Author Topic: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass + infiltrate stormwater)  (Read 24100 times)

Roots&Wings

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I hate mowing grass, and trying to get rid of 100% of grass in the front curb “hellstrip” or sidewalk strip. Anyone else doing this?

Here are a few inspiration ideas:










« Last Edit: June 14, 2021, 10:41:29 AM by Roots&Wings »

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2019, 07:13:39 AM »
Progress so far (planted an 8’ x 20’ strip):



Zone 9b here. Going for no mow, no irrigation, low maintenance “tough as nails” native/adapted plants that attract pollinators. So far have an olive tree, native grasses, and drought tolerant pollinator flowers.

Also using free or very low cost plants.
« Last Edit: September 16, 2019, 07:17:10 AM by Roots&Wings »

Malum Prohibitum

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2019, 08:04:34 AM »
That looks great, Roots&Wings!  The big deal is going to be weeding and keeping the grass out of the planted area over time.

horsepoor

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2019, 08:27:19 AM »
No hellstrips in my neighborhood, but I've converted most of our front yard to xeriscape with partially native plants.  What you put in will really depend on where you live.  High Country Gardens is a good source if you're out west.  For a narrow area like that, I would probably choose flowering ground covers, and maybe a couple ornamental grasses for the middle.  Plants always get bigger than you think they will.  Greek yarrow is one of my favorite ground covers since it is nice and compact and well-behaved, but each plant gets big enough to cover some real estate, and you can propagate it from cuttings.


thd7t

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2019, 08:40:06 AM »
That looks great, Roots&Wings!  The big deal is going to be weeding and keeping the grass out of the planted area over time.
I don't have a hellstrip, but years ago, we planted the very front of our yard with perennials similarly to what OP is suggesting and as Malum Prohibitum suggests, the weeding has been a ton of work.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2019, 09:43:02 AM »
^ Are you mulching thickly? I've not had to do any weeding really (just a few random sprouts here and there), but I dumped on mulch super thick (and dug out the grass initially, which was a boatload of work, and I'm re-thinking grass removal approach for expansion).

thd7t

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2019, 09:46:05 AM »
^We mulched heavily and paper mulched under that, but it was still a fair challenge.  We did remove our grass prior to starting.  I do have to say that while I don't think it's less work, it is a whole lot nicer!

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2019, 09:50:42 AM »
So true! It may end up simply being a trade off in terms of maintenance work/time, just a different type. But it absolutely can look better, and seeing all those butterflies and hummingbird flit around is so much fun!

That's surprising about the weeds @thd7t with all the prep you did, wow. Sounds like you live in an area with superweeds :)

And thanks @Malum Prohibitum! It's been a rewarding project so far, and lots more to go. Hope to hear more stories/tips too.

deborah

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2019, 11:07:25 AM »
No grass at all. SO smiles every time a lawn mower starts up around the neighbourhood.

erutio

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2019, 12:43:33 PM »
In Chicago, we call that strip the parkway.  I also want to convert mine to all native plants with no grass.

thd7t

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2019, 12:49:03 PM »
So true! It may end up simply being a trade off in terms of maintenance work/time, just a different type. But it absolutely can look better, and seeing all those butterflies and hummingbird flit around is so much fun!

That's surprising about the weeds @thd7t with all the prep you did, wow. Sounds like you live in an area with superweeds :)

And thanks @Malum Prohibitum! It's been a rewarding project so far, and lots more to go. Hope to hear more stories/tips too.

We have a lot of creeping bentgrass, and it's a stinker!  We love all the birds and bugs we get with our plantings, too, though!

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2019, 01:18:42 PM »
That's awesome @deborah and @erutio!

Creeping grass can be a challenge, I've heard it recommended to edge with brick or some type of masonry to make it easier to maintain, unsure if I'll do that on the neighbor's grass border.

Called my local tree service to get on their list for another free mulch load delivery. I'll be working on prep/digging out grass in the meantime.

BlueHouse

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2019, 07:56:09 AM »
I'm working on a plan for my hellstrip. 
Mine is about 20 feet X 3 feet.  In that area are 2 treeboxes with mature trees (city trees, not mine) and one 3X3 utility grate right in the middle, held in place by a lot of cement.  So there isn't a lot of room for plantings.  I am pretty convinced that the builders laid sod directly on top of cement.  Anyway, I have about 3 sprigs of grass/weeds that survive in those conditions and the rest is just...rock hard.  Water just runs right over it down into the grate.  Right now, my plan is to encircle the utility grate with large rocks (about 1 foot by 8 inches high), add two or more pavers as a path from the street to the sidewalk on either side of the grate, then just throw large pine bark mulch down on the rest of it, to extend the tree boxes.

