This is too funny John! Would make an excellent tag line :) What was your fathers
name so I may quote him and give him credit where due, if I do use it ;)
-----
Alan Chandler, Arizona Sunset Zone: 13
http://members.home.net/gizmoaz/~gizmoaz.htm
Over 173 Rose Bushes Planted! 101 Different varieties! Never a dull moment!!
John Mertus wrote:
Three things to consider: when will your crocus bloom, how long does it =
take for their foliage to die back, and how long can you let your grass =
grow before the neighbors or the city demand that you mow it? If the =
crocus bloom in April and it takes two months for the crocus foliage to =
mature (that's a guess: I only have daffodils and their foliage is still =
growing strong in mid-June), your grass might be a foot tall before it's =
safe to mow.
Do you really want strangers waltzing through your yard, singing all the =
while?
Gerry Strey
Mladison, Wisconsin (whose dream garden includes a bulb lawn, maybe under =
gnarled old apple trees)
I've seen pictures of lawns with Crocuses growing in them. I think the
look is really impressive. However, I've never seen any actual ones in
R.I. I just planted grass seed in my front Devil's strip and am thinking
of adding these in.
My questions are as follows.
1) Can I grow Crocuses in a lawn?
2) Do they get enough energy from the leaves to come back year after year?
3) Are some types better than others?
4) Does one have to be careful about herbicides such as broad leaf
weed killers. (I don't use them, but I find that when I hire people to
fertilize the lawn they sometimes use the wrong stuff.)
5) Lawns need high N, bulbs higher PK, so is there a fertization problem?
6) What density of planting can I use ( 4/sq ft, 12/sq ft, 1/sq
ft)? I want a field of crocus so that people walking down the street will
want to spin around in them singing just like Julie Andrews in the Sound of
Music.
Thanks for any answers.
-jam
PS: I never know what to call that area between the sidewalk and the
street. My father called it the Devil's Strip and when I asked, he said it
was because the Government (devil) owned it and we and to keep it up. Does
it have an official name?
John Mertus wrote:
Yes, John, you can. I haven't seen it done in RI but I have seen it in Connecticut
- basically the same climate - and it was sensational.
> 2) Do they get enough energy from the leaves to come back year after year?
Yes - as do all spring bulbs/ However, crocus foliage ripens quickly and is usually
ready for cutting by the time the lawn needs its first mowing.
3) Are some types better than others?
Not especially. The only thing to consider is how long you want the display to
last. The little crocuses - Snow Crocus - will bloom first and they will be nearly
done when the Jumbo crocus begin. So you can use both for a prolonged if not quite
as sensational show - or choose a single type for one smashing display.
> 4) Does one have to be careful about herbicides such as broad leaf
> weed killers. (I don't use them, but I find that when I hire people to
> fertilize the lawn they sometimes use the wrong stuff.)
The leaves should be gone by the time someone uses an herbicide - although
personally I wouldn't use ne on my lawn, crocuses or not.
> 5) Lawns need high N, bulbs higher PK, so is there a fertization problem?
I've never fertilized mine at all. They come back faithfully - and spread - every
year.
> 6) What density of planting can I use ( 4/sq ft, 12/sq ft, 1/sq
> ft)? I want a field of crocus so that people walking down the street will
> want to spin around in them singing just like Julie Andrews in the Sound of
> Music.Thanks for any answers.
The recommended spacing for crocus is one per square inch. So be prepared to invest
in those crocuses - or to be patient and let them fill out on their own.
Carol
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We call them hell strips in Colorado.
Stormy
I grow crocus in my lawn. We use 12-12-12 fertlizer, and have no problem.
We have both giant and snow crocus. We have been planting them in our yard
for the last 3 years, so we can get a nice effect (we have a big yard). The
ones we planted first are really naturalizing well, and the later ones are
slowly coming along.
Hope this helps.
Holly
Hi John
We call it the boulvard up here in Ontario.
Yes You can grow crocuses in your lawn. . .I find that the leaves
don't quite mature as fast as the lawn needs cutting. I have them in
groups and just don't mow those areas the first few times in the
spring. Husband grumbles. . .he doesn't think a person should plant
flowers in the lawn.
