Members of the Driftwood Garden Club of Marblehead gathered recently for an informative lecture on Lawns and Lawn Alternatives presented by Master Gardener Gretel Anspach. Ms. Anspach is a Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, and a retired systems engineer for Raytheon. Her primary focus is on the science behind horticulture.
Ms. Anspach shared many references on best practices for sound lawn care, including replanting, supplementing, and maintaining the site. Expert soil testing is vital to determine the pH and composition to properly supplement with the macro nutrients Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Online forms for soil tests are available from UMass Amherst, Soil & Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory, https://ag.umass.edu.
Your site assessment should focus on light, moisture, nutrients, soil compaction and thatch buildup. Depending on the results of your soil test, amend your soil with compost or sand, and aerate if compacted. Ms. Anspach noted that lawns like evenly moist soil. Water approximately one inch per week.
Picture-perfect turf lawns need full sun! We learned of many turf alternatives, including clovers, that support pollinators and will tolerate shade.
According to Gretel, a healthy lawn is fairly disease resistant and allows a few annual weeds (yes, dandelions!) to grow. Use a mulching mower and don’t mow when the lawn is wet. Turf grass in Massachusetts is considered ‘cool season grass’ so fall is the best time to reseed or overseed to enjoy your green lawn.
Driftwood Garden Club 