I also want to add a "target rock" to encourage dogs to pee on the rock rather than on the trees.   

Depending on how that looks, I may add some large containers and make a container garden in the rest of it...but I'm not sure whether to go with annuals or perennials in the containers.   

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2019, 08:55:19 AM »
I have my yard in garden everywhere that is sunny enough for a garden to grow.  The areas that are too shady rarely need to get mowed.  But I still end up doing a bunch of mowing because I live in the sort of neighborhood where people think that mowing is optional, so I end up mowing the neighbors' yards because that is the only way the mowing will get done.  Apparently I'm the only person who gets bothered by overgrown grass.

NorCal

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2019, 09:37:41 AM »
PTF. 

Those look great, and this is on my to-do list.  Just probably not for a year or two.

My focus this year is reviving a few Red Oak's in our strip that are barely hanging on. 

My goal will be low-maintenance and low water.

Weisass

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2019, 01:56:29 PM »
You just inspired me to check our township ordinances. This is an awesome idea.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #16 on: September 23, 2019, 05:53:42 AM »
I also want to add a "target rock" to encourage dogs to pee on the rock rather than on the trees.   
Love that idea @BlueHouse :) Sounds like a great plan in the works. And good luck @NorCal  and @Mrsweisass!

---------------
Overall plan here:
- Phase 1: remove grass/prep
- Phase 2: mulch
- Phase 3: plants & hardscape
Budget is $100.

Progress Update:


Phase 1 is complete, grass dug out around existing bed plus an 8" perimeter strip of grass around the remainder (I'll be killing that grass with cardboard and mulch). Uncovered 2 extra feet of driveway buried under the grass.

Someone had concrete edging out for the trash, nice to reuse that, hopefully it will provide a decent grass blocker.

SwordGuy

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #17 on: September 23, 2019, 06:46:14 AM »
Why stop at the hellstrip?   It's just as tedious mowing the rest of the yard...


Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #18 on: September 23, 2019, 07:14:43 AM »
Of course! For the super dedicated, that's a great goal. The idea here is to make it manageable (and ideally attractive, being right on the front curb). For DIY, this type of project can take time, and converting a huge swath of grass can be overwhelming.

Weisass

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #19 on: September 24, 2019, 07:45:45 AM »
I also want to add a "target rock" to encourage dogs to pee on the rock rather than on the trees.   
Love that idea @BlueHouse :) Sounds like a great plan in the works. And good luck @NorCal  and @Mrsweisass!

---------------
Overall plan here:
- Phase 1: remove grass/prep
- Phase 2: mulch
- Phase 3: plants & hardscape
Budget is $100.

Progress Update:


Phase 1 is complete, grass dug out around existing bed plus an 8" perimeter strip of grass around the remainder (I'll be killing that grass with cardboard and mulch). Uncovered 2 extra feet of driveway buried under the grass.

Someone had concrete edging out for the trash, nice to reuse that, hopefully it will provide a decent grass blocker.

Gorgeous! Color me inspired.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #20 on: September 24, 2019, 11:54:27 AM »
Thank you @Mrsweisass! Things can look messy in progress, but it's always a delight to create something you love.

Curious what you find out about your local ordinances. I didn't dig too deep here, but spoke with a city official who told me I couldn't plant another large oak tree (that had been there originally) and it's a code violation if the grass is unmaintained/grows higher than 12". Sounds like anything that's not a public safety hazard or generates neighbor complaints should work here.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #21 on: September 28, 2019, 05:20:23 AM »
Thought this was a good video for how to get rid of larger areas of grass (easy method, free too): Convert Your Lawn by Sheet Mulching. Trying this out in the shadier 10' x 70' area.

In some parts of the country, you may receive a water conservation discount or rebate for converting lawn areas.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #22 on: September 30, 2019, 01:00:06 PM »
Progress Update:


Phase 2 free mulch is almost done. I'm really hoping the cardboard sheet mulching works long-term, lots of invasive weeds here. Need to finish the mulch (15 yards down, 5 to go, it's amazing exercise!), then onto planting.

