"No-Mow Grass" Test Looks Promising
After writing a story last fall about Pearl's Premium "no mow" grass, I got curious and decided to give it a try myself (Vol. 33, No. 5) at my home near Lanesboro, Minn. According to Jackson Madnick, the breeder who developed the new strain, the grass is extremely hardy, easy to plant, and even easier to maintain. Once established, no watering, fertilizing or even mowing is needed. Grass blades grow to about 9 in. long but tip over so that from a distance it looks like about a 4-in. meadow. Or you can mow it once a month and keep it at 4 to 5 in. tall.
Madnick says many customers tell him the grass is ideal for planting in outlying areas to eliminate mowing and all maintenance. I decided to plant his "shady" mix along a driveway where we normally spread wood chips every couple years. I planted the "sunny" mix in an area that used to be a gravel driveway and where it's very difficult to grow anything.
I planted the grass in September, using 10-10-10 fertilizer as Madnick recommended. I was absolutely amazed at the way the grass was up and growing in a week. By the time winter came, it was well-established.
This spring the grass came up strong. We haven't done any additional fertilizing. It's green and looking good, as these late April photos show. On one side of the driveway, where the ground was about as hard as concrete, growth is a little more sparse. Madnick says in areas like that you should just do a bit of over-seeding in year two. The grass grows slowly and puts down deep roots. Right now it's about 4 to 5 in. tall and looks good. It should start bending over soon. I don't plan to cut it. We'll see how it handles the summer and whether it survives without any watering.
Later in the summer I'll write an update on my grass plots but so far I'm very impressed with the hardiness and viability of this new grass seed.
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jackson Madnick, Pearl's Premium Grass, 206 Lake Shore Drive, Wayland, Mass. 01778 (ph 508 653-0800; www.pearlspremium.com).
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"No-Mow Grass" Test Looks Promising FARM HOME Miscellaneous 34-3-13 After writing a story last fall about Pearl's Premium "no mow" grass, I got curious and decided to give it a try myself (Vol. 33, No. 5) at my home near Lanesboro, Minn. According to Jackson Madnick, the breeder who developed the new strain, the grass is extremely hardy, easy to plant, and even easier to maintain. Once established, no watering, fertilizing or even mowing is needed. Grass blades grow to about 9 in. long but tip over so that from a distance it looks like about a 4-in. meadow. Or you can mow it once a month and keep it at 4 to 5 in. tall.
Madnick says many customers tell him the grass is ideal for planting in outlying areas to eliminate mowing and all maintenance. I decided to plant his "shady" mix along a driveway where we normally spread wood chips every couple years. I planted the "sunny" mix in an area that used to be a gravel driveway and where it's very difficult to grow anything.
I planted the grass in September, using 10-10-10 fertilizer as Madnick recommended. I was absolutely amazed at the way the grass was up and growing in a week. By the time winter came, it was well-established.
This spring the grass came up strong. We haven't done any additional fertilizing. It's green and looking good, as these late April photos show. On one side of the driveway, where the ground was about as hard as concrete, growth is a little more sparse. Madnick says in areas like that you should just do a bit of over-seeding in year two. The grass grows slowly and puts down deep roots. Right now it's about 4 to 5 in. tall and looks good. It should start bending over soon. I don't plan to cut it. We'll see how it handles the summer and whether it survives without any watering.
Later in the summer I'll write an update on my grass plots but so far I'm very impressed with the hardiness and viability of this new grass seed.
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jackson Madnick, Pearl's Premium Grass, 206 Lake Shore Drive, Wayland, Mass. 01778 (ph 508 653-0800; www.pearlspremium.com).
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