*More Lawn Alternative and Ground Cover Ideas* to help you with your Landscape Project can be found here: *ua-cam.com/play/PLP6kPBDGjeCdNl2xB5NgEsvAdzDmHvg5q.html*
@@YardCoach I know right your doing them a favor with a educational video and they want to be critical I however appreciate your video and hope you continue educating the public don't let these nay sayers hold you down
We have creeping thyme, creeping verbena, red and white clovers, wild strawberries, purple archangel (purple dead nettle), are all edibles, and other ground covers, and no lawn (grass). We also have a 2600 gallon (10,000) liter underground rain tank. We haven't run out of water, even in drought. We also have a pond with fish that we keep filled with the rain water when it evaporates. No water bills, but we do have an electric pump to get the water to the plants and pond, without relying on gravity. Still, that's a real minimal cost. We'll be adding more ground covers as time goes on. We try to make most things edible, so even if we don't eat those things, they are dual purpose. Previous owners had decorative grasses in some of the stone beds, and we took those out and planted all herbs that are so beautiful whether we harvest them or not (various varieties of oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil), lemon verbena bushes, garlic chives, chives, rosemary makes a beautiful bush and is a drought-tolerant evergreen, lavender, yucca (all the parts are edible, including the flowers), nasturtiums (flower, leaves and seeds are edible), tiger lilies (blooms are deliciously edible), lungwort, wild garlic and fiddlehead ferns. Not all is a lawn substitute, because taller ornamental plants are great for edging, against a house, etc. In this day and age, water shortage or not, growing one's own food and making their yard look beautiful with it, is superior to sprawling lawns that are only for looks.
You have it absolutely dialed in! Tell me how are those ferns when they are babies and they get harvested I hear they are good eating. How do you prepare them? Thanks for comment.
Brilliant well said this is what I'moolomh to do wish I could aww pictures of yours, are they just all mixed kn together, I'm wanting to plant a clover lawn and lots of edible plants in my garden and beneficial plants.
@@YardCoach Springtime is harvest, when they're fiddleheads, about a few inches tall. I steam them about 5-10 minutes, then sautee them in butter, garlic & salt. When cooked, sprinkle fresh parmesan. They could also be added to salads. Or eaten just about any way you'd eat asparagus. But they pretty much have to be steamed or boiled before preparing them with seasoning.
@@sharonschroeder150 sorry, I can't post pictures and haven't made a video about my lawn. I probably should. We just added more white clover this fall, to get a thicker lawn. But it's pretty thick right now. We had a drought in summer that looked like it killed off most everything but this wet fall, it's come back thick and lush. We just had to fill in a few sparse areas. The low plants are all mixed, the taller ones are in beds we don't mow. Even now, the dead nettles are in purple blooms. We have some delicate (low) yellow flowers growing too.
@@PeaceOutWorld in going to plant soon I'm just hoping all this rain they are predicting doesn't wash them all away, lots of heavy rains coming this winter I think so I don't know how clover will survive in that?
Thank you for the great information. I especially liked that the coach was clean and presentable, somehow his words were more believable. His language was precise and informative using no offensive expletives helping me be comfortable listening to what he had to say. I will listen to more.
What sets your platform above many is the fact that your pictures of the plant or ground cover in a situation where it's ACTUALLY COVERING GROUND and you can get a feel for what a well nurtured goal can look like... Are VISUALS I feel are exceptional and unmatched as working examples of what someone might expect! EXCELLENT JOB... THANK YOU 🙋🌹GA USA 8-14-22
Hey Sarah, thanks for the Atta Boy. We try hard to accomplish what you have stated here. Any questions or suggestions feel free. Hope I can count on you subscribing. As always, to your landscape success. Coach Matt.
thanks for showing all of those different plants in actual landscape examples. that's really helpful! i think that purple one looks amazing. like..... it does that thing lavender will where it's just an overwhelming wash of color, very impressive. i'm considering doing some stuff like this, especially around fences and wires and things that are REALLY annoying to mow and weedwhack.
Personally, I am a fan of cardboard and compost and I would tarmac before I used pesticides. I've done a small bed - sliced out the grass, then cardboard and compost. Next time, I will try simply covering the crass with the cardboard and compost, by way of experiment.
Teresa, thanks for the comment, I appreciate it a lot. Your solution is one of many. Depending on the type of turf you wish to reduce or get rid of, the cardboard and mulch probably will work. But rhysomic grasses will not be deterred by simple smother or solarization. Last thing somebody would want is invest time and money in a lawn less conversion only to be infested soon after. Sometimes you just need a bigger 🥊. Hope you subscribed and look forward to further discussion.. good luck. Coach.
I'm with you, Teresa. Pesticides are killing more than just the grass; if we don't have insects, we all die. My heart always breaks a little when I hear people encouraging pesticides. They should be a last resort.
When starting with “spray and kill” to begin the process was when I had to stop watching. Incrementally I have been cardboard sheet mulching the large lawn on my property and subsequently replacing with native pollinators. Granted the process takes nearly two years but I have not poisoned the soil and killed off every living thing attached to it. Personally happy with this slower but more earth friendly approach here in coastal southern Oregon.
Thanks for the comment George. Your point is well taken. Many folks would not be that patient. Plus, imagine if you were to hire a professional and you wanted a conversion from lawn to lawn less landscape. But the contractor told you it was going to take 2 years or more. Most folks want the work started and finished in a more efficient timeline. Now I could be wrong, but Glyphosate is a non selective herbicide that breaks down to an inert ingredient and stays within the dying plant. I don't believe it damages soils for any long term timeline. Check it out and let me know. The smothering method for lawn kill does work on some grasses and not on others, like bermuda and other rhyzomic spreaders. They will find a way to horizontally spread and daylight again and keep on going. That would be kind of disheartening to a DIYer or a customer after spending many dollars and time only to have it ruined by a patient organic earth friendly approach. Thanks for watching and I hope you don't give up on the channel because of thius point of view. Good luck. Coach
@@cbryce9243 I agree and absolutely do not understand people using glyphosates. It is not necessary, especially in a small to medium-sized garden. I previously got rid of a lot of scutch grass by digging out the roots. Since using the cardboard and compost 3 years ago, and then 'no dig', very little has returned. There are bee-keepers in my family that I have great respect for (I also love the real honey) and I consider using glyphosates not-so-much a last resort as a failure.
As someone that likes hard scape. But live in a condo in northern Illinois we have sprinkler system 3 times per week. BOO! When I lived in Colorado we had a stone front yard and we loved it. I do native plants and pollinators.
Totally agreed!!! I'm building a new home, there is no way I'm putting down turf, although we have really healthy dark green lawn that we have been enjoying, but man, the $$ and care we have spent on the grass is very costly. I'll do ground covers to avoid watering, mowing, and fertilizing. Those ground covers can benefit the pollinators. Really enjoy your videos, and always can learn so much! Thank you
Nice comment. Very appreciated. In your makeover remember to blend GCs and other smaller shrubs and perennials for a layered and eye catching look. Here to help as needed.
@YardCoach thank you coach! We built this house 10 years ago, and we are building another one right now. So the new house will not have too much grass lawn for sure, only enough for the boys to play on. The rest will be GCs, drawf plants, trees, flag stones, hardscaping mixture. I've been propagating plants right now, waiting to move them all to the new property. At least I don't have to buy too much, as plants are very expensive nowadays. I was thinking about adding honey locus tree as it is also called shape master, so glad I watched your video about the 10 unwanted trees in residential properties. I really love gingko trees, could you do a video about them? Or could you gear me to the previous videos. Thank you
Plant clover instead of grass stays green when lawns are dying. Plus bees love the flowers and it smells wonderful. I’ve had clover for several years now and no chems and it’s easy to mow once in a while.
I can vouch for the monkey (mondo) grass solution. We had a tree removed several years ago. There was decorative monkey grass at the base of the tree that didn't get taken out. Over a few seasons, the monkey grass had spread and had begun to compete with the St. Augustine. When the yardman mowed, I noticed how nice the monkey grass felt on my bare feet and decided I'd rather have it as my lawn than the St. Augustine. It's taken a while and I've done nothing to further the process, but at some point the backyard will be 100% monkey grass. I'm old and probably won't be here to see that day. Had I known what I know now, I would have purposely chosen monkey grass as my "lawn."
