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Eco-Lawn FAQ
Is Eco-Lawn genetically modified (GMO)?No! None of the species in Eco-Lawn are genetically modified.What is the germination rate for Eco-Lawn?As is required to meet the rigorous certification standards, Eco-Lawn seed is independently tested for germination, seed purity and weed seed content. Each year Eco-Lawn passes these tests with flying colors. Our 2023 test results show that Eco-Lawn is comprised of 98.8% Pure Seed, with a Germination rate of 93%. The test results also show 0.0% weed seed content so you can be assured that Eco-Lawn seed is weed free and highly viable.How quickly does Eco-Lawn germinate?Eco-Lawn typically takes 7-14 days to germinate, but germination time can vary significantly depending on temperature and moisture levels. Seed planted when night time temperatures are regularly above 15 degrees Celsius (50 F) will not germinate without daily watering and may wait until cooler days to germinate. Seed planted in late fall may wait happily under snow cover until early spring to germinate.Will Eco-Lawn do well in southern climates?Eco-Lawn grows well in southern climates, however since you do receive some very hot and dry conditions, for the first year of growth you should water it just as much as you would water a traditional lawn to order to help it get established. Once it is a year old and mature you will still need to water it once or twice a week in extremely hot weather. This is still a lot less watering than traditional turfs require!What makes Eco-Lawn drought tolerant?Eco-Lawn is drought tolerant for two reasons. First, it produces grass blades that are very thin. Typical lawn grass varieties have thick, succulent blades that require a great deal of water to maintain structure and health. The thin blades of Eco-Lawn are less susceptible to extreme dryness. Eco-Lawn also creates an exceptionally deep root system. Most lawns create root systems that are only a few inches in depth which, in turn, require frequent watering. The deep roots of an established Eco-Lawn will penetrate up to 9 inches in hard pan clay and 14 inches deep in sandy soils and can naturally source moisture from the ground throughout the growing season.How much water a year will I need compared to a traditional lawn?A standard Kentucky bluegrass or perennial rye lawn requires one to two inches of water a week. For a 1,000 square foot lawn, that amounts to between 32,448 and 64,896 thousand gallons a year! Eco-Lawn however, requires minimal watering. In central and southern California for example, no more than 12,400 gallons of water are necessary for a 1,000 square foot Eco-Lawn for the whole year. To compare how much water you are now using vs. Eco-Lawn please try using our online Water Savings CalculatorWhen is the best time to sow Eco-Lawn?Like most grass seed, Eco-Lawn is germinates best in cool, moist conditions (approximately 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 Celsius). For most of North America, the best time to sow Eco-Lawn is in early autumn or early spring. In California and other warm climate areas, November - January is the ideal time to sow Eco-Lawn as this gives it some time to establish before it has to face the heat of your southern summers.Why doesn't Eco-Lawn need a lot of fertilizing?Eco-Lawn, unlike traditional turfs, creates a deep root system. It will make roots up to 9 inches deep in hard-pan clay soils and up to 14 inches deep in sandy soils! These deep root systems enable Eco-Lawn to naturally source the nutrients it requires from the soil so you don't need to add much in the way of fertilizers!Why doesn't Eco-Lawn need a lot of pesticides?Eco-Lawn is naturally less vulnerable to many insects that love to destroy shallow rooted sod lawns. One common predator are grubs. Grubs are the larvae of June Bugs and non-native Japanese Beetles. These creatures live as grubs in moist soils for two years and then emerge as adults in early summer. The adults only live for about 6 weeks, so their number one goal is to reproduce! In nature the female beetles, once pregnant, lay their eggs in the moist soils of pond edges and stream banks. Today, grubs are most often found in well-watered lawns. Traditional lawns have no real root systems and demand that you water them, making the soil surface of your lawn soft and damp - the exact conditions that the female beetles want to lay their eggs in! Since Eco-Lawn requires very little, watering once established, the surface of the soil is hard and thus it is less attractive to the adult beetles looking to lay their eggs. They simply go somewhere else to lay their eggs!Eco-Lawn is also less vulnerable to many other lawn insect pests because its deep and dense root system makes an inhospitable environment for many insects that like to live just below the surface of a shallow rooted sod lawn. Many insect pests like to eat the exotic grasses such as Bermuda and Kentucky Blue but are not attracted to Eco-Lawn's fine fescue grasses. One of the main reasons for this is that the fine fescue species in Eco-Lawn contain naturally occurring Endophytes. Endophytes are a type of fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with the grass itself and this results in increased insect resistance (they don't like to eat grass that contains Endophytes) as well as increasing stress tolerance for weed invasions, rapid recovery from injury or damage, as well as increased heat and drought tolerance. Furthermore, a study conducted by Cornell University in 2007 has determined that fine fescues, of which Eco-Lawn is comprised, are actually allelopathic. This means that the grass itself exudes a natural, broad-spectrum herbicide, which is an amino acid called meta-tyrosine, in large amounts. This natural herbicide inhibits other plants (weeds) from growing in Eco-Lawn naturally and this allelopathic quality is, at the same time, non-harmful to humans or pets. Pesticides are therefore not generally required for Eco-Lawn care - an incalculable value to any family with children and pets. When will my Eco-Lawn be fully established?Any newly seeded lawn, including Eco-Lawn, will take a full growing season to become established and mature. It might give you some perspective to bear in mind that a roll of high maintenance sod needs one to two years of growth before it is available for sale! A bit of patience with your new Eco-Lawn will result in a beautiful, low maintenance lawn.Can I overseed my existing lawn?Yes. Simply overseeding an existing lawn will not result in an instant conversion to a low maintenance Eco-Lawn as your existing lawn and the Eco-Lawn will compete with one another. However, if you overseed your old lawn every spring and fall year for a few years it will, in time, become a true Eco-Lawn. In the meantime, you will still need to regularly mow the existing lawn. So while this method will work, it does take time, patience and regular overseeding.What is the overall cost of installing and maintaining an Eco-Lawn?Typical installation and maintenance costs for a 1,000 sq. foot Eco-Lawn over a ten-year period is just $2,100.00. This includes seeding, watering and mowing once a month. By comparison, a 1,000 square foot lawn planted with sod costs over $8,950.00 to install and maintain over a ten-year period. This includes, seeding, watering, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and mowing once a week. Eco-Lawn will save you over $6,800.00 over a ten-year period!Will Eco-Lawn grow in clay soil?Yes, Eco-Lawn has no trouble growing in clay soils! The key to success with clay soils is to ensure that the soil is kept moist during the critical germination phase as clay soils tend to dry out quickly. Mulching the area with a light covering of straw or peat moss after sowing the seeds will help hold soil moisture very well.Will Eco-Lawn grow in completely sandy soil?Eco-Lawn will grow in very sandy soils, but if you are seeding at a beach-type property with pure beach sand, you will need to add about 3 inches of quality top soil. Adding topsoil inevitably introduces weeds, so lay the soil a couple of weeks before you seed, so that you can eliminate the newly sprouted weeds before sowing your Eco-Lawn. |
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