While mowing our yard yesturday I got to thinking about what folks expect from their yard/lawn. I dont even think of my yard as a lawn. Lawns to me are meant for golf courses and maybe parks. Pretty to look but not worth much, in my opinion. When I see a lawn, I see a chemically and water dependent plant that is often over mowed and a major drain on natural resources. I will concede that it may help to retard soil erosion. A lawn just would not fit into the plans for our homestead. That is why I have a yard and I treat my yard as if it were a regular pasture, just a bit tamer. How do we manage our pastured yard? First we only mow it as needed, maybe once a week during the fastest growing periods and not at all during times of drought. The mowers decks are set on the highest level. The shorter you cut the grass the more the plant will spend its energy on top growth and not on root growth. Strong root growth equals a plant better prepared for times of drought, and the less time you spend watering. Stronger roots also means that my grass will still be green, during a drought, while yours is dried up and dead. We actually dont water at all. I expect my pastured yard to care for itself. Along with setting the mower deck to the highest level, we also make sure the blades are sharp. Twice a year the mowers get a check up that includes a good cleaning, top off all fluids, winterize the fuel or empty the tank in winter, check all grease ports, and sharpen the blades. The mower last longer with less hassle that way. Sharp blades will make a clean cut on the grass. Take a look at the top of a piece of grass after you have mowed, is cut clean or is is gagged or saw toothed? If you dont see a clean cut, you need to sharpen your blades. A clean cut helps to prevent infection from disease, insect, molds or fungus. The next part of the plan is not to use any chemicals on the yard. I want a soil that will encourage a natural environment for holistic balance. You see our chickens eat our yard, our dogs and cats play and hunt in our yard, and lets not forget the humans that like to enjoy it too. I dont want any chemicals near any of my loved ones, human, feathered or furred. Now what to do to take care of any bare spots that may come up? Like the big ones from where Hubby parked the enclosed trailer for 10 years. Simple, I go to the local feed mill and get a enough seed for an acre. They have a good pasture seed mix that has native grassed, some grains, as well as legumes. I just rake the soil, spread the seed, then put a floating row cover on top. The floating row cover works kind of like straw in that it helps to keep the soil just right for germination. Plus it keeps the chickens from scratching the patch. Chickens will just see a patch of straw as an invitation to dig up worms and eat all your seeds. I choose a pasture mix for my purposes, but you could do the same with any mix you like. I even did the small bank around the greenhouse with nothing but clover, so pretty and fills in fast. Try to look for a mix with native grasses and legumes, grains are an added bonus. You could also try an orchard mix, very similar to pasture mix but with less native grasses. This year since I wont be putting in the vegetable garden, I will instead be seeding it with pasture mix. That will help to build soil, prevent erosion, and provide a lovely place for the flock to forage. I could have put in winter wheat, but I already had the pasture mix. So do you have a yard or do you have a lawn?
Posted on: Mon, 12 May 2014 17:05:52 +0000
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