I have a pretty large southern backyard (11,000 sq ft) with an inground sprinkler system and a few large live oaks. It's beautiful. I bought my house about 5 years ago and the backyard is majority tall fescue. And the lawn was okay when I bought, pretty patchy, but okay. And it was just hard to keep up with. 3 years ago I ended up just spreading creeping thyme and clover seeds all over the yard, then rolled a compost roller with composted cotton burrs all over top of it and just kept watering. It's now an oasis of thick fescue, pillowy clover, and bright creeping thyme with no dirt showing anywhere. It turned out beautiful and I get compliments all the time on it. It looks like a natural meadow. I set my mower just high enough to where it mainly just cuts the fescue when it gets tall, and leaves most of the thyme and clover untouched.
Wow,thanks for sharing this story. If you have before and afters Iwould love to share them with viewers. How often do you have to water compared to when you bought and had patchy lawn? Thx for this comment. Coach.
awesome video.so glad u are getting the word out. I wish u could do a commercial, I have been commenting on 'videos' about .....how to have a great lawn , I tell them to get ground cover. as u have mentioned, water is wasted, gas .fertilizer, is also increasing in price. global warming is not going away and neither is heat stroke, please continue to educate people. thanks
Too regimented and difficult. I'm in the process of converting my lawn by asking what wants to grow there: Virginia buttonweed, broadleaf plantain, dandelion, wild strawberries etc. Then augmenting with perennial peanuts, creeping thyme, silver falls, real strawberries, etc. Problem areas are filled in by seeding with white clover which comes up fast.
Great video! I am considering Kurapia to replace my front lawn turn that keeps dying (has a hard time with the hot summers and southern exposure). You got me thinking about drip irrigation conversion.
Kurapia is the new God send for western US drought stricken landscapes. Looks good, stands up to a lot and uses a 1/10th of the water. Good luck. Make sure all old grass is dead and removed…..like Bermuda, bluegrass and other creepers.
Hey Coach, such a great inspiration! I live in Toronto Canada, and most of my yard is now covered by weeds.....so I would like really like something to replace them. Can you please recommend some substitutes that can grow well in my area? Thank you!
Hey Michael, thanks for watching and your question. Let me ask a couple of Qs back at you. First is the area predominantly ☀️? Do you want a real ground hugger or more of a whole palette of size, shape and bloom. Many times a few pics and a nursery run to a pro who can show you some suggestions, based on what you want might work best. I think you are in zone 5 or 6, so some hardy guys are required. Some choices for a single one dimensional look might be, Blue Carpet juniper, contoneaster, Ajuga, vinca, manzanita, wintercreeper (euonymus), and maybe some sedums. Just be aware that those weeds may have a generation or two of seed in the lawn ready to go under the right conditions, attack those first then make a final decision on lawn less. Weeds can come up in groundcover too. Best of luck. Coach.
@@YardCoach Hi Coach. Thanks for the quick response. To answer your questions, my backyard is on the EAST side, so I don't think it has enough time for sun exposure --- with shadows either cast by fences or my house. In the contrast, my front yard has much direct sunlight in the afternoon, especially in the summer. I'd like something easy to grow and less water-consuming lawn alternatives. Regarding those weeds, I don't know how many generations they have, since I took over this yard last autumn. I've purchased some herbicides and trying to clean them. Originally I was thinking to build a nice lawn after killing weeds. However, right after I watch your video, I really re-think if it's necessary to make a lawn because I would like to save money for food instead of water bill --- you know how much the price of goods going up now :( And I don't think I can spend that much of time taking care of my yards. But if you say weeds can come up in ground cover, I really don't know what to do lol.. thanks
Speaking about the east side yard first. You are probably spot on with low sun light hours and grass, even shade tolerant varieties want a little more than what yours provides. Sounds like a great candidate for a shade garden and put it on a drip irrigation system. As for the front yard and the full sun exposure consider some of the suggestions I mentioned. As far as weeds, and generations of them to come, you would be best to eradicate everything there, condition your soil, install new plants and then start a pre emergent plan and keep a healthy mulch layer to mitigate all “present” weed seed. Depends on the look you desire. Another alternative is a quality plants, drip irrigation, weed fabric and a rock covering. Remember once under control, most of your weeds will be sent to you, free of charge, from the rest of your own neighborhood. Good luck. Coach
Coach, I just found you. I'm in N. Texas 7B and each year under watering restrictions. Since 4/1/23 there is NO outside watering. We have sandy soil here and I have given up on lawn turf this year. We get torrential rains in the Spring and minimal rainfall the rest of the year. Right now, whatever grows and is green is what is there. It's a mix of weed, bermuda and St. Augustine. This is the first of your videos I have seen and will be exploring more of them. I am sure open to any suggestions you may have for me. Lot size is 1/3 acre minus 1,500 sq ft house, driveway and a 1,600 sq ft deck I put in 10 years ago.
Hey Dan, traveled thru your area this Spring. You can have the wind and I’ll keep the rain. If you peruse the channel many skills and ideas may develop. If you want more advice hit me up on email and show me a few pics and I may be able to help more. I do have the website and consults are available. Let me know. Coach.
I wish you'd gone into more detail about which plants can handle foot traffic. I would need plants that can handle quite a bit if i were ever to take on this type of project.
I will see if I can pin point some tougher varieties for ya. Ruschia, Kurapia, thyme, potentilla, dwf mondo grass, but remember they will stand up to play by kids or doggo alike turf grasses.
ok, so the title does say 'lawn substitutes' and thats what most of us come for. the substitute list doesnt occur until 12:00. so its less of a critique and more of a fact 👍
oh! one question i had was what region the plants you mentioned work in. idk if you covered ones for different areas of the country or if they were all ones that worked in one specific climate. it'd be cool to have vids about groundcovers, each focusing on a different region. : ) (forgive me if you did that already - this was first vid of yours i've seen. also, daylight is wasting and i gotta do massive landscape work just now.) thanks!!
Gramma, thanks for watching. Ground cover selection will depend on a few prerequisites. Sun/shade, sq ft to be covered, and what else is occupying the space as well. Take a few pics to your local nursery pro, ask them the same questions and see what they have for you. For me, I would check out Ruschia, sedums, potentilla, ajuga, and maybe some ice plant like drosanthemum. Good luck. Coach.
Any thoughts of what could be planted to mix with horrible condition grass. In Western Washington and would like something to reduce mowing at a commercial site. Doesn't have to be pretty but short and low maintenance. Any help is appreciated.
Hey Billy, thanks for the question. Not sure your usda zone there, the ground covers thyme and Veronica work just about anywhere. Depends on your sq footage involved. Also look into dwarf ruschia. Good luck. Coach.
@@YardCoach Thanks Coach, Looks like I'm in zone 8b. It would be several hundred square feet that gets all day sun, no trees and doesn't have irrigation.
Hey Dan,Thanks for the question. A bit of horticultural insight for you. All ornamental ground covers and thousands of plants are native to somewhere. Maybe not where you live, or where I live but they do have their native origin somewhere. Then hybridists take those natives and create NEW cultivars for various aesthetic needs. Like bigger flowers new foliage etc. Thx.Coach.
@@YardCoach thanks for the reply Coach. Yes, all plants are native to some location, but native pollinators do better with native plants, from what I've been reading recently. I like the idea of being local! I enjoyed your video.
Yard coach I could use your help. I have a yard that retains water due to my proximity to a lake, being downhill and having a sceptic leach field. There’s some tree coverage as well. Would like tips on removing water as well as hardscaping over the leach field to make it a useable area. I’m in CT if that helps.
MVM, Thanks for your interest in the channel and the question. Sounds like you might have a shallow water table which might be affecting your leach field as well as your runoff. Since ground percolation seems to be an issue, you might consider a mechanical solution in the form of a sump pump and basin. Before any construction, determine that the water drainage issue is not affluent coming to the surface. If so, you may have bigger issues than just landscape drainage.
If you want more info on drainage solutions, here is an older video on just that subject. Hope it helps, and feel free to email me if you have other questions: ua-cam.com/video/XIyNB9JwgjY/v-deo.html
What kind of gardener are you to tell people that they should spray poison on their property? 😮 Though your list of lawn substitutes is very good. I planted some of the plants. My tip on how I don't use any municipal water is collecting rain water. I have a couple of IBC tanks that get me through the dry months. I planted vine, ivy, passion fruit and clematis around them, so I don't have to look at the ugly tanks. And I planted little trees that partially shade my backyard.
Thanks for watching Kay and for the comment. I guess I am a realistic landscaper that knows certain grasses will not be eliminated with only solarization or other means. I have seen certain weeds and grasses rebound and destroy new landscape investments when Pros and their customers thought just cutting out old Bermuda would work. Some DIYERS have TIME on their side and maybe a year to TRY to eliminate. Most folks and pros do not. Hence, the chemical route. Do I think you can over use it YES, I do. But a prudent approach and application is still an option and a more assured result.
