Update: PPLD 21c Landscape Conversion
See our initial post on converting PPLD 21c from a high water bluegrass to multiple native grass options.
We’ve learned some things over the past year, but we are pretty happy with the results of the conversion one year later. There is still some work to be done and we will continue improving the landscape as it fully matures. Scroll further down to see the picture highlights!
Notes on how we’re maintaining the native:
Mowing the native approximately 1x per month, depending on growth and rainfall
Weed Control approximately 2x per year
Watering at less than half the need of Kentucky Bluegrass
Overseeding spots that struggled to come in on year 1
Thoughts on the various native grasses:
The western wheatgrass greens up nice and early in the spring but has a coarser texture
Blue gramma has our favorite texture and color for most of the year
Tahoma 31 (non-native) greened up late (June 1), is thriving in a warmer and more protected microclimate next to the building but is recovering slowly from winter kill in more exposed areas. It would be good to put in mulch rings around the trees. More testing is needed to see where this will work best throughout Colorado Springs.
Year 1 lessons learned:
The native grasses will grow in at different rates, and some additional mowing may be required to help make sure it looks even and “neat” until it is all growing in “evenly”
Additional mowing especially early in the season will help with weed control
Make sure irrigation coverage is still good, even though it’s native. In dry periods, you will notice exactly where the irrigation coverage is, and the unirrigated areas will go dormant
Make sure irrigation heads can shoot over native grass, especially if it is being maintained longer.
A little water and the native bounces back and greens up really quickly
Having multiple native grasses in an area can lead to varied textures – this should be a big consideration in future landscape design