Added a gravel driveway apron on both sides to prevent it from becoming a mud pit ($35), and figuring out a front walkway (someone had bricks out for the trash):
           

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #23 on: October 04, 2019, 07:25:12 AM »
Getting ready for the fun planting! @horsepoor the greek yarrow looks beautiful, haven't seen that before. What I can get for free here is:
- liriope
- sword fern
- red torch bromeliad
- pineapple
- banana

If I can find it locally, I'd like to get tulsi (holy basil), which is supposed to be drought tolerant, attract pollinators, and make nice tea. It would fill some real estate in the blank sunny patch.

BlueHouse

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #24 on: October 06, 2019, 08:49:48 AM »
@Roots&Wings that looks fantastic.  I love the way you made the hellstrip a continuation of the main yard area.  It now looks like one well planned area with a sidewalk cut through.  I wouldn't even call that the hellstrip anymore.  just part of the yard now. 

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #25 on: October 07, 2019, 06:52:07 AM »
Thanks @BlueHouse! I've never laid a path before, and the tree roots made it difficult. Just need to sweep and fill the gaps with paver sand ($1.54), and call it good for now.


Planting is about 50% complete. The holy basil was meant to be! Someone just brought them into my local nursery as a trade (never even thought to ask if they'd consider a trade), and now I'll get them as a free trade for extra plants from my yard. Who knew.

Neighbors have also kindly offered free plant divisions from their yards. The "social capital" from planting in a highly visible area is amazing. People will randomly stop to talk, say "hi", and "looks great". Best of all was a little girl who shyly said "I love your garden, it's so pretty with all the flowers and butterflies". Melted my heart.

shadesofgreen

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #26 on: October 07, 2019, 02:49:49 PM »
So enjoying the change that you are bringing to your living area and neighborhood. That was a very lucky find on the pavers for your new walkway.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #27 on: October 08, 2019, 06:21:35 AM »
Great tips @lhamo for the free plants, all these resources I had no idea about. I will definitely be expanding in future, many more projects in the works :)

That was a very lucky find on the pavers for your new walkway.

I know right? Had I actually been looking for these, I'd probably never have found them. But, we stumbled upon them walking around the neighborhood one night. Had about 6 different layout possibilities based on the available quantity, and landed on a simple pattern that looks like an extension of the sidewalk and connects the front walkway to the house.

@BlueHouse  is absolutely right, the hellstrip can basically be an extension of your yard/garden and integrated into an overall design.

specialkayme

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #28 on: October 08, 2019, 12:28:53 PM »
Maybe not the perfect place to ask, but it seems like if anyone would know you people would: Do you know of any good resources for lawn alternatives?

I live in a rural area on 1 acre, no city or local ordinances as it relates to lawns or whatnot. My yard is currently 90% weeds, invasive plants (quackgrass, crabgrass), and short flowering plants (clover, henbit). I'm not really interested in turning it into a real lawn (and spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on seed, fertilizer and herbicides), while I let the weeds go currently I'm kinda tired of cutting it all the time, but my 3 year old daughter still likes to run around a bit. I've seen videos and articles about turning your lawn into a garden (too much work for me), or mulching it all and using ornamental grasses and flowers (some of the yard I may do this, but still want some area for the little one to run around), but I don't see much in lawn alternatives.

I contacted a few local permaculture consultants. They were willing to come on site and spend half a day with me to walk the property and give me some ideas for $1,500. If I wanted to come up with an actual "plan" then that would be more. I couldn't justify it.

Any good books, or sites that you can recommend?

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #29 on: October 08, 2019, 01:03:35 PM »
@specialkayme $1.5k for a site walkthrough is crazy! Permaculture design principles can be readily learned for free (your local library might have books on this, or YouTube videos if that's more your thing, search for permaculture + your local area).

For a larger 1 acre site, it will definitely depend on your site layout/configuration and microclimate, but an easy approach could be to simply stop cutting the areas you don't want to maintain that are further from the house (let them go wild, or plant trees that can fill in eventually), while maintaining a pleasing shape and creating paths with the cut areas.