@@YardCoach okay. I see what you mean. Then I guess my pre-owners must have overused it. They have sprayed against weeds and it killes everything even 2 years later. Every plant I put in the ground, all the bees and bumblebees that try to breed in the ground. Just awful. So I get alarmed when someone recommends to spray poison.
I'm interested in stuff that is naturalized or native to the americas, specifically canada in the prairie provinces (as well as mountains & foothills I guess). Thanks Coach
Just becareful with blue rug juniper. Had to pull all mine out as vol infestation ruined my yard and ate them. Got rid of the juniper and planting something different.
@Yard Coach we just pulled them out Sunday. To get rid of the vols I bought Tomcat. I use this before on mols and is great stuff but make sure you get this in the holes. You do not want any other animals to get this. I'm not sure yet on replacement plants been looking at catalogs to try and figure out what would look good.
If my neighbor has the same lawn, is there a purpose in tediously removing the existing lawn? Even if I obtain a full replacement I’m sure there’s would invade mine eventually anyways
I would say that would have to be an agreement between you and your neighbor and a little diligence on both parties part. Usually a little effort on a regular basis will negate a big effort once in awhile.
That would be quite an undertaking as invasives change all the time. My zone is 3-4. No exotics exist here except imports and greenhouse plants. Maybe share why you want this and I can help more.
Out of water except when ABC news reports how the weather was manipulated this winter for extra plus snow fall. If they can amp it up, doesn't it make sense they can dry it up?
very true. i laughed at that part. in my old place in FL i just happened to live by one of those, but anywhere else???? nonexistent. you can't even find a place that stocks roses, which is nuts. (not that 'knockout rose' stuff. bleh.) pretty much it's the internet and professor google, or nothing.
I need something that I can rake leaves off and that will grow in sand and is drought tolerant. Hawaiian Islands, desert areas. I also need a long strip of drought tolerant ground cover for an area where my dog can play and go to the bathroom on.
Your local nursery should have selections that will meet your needs. What usda zone is your home in? Sometimes a small blower will a better leaf remover than a rake. Your doggo application may be harder to solve. Poop, urine and hard play will test the resilience of altos all ground covers. That is not what they are intended for. Provide the zone and I will give you some selections to check out.
@@YardCoach I believe that it’s 10 or 11. It’s tropical and we don’t have “nurseries” like we have on the mainland. We mostly rely on Lowe’s or Home Depot. And seed packets. I’m on Maui on the Kihei side. Very dry, little rain.
You can also order Live plants from wholesalers on the mainland. Check out these ground covers. Now, they do better with some water. But here ya go. By the way, small leaves or large leaves to be removed? Creeping thyme Sedums Creeping phlox Ajuga Dymondia Dwf mondo grass Potentilla Ajuga
@@YardCoach I have three giant mango trees that I have a cottage built under the three of them. Once a year they drop so many leaves that even as I’m sweeping them up on the patio and gravel walkway, it appears that I haven’t cleaned up in a few months. They loose leaves all year round, just not as many as the one time they drop off the majority of old leaves. The ground has all sand as well. I am thinking that grass is my only option. I have a relatively small yard area but it’s difficult for me as I’m old. I used to run a very small landscaping business where I designed low maintenance landscapes for homeowners. In the Seattle suburbs. 30+ years ago.
I found this really helpful- Im a big fan of creeping Thyme lawns (they look so pretty), but am wondering how people stop them going woody in the centre after a few years? I assume they need an annual trim after flowering? Any other tips?
Hi Erin, thanks for watching and the comment. You are correct an annual trim and occasional in planting with new stock works best. Try not to over plant causing up lift helps as well. To your landscape success as always. Coach
Your saying if I wanna plant dwarf carpet of stars, after I plant them in my lawn, to mulch over it? The whole lawn? Why? Can I not? That's like 2000 dollars of mulch
Hey Dusty, the mulching is for weed mitigation,soil stabilizing and moisture retention. The mulch will also break down and provide nutrients to the new landscape area. How many square feet are you considering to install? Consider mulching to a depth of 2”. Do your site prep as if you were planting a new lawn. Any other questions feel free to reach out.
@@YardCoach my whole lawn is about almost the size of a basketball court. Probably like 3/4 of one. I also wanted to sew outside but was hoping mulch not necessary if I plant on a cool calm warm week and keep grass moist daily. Also alot of people are telling me round up is a no no for killing the grass cuz it like obliterates the ground, what's best herbicide to use for when I want to plant new seeds in same soil
Well,I used glyphosate for many years and replanted the areas without any ill effects to growing any plants or trees. There are other herbicides like contact or trans locative. You use what you feel most comfortable with. Your planting area should not need 2k worth of mulch. Use a quality compost for your mulch. Your ruschia will cover right over it. Good luck.
This video would be much more useful to me if it started with variety of different ground cover plants to chose from and their specifications and growing needs before going into a big landscaping project ideas. I’m not going to start scraping my lawn before researching what may work for my lawn first.
It is one of many videos Ula. Other videos talk about some ground covers you can use. However extending the video length causes people to complain about that as well. Cannot please everyone, but we try. Your criticism is well taken. I don’t know how far you got but at 11.52 mins I do go into selections. Thanks for watching. Coach Matt
@@YardCoach I guess the title was a bit misleading. I watched to the end. I got the list of the names at least that I got to further research, so thank you for that.
Well, other methods are not always full proof at all. So throwing thousands at a makeover only to have a reinfstation come back and takeover does not a good business model make. Pro landscapers would not be in business very long. For YOU, you have that option of other methods and time on your side. Good Luck. Thanks for watching.
In places where water is not in short supply it will never happen. However, in other areas new ways might be looked into when water is scarce. But I don’t think it is realistic. I take it you are not a golfer Charlie. Is your home lawn less?
@@YardCoach I have golfed and am close to two pro golfers. Yes, my yard is lawn less. Everywhere water is scarce (the entire West) needs to outlaw grass greens (golf) or as I said, reimagine an offshoot game on rock based landscape. Coastal states can invest into ocean water desalinization treatments for golf course and highway & road landscapes. Some states use non-potable water for roadways and this is good. "Some" is not enough. The problem goes back to politics and GOP criminals in bed with big business. For that reason, you are right, change will NEVER happen.
So, tell me why. Thanks for watching but your comment is incomplete. Replacing lawn usually requires getting rid of lawn so lawn does not re-emerge and infest your new ground cover area. Let me know your complete thought. You missed out on a lot of good content and education, when just tapping the fast forward button could have alleviated the impatient scale just a little. To your success. Coach.
@@YardCoach There are so many chemicals being used to keeps grass lawns clean and green. It’s not just a water issue. I wished a video advocating the benefits of replacing grass with ground cover also advocated for natural grass removal rather than the use of chemicals…..solarization or simply cardboard with a layer of compost/top soil as an example. I realize this may not work in all situations but I’ve chosen to be chemical free in my little corner of the world. It’s a recent conversion, which is probably why I’m a bit zealous at the moment 😁!
@@sbffsbrarbrr Agreed; natural lawn care without herbicides & pesticides is best. 😀 Also, golf courses take up over 5 million acres of land globally, use an estimated 13 trillion gallons of water per year, create a massive carbon footprint for maintenance, & overuse of herbicides has led to pollution of ground water & nearby bodies of water... The first biodegradable golf ball wasn't developed until 2021. 😲
I can respect those choices. The work “kill” a lawn can take on many forms, depending on the type of turf you want removed. Some can be a simple as soccer and removal, like some clumping fescues, others like Bermuda and warm season grasses can succumb to solarization but will bounce back. Not everything needs chemicals, but there are those times that result in no other way or a combination of several approaches. Fm a professionals point of view, there isn’t a client in he role that would be happy and glad to pay for a lawn replacement only to have old lawn emerge. It is fine for the DIYer or homeowner, but pros need a lot more assurance that their work will pass a long term muster and call backs are mitigated. But your opinion does not fall on deaf ears with me and alternative methods have been used by me and industry colleagues.
Blue carpet juniper, emerald carpet manzanita, creeping thyme, mixed with various perennials, boulders, shrubs and other complimentary elements. Good luck. Coach.
Check local nurseries in your area. Pretty common plants, plus they will have other ideas for you as well. Most box stores don’t get really specific but Spring is your best chance of they do.
