Considering picking up one of those meadow mixes in a can?
Check the label before you start sprinkling.
Some of the mixes sold in local stores include plants defined in this state as noxious weeds.
Usually the culprits are regional or national companies creating seed mixes for distribution over a large swath of the country. Plants such as oxeye daisy might be perfectly appropriate in Chicago, where cold winters keep it under control. Mild Western Washington is a love nest for this plant, and it quickly out-reproduces its neighbors. Some mixes are so poor in quality, noxious weeds end up in the mix accidentally.
Local nurseries and gardeners are more aware of invasive species than they were a few years ago, but these products are still on some store shelves and commercial Web sites, said Alison Halpern, the executive secretary for the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.
A noxious weed is defined as a nonnative, invasive species that is difficult to control and is destructive to the area’s agriculture and natural resources, she said. The Washington state Department of Agriculture keeps a quarantine list of plant species that cannot be sold or transported in the state. It isn’t the same list as the noxious weed list, and this causes confusion and frustration, she said.
Take butterfly bush, for instance. Completely legal to buy and sell, but it’s a noxious weed: the wind picks up its tiny seeds and flings them all over.
If you want a meadow, opt for a company that produces a seed mix tailored to Western Washington, Halpern said. The Washington Native Plant Society offers a link on its Web site (www.wnps.org) with native plant and seed sources. They also have instructions on how to plant native seeds.
Read the label closely, she said. Some cans may list “no noxious weeds or invasive plants,” but that’s referring to contaminant weed seeds getting into the mix, not the wildflower species. Also, something labeled “native North American wildflowers” doesn’t necessarily make it native or adapted to our area.
Halpern suggested avoiding mixes with bachelor’s button and foxglove, which aren’t noxious weeds but can become invasive. Ouch, I love bachelor’s buttons.
A local landscaper told me recently that meadows, even properly planted ones, can take more care than people realize. Who knew meadows could be so fraught with danger?
Maybe we should stick with a lawn. At least that’s what the people at ScottsMiracle-Gro are desperately hoping we’ll do. I recently sat through a national teleconference for media sponsored by the company, called “Water, Lawns and the Environment,” and the message was lawns are good for the environment if managed responsibly.
“Managed responsibly” means mow high, leave the clippings on the lawn, use less water — and feed, feed, feed (presumably with oodles of Scotts products). How many of your neighbors do the first three?
The participants on this panel, which included a Scotts vice president of sustainability, had not a word to say about runoff from chemical treatment of lawns into the groundwater supply or air pollution from lawn mowers. They did mention that some experts estimate that about half of the water applied to lawns ends up wasted. No one mentioned getting rid of grass and planting natives instead. I guess it’s no surprise that a lawn and garden company wants us to keep growing grass and feeding it with loads of fertilizers.
Grass can be a nice addition to the landscape visually and a place for a good game of flag football. The way most Americans manage grass, it’s also a major source of air and water pollution. So, if you must, mow high, leave the clippings on the lawn and fertilize at recommended rates. More is not better. Avoid weed-and-feed products and hand pull weeds instead.
The best weed barrier for a lawn is a healthy lawn, said Ladd Smith, an owner of In Harmony, a Bothell landscape company that uses organic practices. Smith spoke recently at an extension lecture in Everett, and he said 90 percent of the problems his company encounters have nothing to do with pests. Instead, it’s poor gardening practices such as under or overwatering, bad pruning and not putting the right plant in the right place.
Translation: You, dear home gardener, can fix a lot of what ails in the yard by improving what you do, rather than buying something in a can.
Here are a few things you can do for your lawn right now, according to the Natural Yard Care program: Mow grass at a 2-inch height; at 1 inch for bentgrass. Leave the clippings on the lawn for free fertilizer. If the yard needs help, rent an aerator, over seed and top-dress with one-half inch of compost. Fertilize lawns in May with a natural organic or slow release fertilizer. Find a free brochure with other good practices by calling 206-633-0224.
Reporter Debra Smith: 425-339-3197 or dsmith@heraldnet.com. Visit her blog, The Mudraker, at www.heraldnet.com.
Meadow no-nos
Considering purchasing a meadow in can? Don’t buy it if it contains any of these noxious weeds:
n Leucanthemum vulgare or Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, commonly known as oxeye daisy
n Daucus carota, commonly known as Queen Anne’s lace or wild carrot
n Centaurea species, commonly known as knapweed, bighead knapweed or lemon fluff
n Echium vulgare, commonly known as blueweed
Source: Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. Find more information online at www.nwcb.wa.gov.
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