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Writer's pictureBrooke Richter

What About Lawn Alternatives

This begins our series on the use of native plants and sustainability. The beginning blog is what about lawn alternatives and how to use your free time more wisely without high maintenance lawn care.

Few areas of the landscape instill as much pride as a well manicured lawn. But with many consumers becoming more aware of the impact that traditional lawn inputs may have on the environment, homeowners are exploring alternatives.

Traditionally, a well maintained lawn was an imperative past time with lawn mowing being a weekly event. With personal schedules becoming more chaotic many homeowners would love the extra free time without having to pay someone to mow the yard. Likewise, traditional lawns have required high amounts of irrigation, nutrients, and chemical inputs. Many people are beginning to question the standard approach to lawn care and look for something that may be less intensive to maintain and care for.


Enter the genus Carex or sedges, a group of highly diverse plants that can give the same lush, green effect as a lawn with much less care. There are nearly 2000 species of sedges and they vary greatly in their size, growth habit, and ideal growing conditions. They range in plant size from 1 to 2 inches to 3-4 feet tall. Some prefer sun, others shade. Likewise, some prefer wet soil, others dry, arid soil. All in all, there is a sedge for every type of condition you may be faced with. These plants may not give you a smooth, tightly cropped appearance as an athletic playing field, but if you want the appearance of green grass with much less hassle and headache, then a sedge planting is for you.

The benefits of these sedge species are that they require very little upkeep and maintenance. If the right sedge species is selected properly for the site, they should need very little additional water. Also, they are rarely troubled by insects and disease. The only routine maintenance is to remove old, tattered foliage after winter to let new, green growth emerge. A single summer mowing is sometimes necessary if leaves begin to look ragged. A well established sedge planting typically provides a dense enough canopy to stave off weed infestations and weeds are rarely a problem.

To convert a traditional lawn to a sedge planting, a few steps must happen. Existing turf grass should be stripped off and removed. Soil should be tilled and graded properly. The addition of compost and other amendments are beneficial at this time. Sedges are usually planted as small plugs at 6 to 12 inches on center. Seeding is also an option, but will take a little extra time for establishment and additional weed control may be necessary until plantings become more dense. Plants and seeds should be watered thoroughly for the first few months as they establish. After becoming thoroughly established, water needs will diminish greatly.

One area in particular where we have utilized sedges is an areas of dense shade where lawns typically fizzle out and become

Carex muskingumensis

Carex muskingumensis


more mud than grass. Instead of being locked into a continual pattern of seeding every year to restore the turf, a sedge such as Carex muskengumensis will fill in and thrive in these settings. Carex radiata is another species of sedge that we have utilized to make a dense mat giving texture to the landscape.

Carex radiata

Carex radiata


All in all, there is a sedge for almost any setting that can be utilized instead of a traditional lawn. While it may not be an exact substitute for a well manicured lawn, sedge plantings are reliable and trouble free, and require much less inputs and maintenance. If you are thinking about switching some of your lawn to turf, let the experts at Mark M. Holeman, Inc. help you get started on the right foot.

Look for next month’s series blog on rain gardens!

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