My front yard has quack grass, lawn moths, and Maple tree roots coming through the sod. Where do I start?
Question:Despite consistent watering, aeration, fertilizer, and mowing my front lawn is going to hell in a hand basket. I don't even know where to start in fixing it. I live in Colorado, a very arid state and have Kentucky Blue Grass, a very water loving grass variety that is entirely too popular in our state. I don't want to use a lot of chemicals on our lawn due to kids and dogs and I don't want to pay a fortune for a professional to come out and take care of it. What can I do to find a solution to my grass issues?
Answers:
Some varieties of maple trees have a very shallow root system that run just beneath the surface of the lawn. Silver maples which are native to our region are particularly bad.
The most vulnerable part of my yard is the area directly beneath our silver maples. The roots absorb water like a sponge, and the grass is quite weak. When the grass is weak, things like crab grass and quack grass will take right over. Since I'm not willing to take out the tree, I opted to remove the grass instead and replaced it with low water native grasses and landscaping.
High Country Garden is a wonderful resource for low water plants and native grasses that will work in Colorado.
Your yard isn't getting enough sun. Thin out the tree
Hire Mexicans.
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