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East Michigan Environmental
Action Council |
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WETLANDS AND WATER QUALITY Dandelions
To Native Grasses and Wildflowers If you put aside a lawn cultivator's loathing for the dandelion for a moment, you must admit that it has a handsome flower. Its joyous sunburst appearance makes it the equal of any other spring flower. There are similar flowers - red-seeded dandelion, fall dandelion, and catsear - but the common dandelion outshines them all. So why do we wage chemical warfare against this useful, beautiful wildflower, risking the health of children, pets, and many kinds of life in the soil? The root cause, of course, is that dandelions are supremely successful in lawns. They are not so happy elsewhere, but they do out-compete lawn grass, especially when we cut it short. What about ways of controlling dandelions without poisons? Digging out the roots is one way, especially if you try dandelion coffee and decide you like it. Another way is change the chemistry of the soil under your lawn. J.L. McCaman, in Weeds And Why They Grow (1994), identifies the dandelion's preferences: (a) very low calcium, (b) very high potash, and (c) poor decay process. This suggests that every fall you should apply calcium to your lawn and give it a top dressing of compost to help the decay process. Soft rock phosphate is a good calcium source; its pH is neutral. Removing potash is more difficult. First test the soil under your lawn to be sure the potash is high. If it is, then use gypsum as your calcium source. Gypsum is calcium sulfate; sulfur and sulfates help counteract excess potash. The ultimate solution is not to have a lawn. You might wish to think about native grasses (lawn grasses are European species, even Kentucky bluegrass). Tallgrass prairie grasses are native to Michigan. They include such elegant grasses as big bluestem, Indian grass, switch grass, bottlebrush, and little bluestem. Native grasses provide a great deal more interest than a lawn. Their deep roots improve infiltration of rainwater enormously and enhance the decay process. Native grasses and wildflowers don't need watering, they hate fertilizer, they thrive on poor soil - and dandelions wouldn't stand a chance. In
1997, Peter and Anne Bray replaced their front lawn with a collection
of native plants and grasses, such as wild strawberry, wild geranium,
little blue stem, prairie drop seed, witch hazel and red twig osier.
"We have always been environmentally conscious," says Anne.
"And we became fed up with mowing the grass." Reducing Algae in Ponds & Inland Lakes Native plants, adjacent to a pond, will help prevent silt and plant nutrients from being carried to the pond by storm water. The plants' long roots will soak up much of the silt and plant nutrients in storm water, keeping it out of pond. If kept free of silt, the pond water is more likely to remain at the cool temperature fish and other aquatic organisms need to thrive. Once the silt is removed and prevented from re-entering the pond, sunlight will reach the bottom of the pond and will allow plants to grow and provide habitat for fish. Native plants will also help keep the pond free of algae. Long-rooted native plants will soak up nutrients from lawn fertilizers. Without nutrients, algae won't grow and the tiny organisms that feed off them won't multiply and use up oxygen. The oxygen levels in the pond will rise back up to the level plants and fish need to be healthy. Long-rooted native plants do a better job of letting rain water soak deep into the soil than do short-rooted turf grass. Because of their long roots, native plants can withstand periods of low rainfall and don1t need to be watered. Native plants grow here naturally because they get what they need from the soil. They don't need fertilizers and pesticides. See Michigan Native Plants (below) for a list. Michigan Native Plants Native plants help to
protect ponds and will attract birds and butterflies to your yard.
The plants listed below are native Michigan wildflowers, shrubs, trees
and grasses. Woodland |
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