@SledDog5678 big brother is always watching out there. We had just “water police” in general. Car washing, landscape, driveway wash down, etc were forbidden 🚫. Bit of you had drip irrigation you could water whenever.
Avoid listening to the basic biology of plants for twelve minutes. The content you are looking fore starts at 11:59. You're welcome. EDIT: And it ends at 14:32 (Yeah, we know, we can pave it, not what we came for)
Yes I agree. But also a lot less water. If you have a clumping type of grass lawn you can probably just sod cut it out. But not lawns like Bermuda and the like. Thanks for your comment.
MOST of the grass is not sufficient when replanting. It causes eventual regeneration of those grasses. Then your fighting those NEW weeds which defeated the purpose in the long run. Like our parents taught us everything in moderation. Applications for this purpose to achieve a high die off ratio, then sod cut out will be more successful in the long term. I speak to this topic as a landscape professional. If you paid me 1000s to relandscape and 4 weeks after I was done you had grass re-emerging throughout, you would be not so happy. But I hear you from a no chems perspective. Thx for the comment. Coach.
Don’t be so impatient on a subject that cannot be fast paced to those who do not know the subject. I do a complete thought and lesson, and I don’t cater to the impatient. Thx. Coach.
Using harsh chemicals on your lawn isn't great for the environment or for getting other things to grow also instead of throwing all of the grass away you can let it completely die off in a box or bin or if you're going to use plastic bags anyways then a plastic bag and then use the dead grass for compost
As always this is one way. Give me an alternative to removing a Bermuda grass lawn, rhizomes and all. Constant use of chems I agree with. That should be limited. But a one time use is an option. Thanks for your comment.
Great video just kind of Jibber Jabber on too long about things trying too hard to keep people interested it first that was not relevant to the lawn substitutes in a way that almost lost my attention when obviously trying to get people more informed but in a way that kind of almost lost me but it still was good video and did have lots information even though it just my opinion was slow to get to the point but that could just be me but either way thank you for posting this video it was very informative I just tend to be very nitpick atiba thing sometimes
Thanks for watching. Many DIYers have such a luxury. Many Pros do not. Besides a reinfestation of undesirables can ruin a contractor's reputation, or wreck a DIYers many days or weeks of hard work. Our location is only ONE. Plus, using correctly will not poison the soil, only the undesired plant material. To each their own.
I appreciate your professional presentation, but I was bothered by the suggestions on how to remove an existing lawn. The recommendation to use toxic pesticides to kill the existing lawn and then throw the sod in a dumpster is not an environmentally friendly practice. An easier, cheaper and safer method would be to smother the lawn with cardboard, etc. for a month or two and then rake the dead material back into the soil to add organic matter.
If you have that kind of time, sure you can opt for doing turf removal that way. But most people and certainly Pros do not have that kind of time. In addition, your smothering technique is almost useless on turf with stolons as they will spring back to life after the cardboard or plastic is removed. Seen that quite a few times. But your opinion is well taken and I thank you for watching.
Depends on how things are built and installed. Often times simple hand pulling or judicious weed spray would be needed. Fabrics and thick mulches really reduce weeds. Diligent up keep results in a little effort frequently rather than a lot when you let it go to hell. Plus, many less toxic weed sprays can be used, check them out. Thanks for the comment, but all is not lost because you use gravel. Used correctly it can drastically reduce maintenance, replenishment and in the right size can be cleaned off with low volume blower. Things to think about.
I disagree. Can you remodel a house without tearing something down and removing the old before installing the new? This is not a continuous spraying just for the sake of splashing POISON everywhere. It is very much a science to control and remove what is not wanted, then NUTURE the new which IS wanted. Plus, I am not a GARDENER. I am a highly educated professional with a lot more Professional experience doing it right and not wrong.
Here's a well-meant suggestion. When your title is "Lawn Substitutes," don't spend over half your video talking about why people might be forced to adopt those substitutes. Not everyone lives in a drought-prone region. Address those issues in a separate video.
Then do it your way Ronda, but when things grow back and reinfest an expensive landscape makeover then you’ll wish you has used something ONE TIME to do it right. Good Luck..
This so not an entertainment channel. Sorry if I give TOO MUCH information for free. Thx for watching but maybe you can refrain from the rudeness of you stick around here.
Sorry you feel this way Linda. We strive to be complete, somewhat entertaining and informative. We always have content that will not short cut, period. Hope you stick around, but understand if you do not. Remember there is always the fast forward. Regards, Coach Matt
I'm with Linda. I kept fast forwarding to 12:05. I wrote down the pretty stuff and will research on my own if it's right for my zone, shade water etc... It'll be faster.
Thx for watching you can always fast forward. It is an older video and Yes there was too much front talk. We have trimmed things down quite a bit with more experience.
@@YardCoach Video title is "deceptive". Minutes 12 to 18 are very useful. But knowing US states that are under drought watch are time loosing or if municipalities are rules violator, as well as where you were wandering for the last 10 years. Stop watching yourself, keep providing usefull informations.
@@YardCoach Wow! I'm in zone 5 and found your video very informative. I shouldn't be surprised at the rude comments but but I am. Guess their mother didn't teach them that if they didn't have anything nice to say, they shouldn't say anything at all. LOL
Cannot please everybody that is for sure. I am pleased you got something positive from our efforts. Here to help as needed. Thanks for watching and commenting Kathy. Greatly appreciated. Coach.
*More Lawn Alternative and Ground Cover Ideas* to help you with your Landscape Project can be found here: *ua-cam.com/play/PLP6kPBDGjeCdNl2xB5NgEsvAdzDmHvg5q.html*
The video starts at 12 min. Thank me in the comments.
Thanks for the critique and watching.
@@YardCoach I know right your doing them a favor with a educational video and they want to be critical I however appreciate your video and hope you continue educating the public don't let these nay sayers hold you down
Thank you!
That's where the examples start, to be more specific
after 3 minutes I came to the comments looking for this comment. Thank you.
We have creeping thyme, creeping verbena, red and white clovers, wild strawberries, purple archangel (purple dead nettle), are all edibles, and other ground covers, and no lawn (grass). We also have a 2600 gallon (10,000) liter underground rain tank. We haven't run out of water, even in drought. We also have a pond with fish that we keep filled with the rain water when it evaporates. No water bills, but we do have an electric pump to get the water to the plants and pond, without relying on gravity. Still, that's a real minimal cost. We'll be adding more ground covers as time goes on. We try to make most things edible, so even if we don't eat those things, they are dual purpose. Previous owners had decorative grasses in some of the stone beds, and we took those out and planted all herbs that are so beautiful whether we harvest them or not (various varieties of oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil), lemon verbena bushes, garlic chives, chives, rosemary makes a beautiful bush and is a drought-tolerant evergreen, lavender, yucca (all the parts are edible, including the flowers), nasturtiums (flower, leaves and seeds are edible), tiger lilies (blooms are deliciously edible), lungwort, wild garlic and fiddlehead ferns. Not all is a lawn substitute, because taller ornamental plants are great for edging, against a house, etc. In this day and age, water shortage or not, growing one's own food and making their yard look beautiful with it, is superior to sprawling lawns that are only for looks.
You have it absolutely dialed in! Tell me how are those ferns when they are babies and they get harvested I hear they are good eating.
How do you prepare them?
Thanks for comment.
Brilliant well said this is what I'moolomh to do wish I could aww pictures of yours, are they just all mixed kn together, I'm wanting to plant a clover lawn and lots of edible plants in my garden and beneficial plants.
@@YardCoach Springtime is harvest, when they're fiddleheads, about a few inches tall. I steam them about 5-10 minutes, then sautee them in butter, garlic & salt. When cooked, sprinkle fresh parmesan. They could also be added to salads. Or eaten just about any way you'd eat asparagus. But they pretty much have to be steamed or boiled before preparing them with seasoning.
@@sharonschroeder150 sorry, I can't post pictures and haven't made a video about my lawn. I probably should. We just added more white clover this fall, to get a thicker lawn. But it's pretty thick right now. We had a drought in summer that looked like it killed off most everything but this wet fall, it's come back thick and lush. We just had to fill in a few sparse areas. The low plants are all mixed, the taller ones are in beds we don't mow. Even now, the dead nettles are in purple blooms. We have some delicate (low) yellow flowers growing too.
@@PeaceOutWorld in going to plant soon I'm just hoping all this rain they are predicting doesn't wash them all away, lots of heavy rains coming this winter I think so I don't know how clover will survive in that?
Thank you for the great information. I especially liked that the coach was clean and presentable, somehow his words were more believable. His language was precise and informative using no offensive expletives helping me be comfortable listening to what he had to say. I will listen to more.
