form of this work.

Some who read this may be surprised and even upset by my decision to recommend an herbicide. I get it; I used to be strictly against the use of herbicides, with no exceptions. But experience and research have required that I take a more nuanced approach. For those who want to learn more about my position on this topic, here is additional information:

Why I recommend herbcide for some ecological restoration projects by Basil Camu, co-owner of Leaf & Limb

First, some safety requirements: when using herbicide, we should strictly follow the label and always wear the necessary protective gear. People and pets should not enter the sprayed area until four hours after the application. We should avoid spraying if there is a possibility of rain within the next six hours. Most crucially, we must not spray creeks, ponds, and other bodies of water.

A 5% solution is generally an adequate strength, though we should consult the label for exact instructions. We should include an herbicide dye so we can visually confirm that all vegetation has been sprayed. Perform the first spray during the middle of the growing season. Then we should monitor how fast new vegetation grows. Once it reaches 6 inches, spray again. Repeat until the end of the growing season. For most sites, we only need a total of two sprays—one in the middle of the growing season and one near the end.

If after the first application nothing happens, we may need to consider using a stronger dosage (consult the label) or another herbicide. There are some lawns, such as Bermuda grass, that can be quite difficult to kill.

For those who simply refuse to use glyphosate, here are two alternatives that can be somewhat effective in the right setting.

Occultation: Using opaque tarps, silage tarps, old vinyl billboards, or anything that blocks the light from reaching vegetation below is called occultation. Lay the tarps down early in the growing season, after everything has come to life. Do not lay them earlier because we want vegetation to begin growing. Place sandbags, chunks of wood, or anything heavy that can hold the tarps in place, especially during gusty thunderstorms. After 1 month, lift the tarps to allow sunlight to reach the plants. This causes them to resprout. Keep them lifted for two to three days and then cover the area again. Repeat this every month. We may need to repeat this process for multiple growing seasons.

Glyphosate Alternatives: For some sites, it may be possible to use glyphosate alternatives. This approach will be similar to using glyphosate, with one modification: we should spray every time the vegetation reaches 4 inches. We will likely need to spray many times throughout the growing season and may need to repeat this process for multiple growing seasons. Use the maximum recommended dosage for each spray.

Step 3: Plant Seeds in the Dormant Season

The next step is to buy a blend of native flower and grass seeds from a reputable vendor. We should choose a blend that is suitable given what we found during the basic site assessment. It should also contain a diversity of native species, preferably at least 20. So long as we meet these requirements, we can pick any other traits that we prefer, such as short or tall, more flowers or more grasses, and so forth.

NOTE: it is possible to create our own custom blend of native seeds. But this process is challenging. For those who want to learn more, there are additional resources available in the Appendix.

Buy two times more than the vendor recommends—this will leave plenty of seeds after birds and erosion have taken their cut. If the vendor has a lower and upper limit to how much seed we should use, double the upper limit, not the lower limit.

Example: For a high-quality seed blend from Roundstone, they recommend 7–11 pounds per acre. Buy 22 pounds per acre (2 times the upper range). An acre is 43,560-ft2. If the site is 4,000-ft2, then we will need (4,000/43,560) × 22 pounds = 2.02 pounds. Round to two pounds.

After we receive our seed blend, the next task is to portion it into 1,000-ft2 sections. Let’s stick with the prior example where we have a 4,000-ft2 site. 4,000 divided by 1,000 is 4, so divide the seed into four portions that are approximately 0.5 pounds each. Once we portion out the seeds, store them in bags that can be closed so the seeds do not spill.

Next we begin the process of installing the meadow. Meadows can be installed in every season, and each has its advantages, disadvantages, and unique procedural nuances. In my experience, the best time to perform installation is during the dormant season, preferably near the middle. For those who experience heavy snowfall during the dormant season, I recommend installing the meadow before the snow arrives.

If there is dead vegetation on site, cut it low to the ground and rake it away. It’s ok if roots and lower portions of vegetation remain in place. They can help keep our seeds from washing away. Even if our site does not have vegetation, leaves, or other debris that needs to be removed, we should still rake the surface to create a bit of loose soil. We need no more than ¼-inch of loose soil in which the seeds can settle. Any more can be harmful since seeds may land too far below the surface and never sprout.