Some friends have done this, and it looks amazing. Clover blends can provide a nice lawn alternative (these are often available cheaply in farm supply stores for attracting deer, e.g. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/plotspike-clover-blend), but again, depends on your location for what will grow well.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2019, 01:06:52 PM by Roots&Wings »

specialkayme

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #30 on: October 08, 2019, 01:32:06 PM »
Thanks @Roots&Wings

I've kinda let the yard go since we bought it in 2014, cutting the grass less and less frequently, which ended up being a mistake. The quackgrass REALLY took over. Two years ago I took a 50'x50' patch and turned it into a garden with 5" of compost. I didn't have the time to take care of it, and weeds took it over (currently tarped until the spring). I also planted some buckwheat in another 20'x10' patch, as many had said it would act as a cover crop and choke out the weeds (it didn't work). Last year I broke down and roundup'ed another 50'x50' patch (I despise the use of chemicals), waited a week and did it again, waited another week and applied a mixture of creeping thyme and white clover. I never noticed a difference, and the quackgrass and weeds just came back. Every attempt I've tried to use some type of cover crop or herbicide has failed miserably.

That's when I started reading permaculture articles and youtube videos, got lost, and reached out to a few permaculture experts. I thought $1,500 was crazy too. I was able to get one person that was willing to do 2 hours for $450, but I still couldn't justify it, especially when that doesn't come with a plan or anything. Just someone walking the property throwing out plant suggestions. I can get that off youtube.

So I think I'm going to have to lay cardboard and cover it with 5-6" of compost and topsoil and plant on top of it. Which would make for roughly 20,000 cubic feet of compost and topsoil if I did the whole front and back yard . . . we'll have to come back to that issue later . . . But after that's where I kinda get lost. Every youtube video and online article I've read just throws out 50 or so possible plants that you can use. I'd spend a fortune sorting through all the possible varieties to find out what grows well. I just haven't found a good, logical lawn alternative guide, and wasn't sure if someone else knew of anything.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #31 on: October 08, 2019, 02:31:56 PM »
Just a quick comment - quackgrass has long strong runners, and your new gardens will get invaded.  You need to block the runners somehow - cut a deep trench, put a deep metal strip in, something.  Covering your sod is a good idea, most soils have a good seedbank of weed seeds (the old saying was "one year of weeds = 7 years of seeds" but it can be worse than that), but they won't germinate if they stay undisturbed several inches down.

Good luck.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #32 on: October 09, 2019, 10:34:59 AM »
That's so frustrating @specialkayme when you put that kind of work into. The overseeding approach doesn't work here either.

20,000 ft3 is a lot of compost/soil. You would think a thick layer of cardboard topped with 5-6" of mulch would kill the underlying grass (this is working for me so far with an invasive grass in another part of my yard). This guy seems to have luck with it for quack grass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc7yJr5e1vE

Permaculture folks in my area say they wish they hadn't spent any money on soil/compost. Around here, you can get truckloads of free mulch from local tree companies (the good stuff has the whole tree, including leaves and twigs blended in for a good carbon/nitrogen ratio), which breaks down into rich soil with mycelium network.

Once the mulch is put down though, it has to be planted or weeds will just fill in ("plant the weeds you want, or you'll get the weeds you don't want"). The plant component can be something lawn-ish like perennial peanut, clover, etc (depends on your local area), or a more plant-like groundcover.

It's really a matter of what you want in a lawn alternative. That's basically what this thread is for (grass alternatives, applied to a manageable hellstrip size area).

Side note: I'm converting my 1/3 acre yard into a permaculture food forest (fruit trees and perennials that take care of themselves at this point, no veggie annuals, I'm lazy), and trying the "keep it sexy" approach for the front in particular, to hopefully not turn off any neighbors.

specialkayme

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #33 on: October 09, 2019, 02:17:18 PM »
Just a quick comment - quackgrass has long strong runners, and your new gardens will get invaded.  You need to block the runners somehow - cut a deep trench, put a deep metal strip in, something. 

Thanks for the suggestion. Perhaps a dumb question, but if I cut a deep trench, wouldn't the runners just grow back in?

Permaculture folks in my area say they wish they hadn't spent any money on soil/compost. Around here, you can get truckloads of free mulch from local tree companies (the good stuff has the whole tree, including leaves and twigs blended in for a good carbon/nitrogen ratio), which breaks down into rich soil with mycelium network.

Once the mulch is put down though, it has to be planted or weeds will just fill in ("plant the weeds you want, or you'll get the weeds you don't want").

Wouldn't the plants need to be planted in soil and/or compost? How would the plants be able to be planted directly into the mulch?

The plant component can be something lawn-ish like perennial peanut, clover, etc (depends on your local area), or a more plant-like groundcover.