Welcome aboard. Thx for the kind words. Coach.
What sets your platform above many is the fact that your pictures of the plant or ground cover in a situation where it's ACTUALLY COVERING GROUND and you can get a feel for what a well nurtured goal can look like... Are VISUALS I feel are exceptional and unmatched as working examples of what someone might expect! EXCELLENT JOB... THANK YOU 🙋🌹GA USA 8-14-22
Hey Sarah, thanks for the Atta Boy. We try hard to accomplish what you have stated here. Any questions or suggestions feel free. Hope I can count on you subscribing. As always, to your landscape success. Coach Matt.
thanks for showing all of those different plants in actual landscape examples. that's really helpful! i think that purple one looks amazing. like..... it does that thing lavender will where it's just an overwhelming wash of color, very impressive. i'm considering doing some stuff like this, especially around fences and wires and things that are REALLY annoying to mow and weedwhack.
Personally, I am a fan of cardboard and compost and I would tarmac before I used pesticides. I've done a small bed - sliced out the grass, then cardboard and compost. Next time, I will try simply covering the crass with the cardboard and compost, by way of experiment.
Teresa, thanks for the comment, I appreciate it a lot. Your solution is one of many. Depending on the type of turf you wish to reduce or get rid of, the cardboard and mulch probably will work. But rhysomic grasses will not be deterred by simple smother or solarization. Last thing somebody would want is invest time and money in a lawn less conversion only to be infested soon after. Sometimes you just need a bigger 🥊. Hope you subscribed and look forward to further discussion.. good luck. Coach.
I'm with you, Teresa. Pesticides are killing more than just the grass; if we don't have insects, we all die. My heart always breaks a little when I hear people encouraging pesticides. They should be a last resort.
When starting with “spray and kill” to begin the process was when I had to stop watching.
Incrementally I have been cardboard sheet mulching the large lawn on my property and subsequently replacing with native pollinators. Granted the process takes nearly two years but I have not poisoned the soil and killed off every living thing attached to it. Personally happy with this slower but more earth friendly approach here in coastal southern Oregon.
Thanks for the comment George. Your point is well taken. Many folks would not be that patient. Plus, imagine if you were to hire a professional and you wanted a conversion from lawn to lawn less landscape. But the contractor told you it was going to take 2 years or more. Most folks want the work started and finished in a more efficient timeline. Now I could be wrong, but Glyphosate is a non selective herbicide that breaks down to an inert ingredient and stays within the dying plant. I don't believe it damages soils for any long term timeline. Check it out and let me know.
The smothering method for lawn kill does work on some grasses and not on others, like bermuda and other rhyzomic spreaders. They will find a way to horizontally spread and daylight again and keep on going. That would be kind of disheartening to a DIYer or a customer after spending many dollars and time only to have it ruined by a patient organic earth friendly approach.
Thanks for watching and I hope you don't give up on the channel because of thius point of view. Good luck. Coach
@@cbryce9243 I agree and absolutely do not understand people using glyphosates. It is not necessary, especially in a small to medium-sized garden. I previously got rid of a lot of scutch grass by digging out the roots. Since using the cardboard and compost 3 years ago, and then 'no dig', very little has returned.
There are bee-keepers in my family that I have great respect for (I also love the real honey) and I consider using glyphosates not-so-much a last resort as a failure.
As someone that likes hard scape. But live in a condo in northern Illinois we have sprinkler system 3 times per week. BOO!
When I lived in Colorado we had a stone front yard and we loved it.
I do native plants and pollinators.
Totally agreed!!! I'm building a new home, there is no way I'm putting down turf, although we have really healthy dark green lawn that we have been enjoying, but man, the $$ and care we have spent on the grass is very costly. I'll do ground covers to avoid watering, mowing, and fertilizing. Those ground covers can benefit the pollinators. Really enjoy your videos, and always can learn so much! Thank you
Nice comment. Very appreciated. In your makeover remember to blend GCs and other smaller shrubs and perennials for a layered and eye catching look. Here to help as needed.
@YardCoach thank you coach! We built this house 10 years ago, and we are building another one right now. So the new house will not have too much grass lawn for sure, only enough for the boys to play on. The rest will be GCs, drawf plants, trees, flag stones, hardscaping mixture. I've been propagating plants right now, waiting to move them all to the new property. At least I don't have to buy too much, as plants are very expensive nowadays.
I was thinking about adding honey locus tree as it is also called shape master, so glad I watched your video about the 10 unwanted trees in residential properties. I really love gingko trees, could you do a video about them? Or could you gear me to the previous videos. Thank you
Plant clover instead of grass stays green when lawns are dying. Plus bees love the flowers and it smells wonderful. I’ve had clover for several years now and no chems and it’s easy to mow once in a while.
I can vouch for the monkey (mondo) grass solution. We had a tree removed several years ago. There was decorative monkey grass at the base of the tree that didn't get taken out. Over a few seasons, the monkey grass had spread and had begun to compete with the St. Augustine. When the yardman mowed, I noticed how nice the monkey grass felt on my bare feet and decided I'd rather have it as my lawn than the St. Augustine. It's taken a while and I've done nothing to further the process, but at some point the backyard will be 100% monkey grass. I'm old and probably won't be here to see that day. Had I known what I know now, I would have purposely chosen monkey grass as my "lawn."
I'm amazed by the resilience and beauty of nature. Gardening allows me to witness it up close.
I 💯 agree with you.
I have a pretty large southern backyard (11,000 sq ft) with an inground sprinkler system and a few large live oaks. It's beautiful. I bought my house about 5 years ago and the backyard is majority tall fescue. And the lawn was okay when I bought, pretty patchy, but okay. And it was just hard to keep up with. 3 years ago I ended up just spreading creeping thyme and clover seeds all over the yard, then rolled a compost roller with composted cotton burrs all over top of it and just kept watering. It's now an oasis of thick fescue, pillowy clover, and bright creeping thyme with no dirt showing anywhere. It turned out beautiful and I get compliments all the time on it. It looks like a natural meadow. I set my mower just high enough to where it mainly just cuts the fescue when it gets tall, and leaves most of the thyme and clover untouched.
Wow,thanks for sharing this story. If you have before and afters Iwould love to share them with viewers. How often do you have to water compared to when you bought and had patchy lawn? Thx for this comment. Coach.
This sounds much better than poisoning and digging up my entire yard! I really need to get some thyme.
Thank you for this video coach Matt! We are planning on doing yard renovation. Water conservation is a thing high on my list.
Here help ya as needed….good luck
TY! I live in SF Bay area! Loved my lawn - lots of grandkids.
You have helped me changed and cut my lawn size in half!
That is awesome! Born n raised a Bay Area brat. Water cost still high?
awesome video.so glad u are getting the word out. I wish u could do a commercial, I have been commenting on 'videos' about .....how to have a great lawn , I tell them to get ground cover. as u have mentioned, water is wasted, gas .fertilizer, is also increasing in price. global warming is not going away and neither is heat stroke, please continue to educate people. thanks
Thanks for the comment and watching the channel. Share. Will continue to produce quality landscape Ed as long as there is a market for it. Coach Matt
I wish more people would do this instead of hideous and hot gravel yards.
Too regimented and difficult. I'm in the process of converting my lawn by asking what wants to grow there: Virginia buttonweed, broadleaf plantain, dandelion, wild strawberries etc. Then augmenting with perennial peanuts, creeping thyme, silver falls, real strawberries, etc. Problem areas are filled in by seeding with white clover which comes up fast.
Great video! I am considering Kurapia to replace my front lawn turn that keeps dying (has a hard time with the hot summers and southern exposure). You got me thinking about drip irrigation conversion.
Kurapia is the new God send for western US drought stricken landscapes. Looks good, stands up to a lot and uses a 1/10th of the water. Good luck. Make sure all old grass is dead and removed…..like Bermuda, bluegrass and other creepers.
Hey Coach, such a great inspiration! I live in Toronto Canada, and most of my yard is now covered by weeds.....so I would like really like something to replace them. Can you please recommend some substitutes that can grow well in my area? Thank you!
Hey Michael, thanks for watching and your question. Let me ask a couple of Qs back at you. First is the area predominantly ☀️? Do you want a real ground hugger or more of a whole palette of size, shape and bloom. Many times a few pics and a nursery run to a pro who can show you some suggestions, based on what you want might work best.