When we are ready to sow the seeds, we need to mix them with a filler for better distribution. If we spread the seed blend without a filler, we will overseed and quickly run out before covering the entire site. My favorite filler is kitty litter. It’s light and readily available at many pet stores. We will need 50 pounds per 1,000-ft2 of area to be seeded. For the 4,000-ft2 example we have been using throughout this chapter, we will need four bags of kitty litter in total.

Begin by pouring 50 pounds of kitty litter into a wheelbarrow. Add a bag of seeds, which is enough seed for 1,000-ft2. Mix them thoroughly.

If there are many 1,000-ft2 sections, it may help to mark each one. Pour half of this seed/filler mix into a 5-gallon bucket. Begin spreading the mix in the first 1,000-ft2 section. For each 1,000-ft2 section we make two passes: using the first half of the mix (25 pounds), we should walk in east–west directions. Scatter it in a consistent fashion. I like to turn my right palm up and flick it to my left, like I’m casting a fishing line sideways. But there is no right or wrong way to do this, so long as we thoroughly spread the mix across the intended area. The goals are to be consistent with our hand motion, take slow steps, and implement a method that creates a methodical spray pattern. We do not want clumps; we want even and thorough distribution of the mix.

Make sure we spread conservatively so that we have enough mix to cover the entire area in our east–west pattern. Once we are done with the first bucket, refill the bucket with the remaining half of our mix. With this second bucket, walk in a north–south direction. This allows us to create a crosshatch pattern over the 1,000-ft2 section, which ensures better coverage. Please note that we do not actually have to walk east–west and north–south; I only chose these to illustrate the need to create a crosshatch pattern. Repeat this process for all 1,000-ft2 sections until the entire area has been seeded.

Finally, we must install jute fabric to help reduce erosion. Some experts argue that this is unnecessary, but I find that using jute fabric can make a big difference in the outcome of the meadow. Jute fabric is made of plant fibers and will rot over time. We can buy jute fabric from local hardware stores, home improvement stores, and online. We should also buy some jute fabric pins to hold the fabric in place. To install the jute fabric, roll it out across the length of the meadow. Use a hammer and jute pins to fasten the fabric to the ground. How or what tools we use to install the fabric does not matter so long as we cover the entire area in jute fabric and pin it in place.

Step 4: Perform Maintenance During the First Growing Season

We must closely follow what I consider to be one of the most crucial rules for success: no matter how well a meadow performs in its first growing season, and no matter how amazing we might find it to be, we must cut it every two to three weeks. We will be tempted to ignore this rule—especially when the flowers are dazzling—but we must not.

We have two primary goals during the first growing season:

1. Keep weeds from producing mature seed.
2. Make sure the small native grass and flower sprouts receive plenty of sunlight.

We can achieve these goals by mowing every two to three weeks. Cut all plants to a height of 5–6 inches with a string trimmer or lawnmower (assuming it can be positioned to the appropriate height). We should avoid using a lawnmower on days when the ground is wet, since this can damage the sprouts. If we use a lawnmower, attach a bag to the side to catch debris if possible. This will help reduce something called thatch. Thatch is what occurs when we leave layers of cut vegetation in place. If thatch builds up, it will shade out the young native sprouts and prevent them from receiving adequate sunlight. Luckily even if bagging the thatch is not an option, cutting every two to three weeks minimizes this issue.

If for some reason we cut less frequently than every two to three weeks—and we should not—we will need to rake, blow, or otherwise remove the resulting thatch. Place the thatch in a compost pile.

We do this for the entire growing season. Our meadow will look like a semi-mowed patch of weeds. This is ok. It paves the way for something beautiful later.

At the end of the growing season, let the plants grow a bit taller than usual. We want them to have extra mass to weather cold temperatures during the dormant season. Ideally, the meadow plants should be 10–12 inches tall during the dormant season.