It's really a matter of what you want in a lawn alternative. That's basically what this thread is for (grass alternatives, applied to a manageable hellstrip size area).

I think that's where I get most lost. I just get so confused on what to plant. I can lay out my yard fairly well, putting walkways where I want them, picking areas that need trees and areas that aren't likely to have any traffic. Those areas I have no problem tossing down some ornimental grasses, fruit or nut trees, or seeing what grows well. If it doesn't take, I can change one plant out here or there. But for areas that need traffic, areas that maybe my daughter wants to play on, I'm lost as to what to use. It's difficult to plan for .5 acres of plants/seeds, when the quack grass is literally just waiting (in the neighbor's yard, it's everywhere here) to take over areas that my selected plants don't take well, or areas that the plants couldn't tolerate traffic (or heat, or drought).

Side note: I'm converting my 1/3 acre yard into a permaculture food forest (fruit trees and perennials that take care of themselves at this point, no veggie annuals, I'm lazy), and trying the "keep it sexy" approach for the front in particular, to hopefully not turn off any neighbors.

That actually sounds very appealing. About a third of our yard is the front, a third is the back, and one sixth on either side (roughly). I need to be able to leave either the front or the back yard somewhat more open, but can play with the other (while leaving a small patch for our honey bees).

RetiredAt63

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #34 on: October 09, 2019, 03:20:51 PM »
Just a quick comment - quackgrass has long strong runners, and your new gardens will get invaded.  You need to block the runners somehow - cut a deep trench, put a deep metal strip in, something. 

Thanks for the suggestion. Perhaps a dumb question, but if I cut a deep trench, wouldn't the runners just grow back in?


Your trench needs to be deep, or the roots will go under it.  And of course it is not low maintenance since you need to keep soil from crumbling in.   A deep meal or plastic barrier is better because although it is more work to install, it lasts.

It is a nasty weed to control
http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/quackgrass.html

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #35 on: October 10, 2019, 07:27:09 AM »
Wouldn't the plants need to be planted in soil and/or compost? How would the plants be able to be planted directly into the mulch?

For potted plants in soil, I just pop 'em in. For plant divisions without soil, I throw a handful of soil/compost into the hole when planting. The underlying mulch breaks down into rich soil fairly quickly (a few months here).

I think that's where I get most lost. I just get so confused on what to plant. I can lay out my yard fairly well, putting walkways where I want them, picking areas that need trees and areas that aren't likely to have any traffic. Those areas I have no problem tossing down some ornimental grasses, fruit or nut trees, or seeing what grows well. If it doesn't take, I can change one plant out here or there. But for areas that need traffic, areas that maybe my daughter wants to play on, I'm lost as to what to use. It's difficult to plan for .5 acres of plants/seeds, when the quack grass is literally just waiting (in the neighbor's yard, it's everywhere here) to take over areas that my selected plants don't take well, or areas that the plants couldn't tolerate traffic (or heat, or drought).

Honestly, I have no idea for high traffic green areas (maybe others know?), and will likely always have a small patch of grass in my yard for this reason (I'm shrinking the grass area from the outside in). The large perennial peanut lawn conversions I've seen here get some weeds/grass in them, can cost a fortune, and people are still out mowing, albeit less often.

Side note: I'm converting my 1/3 acre yard into a permaculture food forest (fruit trees and perennials that take care of themselves at this point, no veggie annuals, I'm lazy), and trying the "keep it sexy" approach for the front in particular, to hopefully not turn off any neighbors.

That actually sounds very appealing. About a third of our yard is the front, a third is the back, and one sixth on either side (roughly). I need to be able to leave either the front or the back yard somewhat more open, but can play with the other (while leaving a small patch for our honey bees).

It's a fun, evolving process. Gardens take time, it can help breaking things down into smaller phases. This was last year's project on the other side of the hellstrip (formerly all grass, now there's starfruit, persimmon, pomelo, pineapples, tomatoes, grapes, and pollinator flowers). I've reduced the total lawn area by almost half. More to go... :)

« Last Edit: October 10, 2019, 07:31:53 AM by Roots&Wings »

specialkayme

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #36 on: October 10, 2019, 09:10:06 AM »
A deep meal or plastic barrier is better because although it is more work to install, it lasts.

How deep do you recommend going?