I think you are in zone 5 or 6, so some hardy guys are required. Some choices for a single one dimensional look might be, Blue Carpet juniper, contoneaster, Ajuga, vinca, manzanita, wintercreeper (euonymus), and maybe some sedums.
Just be aware that those weeds may have a generation or two of seed in the lawn ready to go under the right conditions, attack those first then make a final decision on lawn less. Weeds can come up in groundcover too. Best of luck. Coach.
@@YardCoach Hi Coach. Thanks for the quick response. To answer your questions, my backyard is on the EAST side, so I don't think it has enough time for sun exposure --- with shadows either cast by fences or my house. In the contrast, my front yard has much direct sunlight in the afternoon, especially in the summer. I'd like something easy to grow and less water-consuming lawn alternatives. Regarding those weeds, I don't know how many generations they have, since I took over this yard last autumn. I've purchased some herbicides and trying to clean them. Originally I was thinking to build a nice lawn after killing weeds. However, right after I watch your video, I really re-think if it's necessary to make a lawn because I would like to save money for food instead of water bill --- you know how much the price of goods going up now :( And I don't think I can spend that much of time taking care of my yards. But if you say weeds can come up in ground cover, I really don't know what to do lol.. thanks
Speaking about the east side yard first. You are probably spot on with low sun light hours and grass, even shade tolerant varieties want a little more than what yours provides. Sounds like a great candidate for a shade garden and put it on a drip irrigation system. As for the front yard and the full sun exposure consider some of the suggestions I mentioned. As far as weeds, and generations of them to come, you would be best to eradicate everything there, condition your soil, install new plants and then start a pre emergent plan and keep a healthy mulch layer to mitigate all “present” weed seed. Depends on the look you desire. Another alternative is a quality plants, drip irrigation, weed fabric and a rock covering. Remember once under control, most of your weeds will be sent to you, free of charge, from the rest of your own neighborhood. Good luck. Coach
@@YardCoach Thanks Coach. I will keep learning and practicing.
Coach, I just found you. I'm in N. Texas 7B and each year under watering restrictions. Since 4/1/23 there is NO outside watering. We have sandy soil here and I have given up on lawn turf this year. We get torrential rains in the Spring and minimal rainfall the rest of the year. Right now, whatever grows and is green is what is there. It's a mix of weed, bermuda and St. Augustine. This is the first of your videos I have seen and will be exploring more of them. I am sure open to any suggestions you may have for me. Lot size is 1/3 acre minus 1,500 sq ft house, driveway and a 1,600 sq ft deck I put in 10 years ago.
Hey Dan, traveled thru your area this Spring. You can have the wind and I’ll keep the rain.
If you peruse the channel many skills and ideas may develop. If you want more advice hit me up on email and show me a few pics and I may be able to help more.
I do have the website and consults are available. Let me know. Coach.
@@YardCoach Thank you so much.
I wish you'd gone into more detail about which plants can handle foot traffic. I would need plants that can handle quite a bit if i were ever to take on this type of project.
I will see if I can pin point some tougher varieties for ya.
Ruschia, Kurapia, thyme, potentilla, dwf mondo grass, but remember they will stand up to play by kids or doggo alike turf grasses.
@@YardCoach Thank you.
Big Country would love this video! 🤞😊
ok, so the title does say 'lawn substitutes' and thats what most of us come for. the substitute list doesnt occur until 12:00. so its less of a critique and more of a fact 👍
oh! one question i had was what region the plants you mentioned work in. idk if you covered ones for different areas of the country or if they were all ones that worked in one specific climate. it'd be cool to have vids about groundcovers, each focusing on a different region. : )
(forgive me if you did that already - this was first vid of yours i've seen. also, daylight is wasting and i gotta do massive landscape work just now.)
thanks!!
The ground covers mentioned here work in various usda zones and conditions, thanks for your comments. Coach.
I won't spray anything to kill the lawn. Even if I wanted to it's prohibited where I'm from. I may just lay cardboard or a tarp over it in sections.
You always have that option. Thanks for watching.
black plastic bags, cut open, that'll kill stuff too. used it when i was setting to dig my firepit area.
Thanks for the video! What do you recommend for zone 10B Florida? I want very low maintenance, non-invasive grd cover please🙏. Thanks!
Gramma, thanks for watching. Ground cover selection will depend on a few prerequisites. Sun/shade, sq ft to be covered, and what else is occupying the space as well.
Take a few pics to your local nursery pro, ask them the same questions and see what they have for you.
For me, I would check out Ruschia, sedums, potentilla, ajuga, and maybe some ice plant like drosanthemum.
Good luck. Coach.
Any thoughts of what could be planted to mix with horrible condition grass. In Western Washington and would like something to reduce mowing at a commercial site. Doesn't have to be pretty but short and low maintenance. Any help is appreciated.
Hey Billy, thanks for the question. Not sure your usda zone there, the ground covers thyme and Veronica work just about anywhere.
Depends on your sq footage involved. Also look into dwarf ruschia. Good luck. Coach.
@@YardCoach Thanks Coach, Looks like I'm in zone 8b. It would be several hundred square feet that gets all day sun, no trees and doesn't have irrigation.
@billygilbert7911 well look into those and make an informed decision.
That tree behind you looks lush!
I would like to know which of those plants were native species to the areas he mentioned in the video.
Hey Dan,Thanks for the question. A bit of horticultural insight for you. All ornamental ground covers and thousands of plants are native to somewhere. Maybe not where you live, or where I live but they do have their native origin somewhere. Then hybridists take those natives and create NEW cultivars for various aesthetic needs. Like bigger flowers new foliage etc. Thx.Coach.
@@YardCoach thanks for the reply Coach. Yes, all plants are native to some location, but native pollinators do better with native plants, from what I've been reading recently.
I like the idea of being local!
I enjoyed your video.
Love your information about saving 💧 water not just time and money ❤😊
Glad it was enjoyable for you. Coach.
Yard coach I could use your help. I have a yard that retains water due to my proximity to a lake, being downhill and having a sceptic leach field. There’s some tree coverage as well. Would like tips on removing water as well as hardscaping over the leach field to make it a useable area. I’m in CT if that helps.
MVM, Thanks for your interest in the channel and the question. Sounds like you might have a shallow water table which might be affecting your leach field as well as your runoff. Since ground percolation seems to be an issue, you might consider a mechanical solution in the form of a sump pump and basin. Before any construction, determine that the water drainage issue is not affluent coming to the surface. If so, you may have bigger issues than just landscape drainage.
If you want more info on drainage solutions, here is an older video on just that subject. Hope it helps, and feel free to email me if you have other questions: ua-cam.com/video/XIyNB9JwgjY/v-deo.html
@@YardCoach what do you think about using mushrooms to transport water? Mushrooms are REALLY good at moving water and nutrients up hills.
What kind of gardener are you to tell people that they should spray poison on their property? 😮
Though your list of lawn substitutes is very good. I planted some of the plants.
My tip on how I don't use any municipal water is collecting rain water. I have a couple of IBC tanks that get me through the dry months. I planted vine, ivy, passion fruit and clematis around them, so I don't have to look at the ugly tanks. And I planted little trees that partially shade my backyard.
Thanks for watching Kay and for the comment.
I guess I am a realistic landscaper that knows certain grasses will not be eliminated with only solarization or other means. I have seen certain weeds and grasses rebound and destroy new landscape investments when Pros and their customers thought just cutting out old Bermuda would work.
Some DIYERS have TIME on their side and maybe a year to TRY to eliminate. Most folks and pros do not. Hence, the chemical route. Do I think you can over use it YES, I do. But a prudent approach and application is still an option and a more assured result.
@@YardCoach okay. I see what you mean. Then I guess my pre-owners must have overused it. They have sprayed against weeds and it killes everything even 2 years later. Every plant I put in the ground, all the bees and bumblebees that try to breed in the ground. Just awful. So I get alarmed when someone recommends to spray poison.
I'm interested in stuff that is naturalized or native to the americas, specifically canada in the prairie provinces (as well as mountains & foothills I guess). Thanks Coach
My neat suggestion is visit your local nursery pro. They will carry natives or at least have access to such plant material.
@@YardCoach Thanks for the (speedy) response, Coach!
Wow
Amazing 💖
Very informative video
Fantastic 😅
Thank you so much for your excellent sharing 👌👌👍
Happy you got some good info from it.
If I’m located where white Dutch clover is native do I still need to reseed it? Thanks for the helpful vid!
Depends how thick your native clover is and what look you are trying to achieve. Thx for the Q and for watching. Coach.
Just becareful with blue rug juniper. Had to pull all mine out as vol infestation ruined my yard and ate them. Got rid of the juniper and planting something different.