If leaves or pine straw fall onto the meadow from nearby trees, rake or blow them off the meadow sometime before the end of the dormant season. They will obstruct the growth of the flowers and grasses during the second growing season. From the meadow’s perspective, we can think of leaves as a type of thatch.

If budget allows, we should spread seeds again during the dormant season (this is called overseeding). This should be done after removing leaves. We use the same seed blend and the same processes outlined in Step 3 of this chapter, but without installing more jute fabric. Overseeding is not necessary but will help bolster the meadow.

Step 5: Perform Maintenance During the Second Growing Season

Here is a video providing some thoughts, tips, and so forth to help with maintenance in the second growing season and beyond, since this can be more tricky than the first growing season.

During the second growing season, our goals are the same as the first growing season. The difference now is that we have more flexibility to make decisions about what to do next. Some may decide that there are minimal weeds, plenty of robust native plants, and it’s time to let the meadow grow freely. Determining whether this is true requires the ability to distinguish weeds from desirable flowers and grasses, which is not easy to do.

If in doubt about what to do, or if you want to maximize the probability of long-term success, keep up the work from last growing season, with one modification: cut to a height of 10–12 inches instead of 5–6 inches. Given the height change, this will require the use of a string trimmer instead of a lawnmower. We will still need to cut regularly every two to three weeks to avoid creating a lot of thick thatch.

Once the dormant season arrives, we need to perform our first annual cut. We perform the annual cut to reduce thatch and to prevent tree and shrub species from turning the meadow into a forest. Ideally, we would burn the meadow instead of cutting it, but that is not an option for most sites in the sub/urban landscape.

When performing the annual cut, we begin by cutting the entire meadow close to ground level. We should aim to cut all debris to a height of 2 inches or less, but we must not cut so low that we scalp the soil. There are many tools we can use, including a lawn mower, string trimmer, hedge trimmer with an articulating cutting head, or scythe. Once the cutting is done, we gather all the large stalks and place them in a brush or compost pile. Then we use a rake or blower to remove the smaller dead vegetation and plant debris. It’s okay to see patches of bare ground.

Step 6: Perform Maintenance During the Third Growing Season and Beyond

By the third growing season, most meadows will be established. Now it is time to enjoy the incredible beauty and buzzing life that calls this space home.

There will be exceptions, of course. Some sites may take longer, especially those with heavily compacted dirt. For these sites, repeat Step 5 (maintenance for the second growing season) for one or two more growing seasons. Eventually the meadow will flourish. Every meadow evolves in its own unique way based on site conditions, weather, and other factors outside of our control. Each season will bring unexpected surprises and changes. This is part of what makes meadows so exciting!

From here on out, all we need to do is the following:

• Perform an annual cut.
• Spend some time each growing season monitoring for unwelcome plants taking root in the meadow. A pass every month is sufficient. I recommend snipping intruders with scissors or clippers. Keep a close eye on the edges of the meadow where wind and water often move weed seeds in from surrounding areas. Make methodical passes through the interior as well.
• If we observe that an invasive species of some kind is taking over the meadow at a pace that cannot be controlled with cuts and other non-chemical solutions, we may need to use targeted herbicide applications to eradicate it. Otherwise, the invasive species could destroy the meadow. For this, I recommend using a glove or brush to apply a glyphosate herbicide that has no added surfactants directly on the invasive plant. Spraying herbicide will create too much damage to nearby plants.

There is another important consideration we should bear in mind: by keeping the edges of our meadows mowed or trimmed we can create pleasing visual frames and the appearance of order. It indicates to passersby that this space is cared for—it is not neglected. This may matter for some properties where aesthetics are a concern and for meadows bordering sidewalks, paths, and streets. For this I recommend using a string trimmer to cut the edge of the meadow down to half its height or to create a rounded contour (in other words, sculpt the edge of the meadow so the plants do not drape over the walkway or street). We can also use a lawnmower to create a low, mowed strip along the relevant edges.

Finally, above all else we should remember to perform what is by far the most important task: enjoy the meadow! Soak in its magnificent beauty, watch the wonder of life humming about, and experience moments of peace.