Finding something that could last, but could also be somewhat temporary would be really useful. I think I'm going to start by making a stone walkway with neat plants growing between, that wraps around the one side of my house from the front to the back, in front of a front flower bed, and sheet mulching a few feet on each side of the stone walkway (between the flower bed and the walkway on one side, and a few feet on the other side of the stone walkway). If it works, I'll extend it out a few more feet and reevaluate. If not, I didn't lose much.

Finding about 40,000 square feet of cardboard and 20,000 cubic feet of mulch at one point in time will be challenging. But taking it in sections will be significantly more possible.

It is a nasty weed to control

So I've learned the hard way. To make things worse, the quackgrass has become drought tolerant, and I have some fairly heavy clay soil, making eradication significantly harder.

I honestly didn't even know what quackgrass was until a year after I moved in the house I'm in and that weird grass just wouldn't die. I did some research and found out what I had, then did a more extensive search of the property and found out it was literally everywhere. That's when the neighbor told me the former owner was a DIY wanna-be-er, but didn't really know what he was doing. He decided to start the whole yard over again so tilled it, but only tilled it once and didn't level it after he was done. In part it left the ground very uneven, but worse he chopped up all those quackgrass rhizomes and spread whatever infection existed EVERYWHERE. I've since found a number of other interesting "fixes" with the house.

specialkayme

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #37 on: October 10, 2019, 09:16:46 AM »
For potted plants in soil, I just pop 'em in. For plant divisions without soil, I throw a handful of soil/compost into the hole when planting. The underlying mulch breaks down into rich soil fairly quickly (a few months here).

. . .

Honestly, I have no idea for high traffic green areas (maybe others know?), and will likely always have a small patch of grass in my yard for this reason (I'm shrinking the grass area from the outside in). The large perennial peanut lawn conversions I've seen here get some weeds/grass in them, can cost a fortune, and people are still out mowing, albeit less often.

For potted plants I know this will work well. I've already picked out some neat trees, shrubs, and plants that will work well planted into a bed (mulch or otherwise), mostly pollinator friendly plants like BeeBee Tree, Buttonbush, some asters and a few other things. But if the mulch breaks down to soil in a few months, how do you keep the weeds from coming back in between the bushes and trees?

But say I just wanted to plant clover down. Would I just tarp over the mulch and wait a few months for it to break down, then plant the clover? I know I can't plant it directly on the mulch, and I can't wait for the mulch to break down (as the weeds would take over). Or would I need to spread a half an inch of soil over top the mulch in order to plant some type of cover, like clover or whatever would deal with foot traffic?

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #38 on: October 10, 2019, 11:27:27 AM »
Your yard looks so much more interesting than your neighbors'!  Love the transformations you are making.  Hopefully others in your area will be inspired.  The birds and insects will be much happier with the diversity, too.
Good call lhamo, today's lunchtime visitor was happy :) Hellstrip planting is now 75% complete. Things will look stupidly sparse until they grow in.



But if the mulch breaks down to soil in a few months, how do you keep the weeds from coming back in between the bushes and trees?

But say I just wanted to plant clover down.

@specialkayme if I had to guess, it seems like a thin layer of soil on top of the sheet mulch might work if you're seeding clover. Can you perhaps do a small trial area and see how it goes?  The underlying mulch breaks down in a few months, the top layer mulch usually lasts around a year+ before needing to be topped off again.

The stone walkway sounds like a great project!

specialkayme

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #39 on: October 10, 2019, 12:15:54 PM »
@specialkayme if I had to guess, it seems like a thin layer of soil on top of the sheet mulch might work if you're seeding clover. Can you perhaps do a small trial area and see how it goes? 

Probably the right thing to do. I can take a few square feet and sheet mulch, put a small amount of soil down, and try out a few different lawn alternatives to see which one (if any) work the best. I'll likely try a few fairly small patches of creeping thyme, clover (probably microclover), miniature brass button, chamomile, texas frogfruit, and Eco-Lawn.

If anyone can think of something I should look into, or if one of those I selected isn't a good idea, let me know.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #40 on: October 14, 2019, 05:47:10 AM »
Thought these were some fun hellstrips and no mow yards:







The badass in the middle turned his suburban front lawn into a market garden generating $5.6k/month during the growing season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMN9yPNgaGc

trashtalk

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #41 on: October 14, 2019, 05:31:39 PM »
Ptf

I planted rhubarb in my parking strip a couple of years ago and it's been a good spot for it. Contained but accessible. Most people here probably don't even know what rhubarb is so no trouble with pickers.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #42 on: October 15, 2019, 06:20:29 AM »
I planted rhubarb in my parking strip a couple of years ago and it's been a good spot for it. Contained but accessible. Most people here probably don't even know what rhubarb is so no trouble with pickers.