So it wasn’t the junipers fault it was the voles? What did you do to control them and what was your go to planting instead?
@Yard Coach we just pulled them out Sunday. To get rid of the vols I bought Tomcat. I use this before on mols and is great stuff but make sure you get this in the holes. You do not want any other animals to get this. I'm not sure yet on replacement plants been looking at catalogs to try and figure out what would look good.
If my neighbor has the same lawn, is there a purpose in tediously removing the existing lawn? Even if I obtain a full replacement I’m sure there’s would invade mine eventually anyways
I would say that would have to be an agreement between you and your neighbor and a little diligence on both parties part. Usually a little effort on a regular basis will negate a big effort once in awhile.
Would appreciate information about which plants are native to your locale and which are exotic species or invasive. 14:57
That would be quite an undertaking as invasives change all the time. My zone is 3-4. No exotics exist here except imports and greenhouse plants. Maybe share why you want this and I can help more.
Great video and just what I was looking for. Really well explained and presented.
Glad you enjoyed it! Coach.
Out of water except when ABC news reports how the weather was manipulated this winter for extra plus snow fall. If they can amp it up, doesn't it make sense they can dry it up?
What kind of chemicals to use to kill off the grass and weeds prior to planting?
Glyphosate, commonly called round up but also in many weed n grass killer brands.
Good video HOWEVER most people do NOT have a nursery with people with that knowledge!
Well you have a Coach now. If I can help email me. Thanks for watching.
very true. i laughed at that part. in my old place in FL i just happened to live by one of those, but anywhere else???? nonexistent. you can't even find a place that stocks roses, which is nuts. (not that 'knockout rose' stuff. bleh.) pretty much it's the internet and professor google, or nothing.
Don’t people catch your own water from rain
Wow
I need something that I can rake leaves off and that will grow in sand and is drought tolerant. Hawaiian Islands, desert areas.
I also need a long strip of drought tolerant ground cover for an area where my dog can play and go to the bathroom on.
Your local nursery should have selections that will meet your needs. What usda zone is your home in? Sometimes a small blower will a better leaf remover than a rake. Your doggo application may be harder to solve. Poop, urine and hard play will test the resilience of altos all ground covers. That is not what they are intended for. Provide the zone and I will give you some selections to check out.
@@YardCoach I believe that it’s 10 or 11. It’s tropical and we don’t have “nurseries” like we have on the mainland. We mostly rely on Lowe’s or Home Depot. And seed packets. I’m on Maui on the Kihei side. Very dry, little rain.
You can also order
Live plants from wholesalers on the mainland. Check out these ground covers. Now, they do better with some water.
But here ya go. By the way, small leaves or large leaves to be removed?
Creeping thyme
Sedums
Creeping phlox
Ajuga
Dymondia
Dwf mondo grass
Potentilla
Ajuga
@@YardCoach I have three giant mango trees that I have a cottage built under the three of them. Once a year they drop so many leaves that even as I’m sweeping them up on the patio and gravel walkway, it appears that I haven’t cleaned up in a few months. They loose leaves all year round, just not as many as the one time they drop off the majority of old leaves.
The ground has all sand as well. I am thinking that grass is my only option. I have a relatively small yard area but it’s difficult for me as I’m old. I used to run a very small landscaping business where I designed low maintenance landscapes for homeowners. In the Seattle suburbs. 30+ years ago.
Quite a change of location and landscape tapestry. I wish you luck. Check out dwf ruschia or Kurapia as well.
I found this really helpful- Im a big fan of creeping Thyme lawns (they look so pretty), but am wondering how people stop them going woody in the centre after a few years? I assume they need an annual trim after flowering? Any other tips?
Hi Erin, thanks for watching and the comment. You are correct an annual trim and occasional in planting with new stock works best. Try not to over plant causing up lift helps as well. To your landscape success as always. Coach
Your saying if I wanna plant dwarf carpet of stars, after I plant them in my lawn, to mulch over it? The whole lawn? Why? Can I not? That's like 2000 dollars of mulch
Hey Dusty, the mulching is for weed mitigation,soil stabilizing and moisture retention. The mulch will also break down and provide nutrients to the new landscape area. How many square feet are you considering to install? Consider mulching to a depth of 2”. Do your site prep as if you were planting a new lawn. Any other questions feel free to reach out.
@@YardCoach my whole lawn is about almost the size of a basketball court. Probably like 3/4 of one. I also wanted to sew outside but was hoping mulch not necessary if I plant on a cool calm warm week and keep grass moist daily. Also alot of people are telling me round up is a no no for killing the grass cuz it like obliterates the ground, what's best herbicide to use for when I want to plant new seeds in same soil
Well,I used glyphosate for many years and replanted the areas without any ill effects to growing any plants or trees. There are other herbicides like contact or trans locative. You use what you feel most comfortable with. Your planting area should not need 2k worth of mulch. Use a quality compost for your mulch. Your ruschia will cover right over it. Good luck.
Get a rain catcher system in that will help I have 5000 gallons
Yep yep good idea.
This video would be much more useful to me if it started with variety of different ground cover plants to chose from and their specifications and growing needs before going into a big landscaping project ideas. I’m not going to start scraping my lawn before researching what may work for my lawn first.
It is one of many videos Ula. Other videos talk about some ground covers you can use.
However extending the video length causes people to complain about that as well. Cannot please everyone, but we try.
Your criticism is well taken. I don’t know how far you got but at 11.52 mins I do go into selections.
Thanks for watching. Coach Matt
@@YardCoach I guess the title was a bit misleading. I watched to the end. I got the list of the names at least that I got to further research, so thank you for that.
You had my attention UNTIL "spray and kill".
Well, other methods are not always full proof at all. So throwing thousands at a makeover only to have a reinfstation come back and takeover does not a good business model make. Pro landscapers would not be in business very long. For YOU, you have that option of other methods and time on your side. Good Luck. Thanks for watching.
GOLF COURSES of GRASSNEED TO BE OUTLAWED! ! ! !
The game can be reimagined on crushed, degraded granite.
In places where water is not in short supply it will never happen. However, in other areas new ways might be looked into when water is scarce. But I don’t think it is realistic. I take it you are not a golfer Charlie. Is your home lawn less?
@@YardCoach I have golfed and am close to two pro golfers. Yes, my yard is lawn less.
Everywhere water is scarce (the entire West) needs to outlaw grass greens (golf) or as I said, reimagine an offshoot game on rock based landscape. Coastal states can invest into ocean water desalinization treatments for golf course and highway & road landscapes. Some states use non-potable water for roadways and this is good. "Some" is not enough.
The problem goes back to politics and GOP criminals in bed with big business. For that reason, you are right, change will NEVER happen.
Great tips,thanks!
Unfortunately I stopped watching the minute you said "spray and kill the existing lawn" so don't know if there was any good info after that.
So, tell me why. Thanks for watching but your comment is incomplete. Replacing lawn usually requires getting rid of lawn so lawn does not re-emerge and infest your new ground cover area. Let me know your complete thought. You missed out on a lot of good content and education, when just tapping the fast forward button could have alleviated the impatient scale just a little. To your success. Coach.
@@YardCoach There are so many chemicals being used to keeps grass lawns clean and green. It’s not just a water issue. I wished a video advocating the benefits of replacing grass with ground cover also advocated for natural grass removal rather than the use of chemicals…..solarization or simply cardboard with a layer of compost/top soil as an example. I realize this may not work in all situations but I’ve chosen to be chemical free in my little corner of the world. It’s a recent conversion, which is probably why I’m a bit zealous at the moment 😁!
@@sbffsbrarbrr Agreed; natural lawn care without herbicides & pesticides is best. 😀 Also, golf courses take up over 5 million acres of land globally, use an estimated 13 trillion gallons of water per year, create a massive carbon footprint for maintenance, & overuse of herbicides has led to pollution of ground water & nearby bodies of water... The first biodegradable golf ball wasn't developed until 2021. 😲
I can respect those choices. The work “kill” a lawn can take on many forms, depending on the type of turf you want removed. Some can be a simple as soccer and removal, like some clumping fescues, others like Bermuda and warm season grasses can succumb to solarization but will bounce back. Not everything needs chemicals, but there are those times that result in no other way or a combination of several approaches. Fm a professionals point of view, there isn’t a client in he role that would be happy and glad to pay for a lawn replacement only to have old lawn emerge. It is fine for the DIYer or homeowner, but pros need a lot more assurance that their work will pass a long term muster and call backs are mitigated. But your opinion does not fall on deaf ears with me and alternative methods have been used by me and industry colleagues.
