Cheap Ground Covers for Lawn Areas - Drought Tolerant

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
Location
USA
I don't like to use a lot of water on my lawn, but I do water the part that still has green grass enough to keep it alive. My lawn area has gotten smaller over the years due to die off, dry conditions, etc. I have used white clover seed a few years ago, and that grew pretty well and once established didn't need much water at all.

The problem with clover was that it really attracted bees to the grass, so walking around barefoot or having the dog and cat out there wasn't great. Also, we have an open nature area behind our house and wild rabbits come into our yard all the time. When I planted clover, they were really attracted to it, I love to see the odd rabbit or two in my yard, but a half dozen dropping pellets all over is not too good.

Any clover that doesn't attract bees and rabbits. Any other cheap alternative that is low maintenance but will cover the bare ground? Years ago I wasted a lot of money and work on my lawn, but those days are over and I like to save on my water bill too. My soil is not ideal, mostly sandy. Any ideas?
 

Perhaps the best grass I've found for living out in the country is Kentucky 31 Fescue. It grows in most soils and provides good ground cover. Many home supply stores...Lowes, Menards, Home Depot, and even Walmart sell large 50lb. sacks for about $50. Where we live, its a constant battle to keep the weeds under control, but if I can get an area started with K31, it usually grows thick enough to styme most of the weeds. We've had a very dry Winter, and I noticed several spots where the grass isn't coming up properly, so I will probably get some K31, and till those areas a bit, and put down some new seed. Perennial Rye Grass is another good option, but it requires a bit more soil preparation and a bit of fertilizer, and plenty of water until the grass gets established.
 
Thanks Don, I just wonder if it would survive in semi-arid areas like Colorado, I know Missouri probably has better soils and conditions. I don't even care about weeds anymore as long as I can mow them. Anything to cover the bare soil to cut back on erosion and mud, etc. Also, the spot that's really bare is a small hill or decline and below that to the fence.
 

SeaBreeze said:
Thanks Don, I just wonder if it would survive in semi-arid areas like Colorado, I know Missouri probably has better soils and conditions. I don't even care about weeds anymore as long as I can mow them. Anything to cover the bare soil to cut back on erosion and mud, etc. Also, the spot that's really bare is a small hill or decline and below that to the fence.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's right....we may be talking about completely different growing conditions in our two locales...what works here might be a waste of time in Colorado. You might see if there are any landscapers in your area, and query them on what would be the best ground cover. You might also browse the Internet...there are probably forums that talk about lawns, etc. Try googling something like "best grass for Colorado"...I can't think of many things that can't be found on the Net anymore. Out of curiosity, I just did such a search and came up with this....

http://csuturf.colostate.edu/Pages/TURFspecies.htm
 
I find at the local hardware/home improvement stores different brands of ground cover that seem to be mixed only for the particular region.
Scotts Bonus S does that. I buy a Southern weed & feed made for St. Augustine grass .. their turf builder mix works here.
Lowe's stores and Home Depot have people who can help point a person in the right direction for buying the best local mix.
 
Find a local dairy farmer or horse farm and ask if you can sweep the hayloft floor. When I was a kid that was how we got our grass seed and the chaff provided a little cover until the seeds sprouted.
 
Well I ended up just doing the completely bald area on the slope with a small bag of Fescue blend seed that is supposed to be good for heavy traffic, heat and drought tolerant....we'll see. I wanted to do it as cheap, and easily as possible, will do other sections in the future. Thanks everyone for your advice and input, much appreciated. :thanks:
 
I'd stay away from some of those fast grow seeds. They are not durable. Extremely fragile and they still need a ton of water in the beginning after planting. It's extra money but any seeding now I'm going to try mixing potting soil and/or manure in with the generic soils from the store. Manure is under 3$ a bag compared to the highly nutrientized garden and vegetable soils at 8$ bag. Even if the grass goes dormant during a drought at least the root structure is their to help hold the soil in place.
 
I dunno about where you are, but fescue has to be planted here in late fall/early winter. It doesn't stand a chance in the heat unless it has already germinated and got a good hold. It also requires lots of water. Lots! Mine is "sun and shade" but most fescue doesn't like too much sun.

There are sloped areas in my garden where there was an erosion problem. I planted blue star creeper/white star creeper. It's a good ground cover, grows fast, spreads easily, and some folks even use it as a "lawn" that requires no mowing. And...it doesn't mind getting walked on.
 
Agree GeorgiaXplant. Not much luck with fescue in Georgia. I don't know about Colorado though. When it does survive here it seems to do it in clumps.

I also have blue star creeper. No care required at all and we've had a lot of drought here. May be too cold for it in CO.:confused:
 
When the dandelions ripen...I let them scatter their seed before mowing. Each year they spread further supplying luxurious, no maintenance, lawn cover...and sheer golden beauty for awhile. I know it's unorthodox...but then, that's me. ;)
 
I'll let you know if the fescue seed took or not, if it fails I'll try something else in the future. Anomaly, I agree, at this point I'm glad to have any ground cover even if dandelions. Only weeds I dig up and get rid of these days are the invasive prickly ones, the ones you need gloves on to even work with.
 
I live on the SE coast of Georgia...Camden County. Living on very very sandy land in the middle of a salt marsh. I place top soil down and in a year it has filtered through the sand. Can not afford that. Very hard to have a lawn unless you have an unlimited income. Had quite a few dying pin oaks removed 2 years ago which has helped a lot. The lack of water is a problem and even when it does rain it drains through the sand quickly. There are some really nice areas, mostly in the front yard PHEW!, but some really sandy areas mostly in the back yard.
 

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