That's awesome @trashtalk! Rhubarb's so pretty with the red stalks, that would be a nice way to contain it. The outer growth would also provide a buffer from dogs.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #43 on: October 15, 2019, 06:42:47 AM »
Progress Update: Phase 3 planting is complete, it'll take time for things to grow in (total planted area is 10' x 100'). The banana and pineapples should start fruiting in 1.5-2 years.


    
   

Cost was $40 (gravel + paver sand + pineapples). You can sometimes get free pineapple tops from the grocery produce counter when they prepare sliced fruit, but that didn't work out this time (they were on special at Aldi for $1.49). Really pleased with the gravel driveway apron, this used to collect water and now drains nicely.

Posting here was helpful to get this done, it was a bit scary being such a visible spot, but neighbors have been very positive. Thanks again for the kind words and encouragement! Wanted to share one of the inspirations behind this:

"People travel the world over to visit untouched places of natural beauty, yet modern gardens pay little heed to the simplicity and beauty of these environments."
       - Mary Reynolds
Anyone can create a place of beauty that inspires delight wherever you happen to call home. It doesn't require being an expert, or cost a fortune.

Maintenance will involve watering 2x per week for a month to get the plants established until they can survive without supplemental watering (mulching thickly really helps, but also means that lighter rainfall won't reach the underlying soil). Annual mulch re-application (? have to see on this) and periodic weeding, depending on the sheet mulch effectiveness

Overall, it feels awesome to get rid of grass!
« Last Edit: October 15, 2019, 06:51:34 AM by Roots&Wings »

BlueHouse

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #44 on: October 18, 2019, 04:14:42 PM »
This looks amazing. Great job !

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #45 on: October 21, 2019, 10:25:59 AM »
Thanks @BlueHouse !

Good luck with your project. The design can often take the most time.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #46 on: April 23, 2020, 12:05:28 PM »
Thought to post an update now that there's the new gardening subforum! @arebelspy  can this thread possibly be moved? Thank you in advance if so!

Most everything made it through the winter. Olive tree is starting to take off (the European olive plague hasn't yet arrived). Pineapples and banana are also doing surprisingly well (March was the driest month ever).

                 
          

We did a "leave the leaves" approach for fall, which maybe looks a bit messier, but the bugs and critters and soil seem happy :) And gotten rid of another ~500 sf of grass in the interim. I loooove not having to cut so much grass! And growing food, especially now.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #47 on: April 23, 2020, 04:29:26 PM »
I planted rhubarb in my parking strip a couple of years ago and it's been a good spot for it. Contained but accessible. Most people here probably don't even know what rhubarb is so no trouble with pickers.

That's awesome @trashtalk! Rhubarb's so pretty with the red stalks, that would be a nice way to contain it. The outer growth would also provide a buffer from dogs.

And the leaves are so big it looks almost tropical.

Dee_the_third

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #48 on: April 28, 2020, 03:01:23 PM »
Are yall smothering the grass with cardboard and then planting on top of it? I do that in my backyard but it definitely has that shabby-chic look going on until it settles. Not sure I want to subject my neighbors to that.

I have a hellstrip that I'd love to convert to something for the pollinators. The trick is that it's in medium to deep shade- my city has a lot of lovely old growth trees that are great visually but don't lend well to front yard planting. I'm pretty sure the tree is also a walnut of some type, which poisons with juglone. So, wish list:

1. Perennial, or aggressively self-seeding
2. Pollinator friendly
3. Tolerates juglone
4. Tolerates shade

 I might just put in a bunch of hostas. People in my neighborhood are always dividing and giving them away.

lhamo

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Re: Plant Your Hellstrip (aka get rid of grass)
« Reply #49 on: April 28, 2020, 03:36:11 PM »
Hostas are great for shade.

I'm in the Pacific Northwest, where shade gardens abound.  The things that are thriving in shade in my yard include (many of which the pollinators love):

Ferns
Bleeding hearts
Columbine
Foxglove
Native alpine strawberry
Forget me nots
Violets
Salal (native shrub, not sure how widespread it is elsewhere)

Primroses also seem to do best in shade.