Interesting!
Glad you think so! thanks for watch….
Ideas for Nebraska/Iowa yards?? Fg and kid friendly
Blue carpet juniper, emerald carpet manzanita, creeping thyme, mixed with various perennials, boulders, shrubs and other complimentary elements. Good luck. Coach.
@@YardCoach thank you for actually responding! It's a rare thing. Do you have a company that you'd recommend me ordering these from
Check local nurseries in your area. Pretty common plants, plus they will have other ideas for you as well. Most box stores don’t get really specific but Spring is your best chance of they do.
Thanks!
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Las Vegas has "lawn police".
What powers do they have?
@@YardCoach
Powers? Laws passed; fines added to water bills.
@SledDog5678 big brother is always watching out there. We had just “water police” in general. Car washing, landscape, driveway wash down, etc were forbidden 🚫.
Bit of you had drip irrigation you could water whenever.
Nice video 😮😮😮😅😅😊
Avoid listening to the basic biology of plants for twelve minutes. The content you are looking fore starts at 11:59.
You're welcome.
EDIT: And it ends at 14:32 (Yeah, we know, we can pave it, not what we came for)
It would be better for the planet, not to spray. 😞
Yes I agree. But also a lot less water. If you have a clumping type of grass lawn you can probably just sod cut it out. But not lawns like Bermuda and the like. Thanks for your comment.
A turf cutter will get most of the grass! I never use chemicals in my yard.
MOST of the grass is not sufficient when replanting. It causes eventual regeneration of those grasses. Then your fighting those NEW weeds which defeated the purpose in the long run. Like our parents taught us everything in moderation. Applications for this purpose to achieve a high die off ratio, then sod cut out will be more successful in the long term. I speak to this topic as a landscape professional. If you paid me 1000s to relandscape and 4 weeks after I was done you had grass re-emerging throughout, you would be not so happy. But I hear you from a no chems perspective. Thx for the comment. Coach.
Don't bore us. Get to the chorus!
Don’t be so impatient on a subject that cannot be fast paced to those who do not know the subject. I do a complete thought and lesson, and I don’t cater to the impatient. Thx. Coach.
Using harsh chemicals on your lawn isn't great for the environment or for getting other things to grow also instead of throwing all of the grass away you can let it completely die off in a box or bin or if you're going to use plastic bags anyways then a plastic bag and then use the dead grass for compost
As always this is one way. Give me an alternative to removing a Bermuda grass lawn, rhizomes and all. Constant use of chems I agree with. That should be limited. But a one time use is an option. Thanks for your comment.
I like white clover more than red clover.
How long have you seen it last in the landscape as a solely planted groundcover?
Great video just kind of Jibber Jabber on too long about things trying too hard to keep people interested it first that was not relevant to the lawn substitutes in a way that almost lost my attention when obviously trying to get people more informed but in a way that kind of almost lost me but it still was good video and did have lots information even though it just my opinion was slow to get to the point but that could just be me but either way thank you for posting this video it was very informative I just tend to be very nitpick atiba thing sometimes
Thanks for the constructive critique Aaron.
We need a water police 🚔 in Bakersfield, Ca ....😎👮♂️💧
Lots of water wasters there?
why dont more people use corsican mint?? this is the first time im herring this style of mint. It looks super low growth and all mint keeps pest away
I prefer permaculture videos that work with nature and don’t involve spraying lots of poisonous chemicals around
Thanks for watching. Many DIYers have such a luxury. Many Pros do not. Besides a reinfestation of undesirables can ruin a contractor's reputation, or wreck a DIYers many days or weeks of hard work. Our location is only ONE. Plus, using correctly will not poison the soil, only the undesired plant material. To each their own.
I appreciate your professional presentation, but I was bothered by the suggestions on how to remove an existing lawn. The recommendation to use toxic pesticides to kill the existing lawn and then throw the sod in a dumpster is not an environmentally friendly practice. An easier, cheaper and safer method would be to smother the lawn with cardboard, etc. for a month or two and then rake the dead material back into the soil to add organic matter.
If you have that kind of time, sure you can opt for doing turf removal that way. But most people and certainly Pros do not have that kind of time. In addition, your smothering technique is almost useless on turf with stolons as they will spring back to life after the cardboard or plastic is removed. Seen that quite a few times. But your opinion is well taken and I thank you for watching.
Gravel is horrendous to weed. Poisons would be needed to kill weeds, thus being much worse for the environment than water use and much more expensive.
Depends on how things are built and installed. Often times simple hand pulling or judicious weed spray would be needed. Fabrics and thick mulches really reduce weeds. Diligent up keep results in a little effort frequently rather than a lot when you let it go to hell. Plus, many less toxic weed sprays can be used, check them out. Thanks for the comment, but all is not lost because you use gravel. Used correctly it can drastically reduce maintenance, replenishment and in the right size can be cleaned off with low volume blower. Things to think about.
This is the trouble with a lot of male ‘gardeners’; they just kill and don’t nurture
I disagree. Can you remodel a house without tearing something down and removing the old before installing the new? This is not a continuous spraying just for the sake of splashing POISON everywhere. It is very much a science to control and remove what is not wanted, then NUTURE the new which IS wanted. Plus, I am not a GARDENER. I am a highly educated professional with a lot more Professional experience doing it right and not wrong.
poison? WITH WHAT?
you lost me at spray....
You forgot Idaho…
Oops…. Sorry.
Pachysandra
For anyone else leaving California please leave your voting habits behind or just don't come here. Thx.
Complete your statement. Where is here? Thanks for watching, but I got nothin more to say to this one..
Don’t need politics here.
I can't get past the Yaking, yaking, Yaking... Just get to the main subject, Ah,,, BYE!!!
You probably told your teachers in high school the same thing. Viewers like you I do not want to teach anyway. Thx for watching but good bye as well.
Here's a well-meant suggestion. When your title is "Lawn Substitutes," don't spend over half your video talking about why people might be forced to adopt those substitutes. Not everyone lives in a drought-prone region. Address those issues in a separate video.
Point take Michael. This is an older video now and I think our pencil is a little sharper than when we first got started. Thx for watching or not.
Spraying poison is not smart to recommend.
Then do it your way Ronda, but when things grow back and reinfest an expensive landscape makeover then you’ll wish you has used something ONE TIME to do it right. Good Luck..
So you like to kill the soil and make dirt yep your from California
Rudeness is not appreciated and no I do not kill soil. Please find another channel.
You talk too much
This so not an entertainment channel. Sorry if I give TOO MUCH information for free. Thx for watching but maybe you can refrain from the rudeness of you stick around here.
Just tell what the plants are stop the biography
Sorry you feel this way Linda. We strive to be complete, somewhat entertaining and informative. We always have content that will not short cut, period. Hope you stick around, but understand if you do not. Remember there is always the fast forward. Regards, Coach Matt
I'm with Linda. I kept fast forwarding to 12:05.
I wrote down the pretty stuff and will research on my own if it's right for my zone, shade water etc... It'll be faster.
This video is a complete waste of time…he spends the 1st half discussing the drought in America…and the 2nd half talking about nothing really…
Why in the world would you go on and on for 12 minutes before talking about the stuff you said you were going to talk about??
Educators cater to the patient and set the stage for the lesson. Guess you are not one of those students. But thanks for watching.
11 minutes of wasated time to get to something
Thanks Dan….wasated?
OMG 8:11 in and I give up blah blah blah what a waste of 8 minutes I didn't have.
Thx for watching you can always fast forward. It is an older video and Yes there was too much front talk. We have trimmed things down quite a bit with more experience.
Lawns are so useless, no matter where you live.
Too long. Too much repetition!
blah blah ... for 12 minutes .. .go straight to the point , mate ....
Thanks for watching. Complete education not half assed. If I went fast folks would say it was incomplete. Just can’t please everybody.
@@YardCoach Video title is "deceptive". Minutes 12 to 18 are very useful. But knowing US states that are under drought watch are time loosing or if municipalities are rules violator, as well as where you were wandering for the last 10 years. Stop watching yourself, keep providing usefull informations.
@@YardCoach Wow! I'm in zone 5 and found your video very informative. I shouldn't be surprised at the rude comments but but I am. Guess their mother didn't teach them that if they didn't have anything nice to say, they shouldn't say anything at all. LOL
Cannot please everybody that is for sure. I am pleased you got something positive from our efforts. Here to help as needed.
Thanks for watching and commenting Kathy. Greatly appreciated. Coach.