Jill
And in Louisiana we call it the neutral ground. Actually here it's an easement for utilities. Covers
the first 15 feet from street into lot.
George
Jill Fyffe wrote:
John, following Duane Campbell's suggestion a few years ago, we planted
species crocus in our lawn. Leaves are tiny, but flowers are quite
noticeable. White just looks like shipping popcorn, though. You can get
about 30 bulbs for $5 or so, so have at it. Squirrels like them, BTW.
Margaret L
Thank Carol et. al. for the advice, very useful. I'm going to put in both
types and see what happens. I'm sure my kids prefere a nice lawn over a
college education.
-jam
Following the suggestion of Dr. Kay Lancaster a few years ago, we began
mowing our lawn at a height of 3 inches in spring, summer and fall. We
walk through crabgrass setting seeds in the garden, walk across the lawn
into the house, and there is no crabgrass in the lawn. None. Zero. The only
herbicide we use is corn gluten meal, and that's allegedly only about 50%
effective in preventing germination the first few times it's used. We
usually have brown winters, and when we do get snow, it's usually quickly
melted by rains coming up the Columbia/Snake river canyons with Japan
current warmth. I do like the species or specie crocus in the lawn. And
so do bees. Margaret L
Squirrels like them, chipmunks like them, bunnies and birds eat the blooms,
kids pick the flowers.... if the town piles snow on top of the berms they
may not melt out until late ... it's great if you can bet it to work, but my
goodness the pitfalls! Also, one per square inch is excessive if they settle
in and do well for you. They will bunch and multiply quickly enough that
one every couple of inches -- say three or four inches apart but a bit
randomly spaced so they look natural -- will give a good show by year two or
three -- assuming they can continue undisturbed. Then in another year or so
you will need to divide them! You will also need to mow the grass high, at
least three inches.... this may not be the best for your grass that early in
the season ....
Personally, I think they look better in a mulch bed.
Barbara M. Martin
Does he know that moisture enters through the roots? If he waters deeply
infrequently, the roots will grow deep and be more drought tolerant. But
if your system is set up to water 15 minutes every day, you've got a
shallowly-rooted lawn. Taller grass blades shade the soil and keep the
roots cool and prevent weeds from germinating. Margaret L
Margaret,
This is great about the crabgrass not growing in
the taller lawn. I have been trying to convince
DH that grass doesn't need to be mowed to 1 inch
short all summer. My reasoning was it shades the
soil better and therefore keeps the soil from
drying out as fast. He counters with the more
grass blade---the more moisture it takes.
Martha
To:
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 10:18 AM
Subject: Re: Crocuses (Croci?) and lawns
Following the suggestion of Dr. Kay Lancaster a
few years ago, we began
mowing our lawn at a height of 3 inches in spring,
summer and fall. We
walk through crabgrass setting seeds in the
garden, walk across the lawn
into the house, and there is no crabgrass in the
lawn. None. Zero. The only
herbicide we use is corn gluten meal, and that's
allegedly only about 50%
effective in preventing germination the first few
times it's used. We
usually have brown winters, and when we do get
snow, it's usually quickly
melted by rains coming up the Columbia/Snake river
canyons with Japan
current warmth. I do like the species or specie
crocus in the lawn. And
so do bees. Margaret L
No, because the soil is so sandy I water twice a
week. I have been top-dressing with compost and
it seems to help too.
Martha
To:
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: Crocuses (Croci?) and lawns
Does he know that moisture enters through the
roots? If he waters deeply
infrequently, the roots will grow deep and be more
drought tolerant. But
if your system is set up to water 15 minutes every
day, you've got a
shallowly-rooted lawn. Taller grass blades shade
the soil and keep the
roots cool and prevent weeds from germinating.
Margaret L
Margaret Lauterbach wrote:
Try ordering them from a place that sells in bulb like Van Engelen and they
may cost less that that. Maybe ONE kid could go to college. ;-)
Carol
--
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http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/virtually_gardening
CURRENT ARTICLE: "Art and Artists in the Garden I: Kirk Brown of PA"
http://suite101.com/article.cfm/virtually_gardening/77067
Enter the FIFTH ANNUAL TACKY YARD ART CONTEST! GET THE SCOOP AT
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