How to mow an alternative lawn: all the benefits of low maintenance

When discussing the benefits of a dry garden and the varieties that make it up, the enormous water savings offered by low-water-use lawns are almost always mentioned. However, these are not the only benefits of our alternative lawns, which actually require very little maintenance and are perfect for those who do not have much time or resources to devote to lawn care. But how are alternative lawns mown, and how do you care for a dry garden?



Mowing during the first few months after planting

The period immediately following the planting of an alternative lawn is the only stage in its life that requires a little extra attention, as mowing is necessary to stimulate the growth of the young plants. In fact, during the first few months after planting, we recommend mowing more frequently: keeping the lawn low, never taller than 3 centimetres, helps promote the horizontal growth of the young plants as they expand to cover the entire area. Frequent mowing, especially when the ground is not yet covered, also makes it easier to control weeds, which might otherwise find more room to establish themselves during this period.

Maintaining alternative lawns throughout the year

Alternative lawn plants require very little maintenance mainly because they reach a minimum height. Generally, when they flower, they reach a maximum height of 15 centimetres, which is why we recommend never allowing them to grow excessively tall and always keeping the lawn low.

During mowing, do not be afraid to remove the flowers, as this will make the benefits even greater. By keeping the lawn short and removing the flowers, they will return within a few days and the flowering will be lower and more prolonged. To see how our alternative lawns look after maintenance, watch this video of our Verbena hybrida being mown.

In any case, in the years following the establishment period, the lawn will need to be mown 2 to 6 times a year, depending on the climate and varieties, at the times of greatest growth. In our experience, the best times to mow alternative lawns are:

• the spring period, between May and June, because afterwards, due to the heat and the need for more watering, it is best to stop mowing;
• the autumn period, between October and November, because afterwards, as the weather gets colder, it is best to avoid putting the young plants under any further stress.

Controlling weeds

All varieties of our groundcover plants are able to keep weeds well under control once the area is fully covered. However, during the initial period after planting, when the young plants are still spaced apart, there is more room for weeds. At this stage, we recommend manually removing the most invasive broad-leaved weeds and mowing more frequently to contain their growth and instead stimulate the growth of the alternative lawn plants.

When the weather gets hot, and following our watering guidelines, conditions should be created to compromise the survival of weeds: most of them, in fact, are unable to thrive for long periods without water. Meanwhile, our more drought-tolerant plants will tend to cover the surface, leaving no room for weeds.